It’s still a bit chilly
here in Wisconsin, but I’m willing spring to arrive with all of my spring
decorating inside! I love using old glass bottles and jars for decor. In fact, my spring mantel this year was full of them!
I wanted a little
something for spring in our family room, too, so I rummaged through my jar
stash to find a couple jars I could use as vases for spring flowers. Aren’t
they perfect for spring?!
This is an easy tutorial
you could use for any season of the year. I love switching out decor pieces
each season, it always gets me excited for what’s next! Plus these jars are so
little, they’d be easy to store for use year after year.
Supply list:
- Glass jars (I used spaghetti sauce jars.)
- Drop cloth
- Clay paint (I used green and light blue.)
- Paint brush
- Wax
- Wax brush
- Clean, lint-free cloth
If you’re using old food
jars like I did, peel the labels off. Sometimes running the jar under hot water
helps.
You can really use any paint
for these, but I love the look of clay paint. It’s similar to chalky paint and
gives that kind of textured look to painted pieces. I’ve used it on several furniture makeovers, and I always love the look of it.
I gave each jar two coats
of paint, being sure to apply the paint with brush strokes going in the same
direction each time. This gives jars a more finished look when you’re done.
Around the tops of the
jars, I didn’t cover them with paint completely. Instead, I did some quick
brush strokes, leaving a bit of jars plain to give them a more rustic look.
Let the paint dry in
between coats, or you may end up messing up your first coat and having to start
all over again. Not that I’ve ever done that! :)
Sometimes it’s best to be patient.
Let the second coat of paint
dry for 24-48 hours. Then apply the wax to seal the paint. I’ve used a few
different wax brushes, and I have to say, paying a bit more for a good one is worth
it. (This is coming from someone who keeps old spaghetti sauce jars to use as
vases!)
I used clear/natural wax,
but if you want a more textured look, you could use dark wax or glaze.
I tend to stick to the clear wax just because I like it, but it depends on the
look you’re going for.
Swirl your wax brush in
the wax container, then apply the wax to the jars using a circular motion. Use
a clean cloth to wipe off an excess wax.
Then plop in some spring
flowers and display. Bonus points if you have little eggs to display with them,
too!
If you love painting projects, check these out, too:
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Thanks to Kim for having
me today!
