If you’re here, you might be wondering how to paint mason jars so they don’t look so plain.
There are absolutely gorgeous mason jar ideas out there that can inspire you to make your next great mason jar craft project.
Mason jars are pretty useful for a ton of things, like meal prepping, canning (their original use), baby shower centerpieces, wedding decorations, organizing your office, keeping your toiletries in one place, or even a nice rustic vase for your favorite flowers.
With just a few materials, like glitter or chalk paint or even ribbon, you can come up with some pretty cute mason jar craft ideas!
We’ve rounded up 31 gorgeous painted mason jar crafts that you can use for your next party or to simply decorate your space.
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To paint some mason jars you’re gonna need a few tools to get you started on the right foot. While these might not be all the materials you may need, they’re the basics that you can build off as you go.
Some common mason jar painting questions
If you’ve never painted your own mason jars, you might have some initial questions. Especially ones about which paints are best to use. Here is a breakdown of the most common questions when it comes to painting mason jars.
What kind of paint will stick to glass?
Really, any basic paint will stick to glass. But if you want a paint job that will go on well and that will last you a very long time, in terms of spray paint, the best type to use is krylon spray paint. But acrylic or chalk paint can work as well.
How do you distress painted mason jars?
To distress your painted mason jars:
- Paint your mason jars with your desired color with a painting sponge
- Let dry completely
- Take some sand paper and lightly sand paper your jar until you get the desired ‘distressed’ effect
- Voila! You’ve got a beautifully distressed jar like the ones you see on Pinterest
How do you paint glass jars with acrylic paint?
To paint mason jars with acrylic paint, make sure they’re wiped down with rubbing alcohol, and then for best results use a painting sponge so your color goes on smooth. If you don’t mind the paint finish being a little messy, then you can use a regular paint brush with your acrylic paint.
Let’s dig in! Here is a list of starter supplies perfect for mason jar crafts that will be useful if you try any of these DIY projects:
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Pastel chalk paint
Folk Art Chalk Paint is awesome for mason jar painting because of the pretty effects you can create with this particular type of matte paint. It’s also great for repainting furniture, so you can always be sure that, if you’re crafty, you’ll definitely be using it for more than one thing.
Gold spray paint
Krylon Gold Spray Paint will be useful for your gilded and distressed mason jar creations and a must if you want to create some elegant jars (especially for the holidays). You can pick up a quick can for a couple of bucks.
Set of mason jars
And of course you can’t forget your good old set of mason jars to make sure you’ve got something to paint in the first place. Grab a whole set of 16 oz mason jars and just have fun with it.
How to paint mason jars: 31 gorgeous ideas
Via Teal Notes
One of the easiest ways to create some kickass painted mason jars is to use some chalk paint and sandpaper for a distressed look. Head to the post to get full step-by-step directions on how to get the ‘distressed’ look.
Chalk paint is a great way to decorate a plain mason jar, especially if you color coordinate them with the theme that you’re going for. I love this combination of monochromatic colors from It All Started With Paint.
Via Creek Line House
Here’s a cool way to paint your mason jars: Paint their insides for a different and smoother effect. There are tons of possibilities with what you can do once you get to painting.
Gold on mason jars just seems to work so well for some reason. Add some stripes to that and you’ve pretty much got yourself a winning combo. I love that you can peep through and see your flower stems through the unpainted areas. Total mason jar genius.
Going off the stripe theme, here’s another way to beautify your jars, create a white paint base for them, and then use a nice bright color to stripe them. You can make your stripes as thick or as thin as you want. I often find I like the look of thick stripes the best.
Via Suburble
As I’m sure you can tell, teal is a pretty predominant color on this lifestyle site, and for good reason. It is simply a universally flattering color and when paired with some distressing techniques and a gold undertone, you can come up with these mason jar beauties. Make sure you check out Suburble for the complete set of directions!
Watercolors don’t just have to be on paper. You can watercolor your favorite set of mason jars too! You can combine more than one color on each jar or even freely splatter your favorite colors on them once you paint it white. It makes for a great mason jar craft that you can share with your kids.
Related: How To Paint Mason Jars With Chalk Paint
Via Kastyles
These semi distressed pink mason jars are awesome and make for a great valentine’s day gift. You can always add extra little details to personalize it and make it your own like small heart patterns for example.
These striped glitter jars are the absolute prettiest and can be fitting for a ton of different occasions, like Valentine’s Day, Easter, Christmas, or even birthday parties. They can definitely make cute party favors if you fill them with your favorite candies.
Via Home Sweet Eats
Try adding some glitter to the rim of your jars. You can take it a step further and add that glitter to the items IN your mason jar to color coordinate it.
via Kastyles
These mason jars are at the top of my favorite mason jar painted looks. The rose gold ombre color is absolutely stunning. You can definitely pair it with some white peonies and you’ve got yourself a winning combo.
