Rustic Old Mason Jar Craft

So like my previous post said, I went jar happy....So here is another craft project using mason jars.

Step 1: Get your supplies:
Chalkboard paint ( I got mine at Lowes a year ago so I couldn't tell ya how much it costs.
Paint brush
Sandpaper
White acrylic paint (or whatever color you like)
Clear Matte finish sealer spray paint
Chalk

Step 2: Grab your sandpaper and rough up the jar lid (both parts).

 

 

Step 3: Stir your paint really well and grab your paint brush and paint your lid. I did about 3 coats (drying between coats!)

 

 

Step 4:

 While your chalk paint lid is drying you can work on the jar part. I just used some white acrylic paint that I had. I painted 2 coats of the white paint on the outside of the jar, yes drying between coats.... I say outside because I have also done another jar painting the inside of the jar for another type of look.

 IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! YOU MUST WAIT 24 HOURS FOR THIS PAINT TO DRY! OR IT WILL JUST RUB OR WIPE RIGHT OFF!

 Listen to kitty, relax and just chill for a bit....I know this is the worst part, I hate waiting!

Step 5: After the paint has dried 24 hours, grab your piece of sand paper, (I used the same one that I used to rough up the jar lid with) and distress your jar. You can do it a lot or a little depending on the look you want to achieve.

Step 6: After you are done distressing your jar, get out some clear matte finish spray paint. Its important to use a matte finish because otherwise you will have a shinny jar and that isn't the look we are going for. We want rustic and old...not shinny. I did two light coats (ugh yes drying between coats).

 

 Step 7: Fill your jar with whatever you want. I did Q-tips in this one for one of my bath rooms.  Screw on your lid and grab a piece of chalk and write whatever on your lid.

Comments: If you like the bottom of this jar you could certainly pair it with the soap jar lid from my other tutorial and make it into a soap jar as well. I would really make sure you do several good coats of the matte sealer though. You can use the chalk lid for your craft room so that you can keep things more organized and you will know exactly what's in the jar because you can label them and relabel  them if you change out what's inside the jar.

 

Mason Soap Jar

So it's been a minute since I made a blog.....So this week I went JAR HAPPY! I love mason jars, I just love the simple country look they can give you. My sister in law pokes fun at me but she can bite me and that's gonna be hard because she's back *home* in Michigan.

 Okay so 1st jar: Soap Mason Jar

Step 1: Get your supplies
 Mason Jar
Soap (Refill Jug-clearance for under $4 bucks!& the regular pump kind-also on clearance 3 for under $4 bucks again
Sandpaper
Spray Paint
Drill
Scissors
Hot Glue/Gun





Step 2: Get your sandpaper and rough up that jar lid.

 

Step 3: Drill your hole in the center of the lid. Its okay that its kinda rough because you wont see that part at all later. Don't tell my husband I barrowed his drill.......

Step 4: Get your desired color of spray paint and paint at least 2 coats.....make sure it dries between the coats.  I love the look of this hammered brown by rust-oleum. 

Step 5: After your paint has dried you can get your soap pump and measure to make sure the height will work for your size jar. Mine was a little long so I just took regular scissors and trimmed the end. Then I used my hot glue gun to secure it on the bottom side of the lid. 

Step 6: Fill your jar with soap and screw on your lid and baby you're done!

 

 Comments: I have tried to paint the actual pump the same color as the jar lid but the paint just ends up falling off or scratching off really easily. For example, when you pump the soap that whole "neck" part looks so crappy. If you really want the pump to match then you are going to have to spend more money and buy a fancy pump or maybe look at good will and then buy paint to match that.

 

 

Bath Salt Jar

So maybe I am crazy but I always keep the jars after I am done with eating whatever was in them....There are so many uses for them and even better I can make them look "pretty." You would never think that their original use was to hold pickles or sauce. So I love taking baths, and now that I have a wonderful soaker tub I can do just that whenever I want too. So I kept looking at my ugly bath salt jar and thought that's so tacky, how can I make it look better......well here is your answer....not to mention its cheap and easy. And it would make a nice gift for your friends, they will probably think you spent a lot more on it then you really did.

Step 1: Gather your supplies:
             A jar ( I used a pickle jar )
             Some Burlap
             Ribbon
             Buttons and Flowers
             Hot Glue/Gun
             Scissors
             Sandpaper
             Spray Paint
             Xtreme Goo Gone ( and paper towel)

Step 2: Using your Xtreme Goo Gone, soak a corner of a paper towel and simple wipe the glue residue off your recycled jar. Don't forget to wipe off the ink code thing they put on the jar. (I'm pointing to it in the picture below.)

 Step 3: Get out your sandpaper and scratch up the jar lid. Don't forget the sides!

Step 4: Get out your spray paint, I used this cool "hammered" looking finish in brown. I think I got it at Lowes Hardware store. This is probably the most expensive part of this project. You don't have to use something fancy like this, a simple cream or black will work. I just already had this in my garage, so its what I used and it also went with my color scheme.  I ended up doing two coats of paint. You can follow the drying times on the can of spray paint. 

Step 5:Now that my lid is dry, its time to work on the decoration of the jar. I had some brown burlap that I found at a yard sale for 50 cents! Yeah I know, awesome right! I measured my jar and cut a piece of burlap with about half inch of overlap. I centered it on my jar and CAREFULLY used hot glue to secure it. After that I did the same thing with my ribbon. (Don't forget to heat seal your ribbon with a lighter to prevent fraying!)

Above: Its okay to have some fraying, it looks more rustic that way. I actually made it fray by pulling some strips off the sides.

Above: You cant even tell there is a seam there! I know I rock!

Step 6: After you are done with the burlap and ribbon, its time to add some decoration. I did something simple here. I just stacked some paper flowers together and topped it with a button. You can really do whatever you want here. Add a collage of buttons or maybe a fake flower. I just used a dot of hot glue between the flowers and the button as well. Then hot glued it to my jar.

Step 7: Almost done! Now fill your jar with your bath salts and put your lid on. If you want to be even fancier, you can buy lavender scented bath salts and mix it with actual lavender flowers.

 

Above: Before and After

Above: Ta-DAAAAAA! So much better!

  

Beach Memory Jar

Okay on my "busy" schedule I finished another craft project today. I also took some great photos of my baby girl (two months officially today). But back to our Beach Memory Jar project......

 See isn't she a doll! Okay for real....its craft time!

 

Step 1.....Gather your supplies: I used a baby food jar but you can use any size jar. I used a small one because I didn't have a lot of stuff to put in it. Sandpaper, this is just what I had handy. Spray paint, sand from the beach, and some Goo Gone. Oh and some Mod Podge and paint brush of course.

Step 2.....First I took a small piece of my sandpaper and scratched up the lid, this helps the paint stick. Don't forget the sides of the lid as well.

 Step 3......So then I peeled off the paper from my jar and there was some leftover adhesive so I got my Goo Gone and rubbed it off with a paper towel. This is "xtreme" Goo Gone but I think the regular stuff will work just fine too but you might have to scrub a little harder. If you don't have Goo Gone, try paint thinner or I've even heard that if you boil the jars for several minutes that it will scrub off. Oh yeah or try nail polish remover....okay enough about that I swear!

 Above: See yucky!

Above: So much better eh?

 

Step 4....I already had this spray paint from another project so I just used it. You want a cream or sand color because you will see a little of it after you cover it with the beach sand (seen in a later step). I did two coats to make sure that everything was covered. I also put my lid on a small can so that I could get all the sides and didn't have to worry about the lid sticking to the cardboard. 

Above: Oops sorry husband I got some paint on your W-D 40 can. Shhhh he'll never notice....

 

Step 5....Then after your lid is dry, paint the entire lid top and sides with an even layer of Mod Podge. Cover it with your beach sand, and let dry.  After it has dried, paint over your sand with another layer of Mod Podge. It may look funny now, but when it dries it will look like wet sand and it won't shed all over your house or when someone touches it. I also folded a piece of paper and poured my sand on top of that paper so that I could pick it up later and pour it back into my bottle.

  Some other ideas for your lid: you may add an old knob or even a shell or rock that you collected from your trip to the beach.

 

 

 Above: what it looks like with the second layer of Mod Podge.

 

Step 6.....Yay almost done! Fill your jar with your beach treasures. I have rocks, beach glass and shells in mine. You can even add a little tag on the bottom of your jar with the name of the beach and the date you collected your treasures.

Above: Neat rock with a hole in it! I also LOVE beach glass!