DIY Distressed Mason Jars

Hey gang! So, if you follow me on Instagram you’ll see that on the weekends I attempt to work through some of my Pinterest ideas. Sometimes it’s food and other times it’s a craft, but I document my progress with Insta-stories! It’s a great peek into the step-by-step simplicity of the projects I choose.

A few weeks ago I  made homemade bread (you can check out the results of that here, YUM!) and this weekend I successfully tried a craft. This is a simple project I’ve seen all over Pinterest and really wanted to try. And since I’m having a party in a few weeks, I figured these would be the perfect super simple craft at a really low cost & it would brighten up my party table..and ya’ll, I was right! There are so many variations of this project and I tried a mix of a few of them (so I didn’t have to buy anything extra). Now I’ll be moving the pins from my Arts & Crafts board over to my Successful crafty pin board for you to check out which would work best for you.

And of course you can check out my Pinterest boards to see the pins I’ve completed and loved! Remember, I only attempt projects and recipes think can be done between sports, cooking, cleaning, and the all important Dateline super sleuthing (I love solving a good mystery!) Check out my crafty board and my yummy board for more completed projects.

OK, now for the project. I just used some old mason jars that I had at home, and chose a few colors of acrylic paint that I thought would look pretty and spring-y together. The only item I purchased for this project was a glossy spray (because the acrylic dries with a matte finish). Here’s the step-by-step for you to follow:

1. Get yourself a clean jar (or old Snapple bottle, or tomato sauce jar-whatever you have laying around)
2. Choose your acrylic paint colors, and gather your painting tools (I used a wide brush, but a paint sponge may give it a different texture you like better)
3. Paint your jar two to three times (until you get good coverage)
4. Once your jar is dry, run a nail file, or a piece of sandpaper over any lifted letters or designs you want to show through your paint.
5. Next, I chose to paint the letters that I filed the paint away from
6. Use your nail file or sandpaper to rub away a few areas of your jar to give it an aged look. Do as little or as much as you want…have at it!

***I had an old knob laying around so I glued it to the top of the jar.

***Also, you can choose to glue the center circle to to the outer ring, making the lid one single piece. I chose to leave them as a two piece lid so I can use it for storage or to put flowers in (I like the look of the jar with flowers and the outer ring.

I love the ideas that some craft-ers are thinking up (I’m pretty sure I made up this word). I’ve seen them using burlap, ribbons, or even buttons. I bet you could find great deals on jewelry pieces or fabric scraps or even buttons off a piece of clothing you’re no longer using. This is where you can really get creative. I used an old drawer knob that I had and glued it onto the inner lid using E600 (it’s a miracle crafting glue—do yourself a favor and get it!)

Well, I hope this craft inspires you to create beautiful decor for your bathroom, entryway, or party table. And since Easter is coming up, now  would be a great time to paint some pretty pastel mason jars and give them away as grown up Easter baskets…fill them with fake grass and a manicure set, or simply delish candy! Happy crafting friends!