Upcycling: Make Your Own Blue Mason Jars

**Blogger deleted this original post, so I’m sorry if your comments were deleted! So i’m posting again so you can refer back if you want to make these yourself!**

I love the town we live in, especially in the summer. The views from the beaches here are spectacular, and I could sit and stare all day at the beauty that is New England. There is one road in particular I love to drive down (it’s a private road, so my get-out-of-jail-free line is “Oh, sorry! I’m lost!”), mainly because of ginormous beach houses and its view of the Thimble Islands. Some of the islands have huge vacation homes on them…it’s like a dream. I promise, I will provide you with some pictures this summer. STUNNING (<---anyone like my husband and hate this word? I happen to like it, and find it hilarious that he gets so annoyed by a word. :) Stunning, stunning, stunning, stun-...okay, I'll stop.

So during one of my drive-bys last summer, I noticed a sign for a tag sale. A tag sale on the street with the multi-million dollar homes? YES PLEASE. And thats where I snagged some of my favorite vintage mason jars. I purchased 2 of the aqua blue jars and 8 clear jars with the glass tops and rusty handles for $10. Little did I know how good of a deal this actually was.

I’ve been searching for more blue jars ever since and have found many…..but they are all $20 a piece. Yeah, I don’t think so. Luckily, one of my google searches brought up a link for special paint that can be used to paint glass…and that’s when I decided I could totally DIY these jars.

Here’s what you need:
Vitrea 160 in Turquoise
Vitrea 160 paint thinner (both of these can be found at Michael’s)
cheesecloth or an old rag
latex or nonlatex gloves (if you don’t want to ruin your manicure)
bowl for mixing
a spoon for measuring parts
paper towels to place jars on to dry

(I forgot to take pictures of some of the steps below…oops!)

First, I mixed the paint and thinner to a ratio of about 25/75 (25% paint, 75% thinner). I did this simply with a spoon…one spoonful of paint, three of thinner. Mix these together.

Then, with your gloves on to protect those pretty nails, dip the cheesecloth or rag into the paint and start wiping it onto the outside of the glass. There may be some streaks, but do the best you can and don’t worry too much about them.

When you’re finished, place them upside down to dry for 24 hours. This is the sucky part. I hate waiting, and can be very impatient. But this is necessary for this paint as it needs times to cure. Boo.

24 hours later, pop these babies into the oven on a cookie sheet for 40 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes the jars resistant to dishwashing! Not that I think I’d put them in the dishwasher….but hey, it’s good to know.

 Close enough of a match for me!