I thought I would do a tutorial on how to paint the inside of a glass jar because I have so many of them sitting around and thought maybe everyone else does too.
Mason jars from marinara, yogurt jars, jam jars… we go through so many food items with glass jars that I’m just constantly stockpiling them.
I usually rinse them and just recycle but I thought the other day I should make something using them since all the other materials I spend on crafts cost so much, why not use something I already have.
There are so many ways to paint mason jar but I thought I would focus on painting the inside of the glass jar for today.
I love that polished look of having the paint being used on the inside. It gives me a clean canvas do decorate however I want on the outside.
These also look great as is without anything on the outside.
If you are interested in this vintage cherry blossom and birds template or buffalo pattern, they are both available in my resource library for free.
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Material for Painting Mason jars for Centerpieces
Mason Jars – In case you don’t have any sitting around or want a set of the same size, Amazon as a huge selection of mason jars. I prefer the ones with smooth outsides so I can add additional decorative elements.
Paint – Any viscous paint works for this project. I used cheap Acrylic Paint from this Craft Smart Acrylic Paint Set. I use about 0.5oz of paint for a 8oz jar.
Optional brush – If you want to save a little on the paint, you can always paint in on from the inside.
Painting Glass Jars with Acrylic Paint
It really doesn’t get any easier than this.
I first clean out my jar.
There are various methods to get the label off. I usually just run it in the dishwasher and while it is still wet, use a little baking soda and oil mix and scrub it off with a sponge.
With a clean and dry jar, squeeze some of the paint in.
Slosh it around a bit and try to cover all the interior of the jar.
If you still have the lid, sometimes I just put it on its side and role it ever so slightly every few minutes.
Painting Inside of Glass Jars with a Brush
I usually don’t like using the brush because I have to wait for each layer to dry. I normally just use it as a touch up in case there is a gap uncovered.
But it is totally possible to squeeze less paint in and then move it around with a brush. I will likely require 2 coats.
How to Make Painted Mason Jars Waterproof
One of the other reasons I like to use Acrylics paint is because it is waterproof naturally.
It will take about 24hrs for the paint to dry but after that, it is more or less waterproof.
If you are worried about it in the dishwasher, you can brush on a layer of Mod Podge for Dishwashers.
I like to also apply this Mod Podge on the outside of the mason jar brings me to the next topic of decorating the outside of the painted jar.
How to Decorate a Painted Mason Jar
My favorite materials to decorate the outside of a mason jar are paper, vinyl and more acrylic paint.
With paper, you can decoupage (or glue) basically anything on the outside. Here, I created a buffalo patterned shell that I decoupaged on the outside using Mod Podge.
You simply create the cutout. In this case, I used my Cricut for this design. (this buffalo pattern is available for free in my resource library). Then trimmed it appropriately and brushed it on with Mod Podge.
Alternatively, you can create all sorts of vinyl decals like I did here and apply them either by hand or with transfer tape.
I’m obsessed with both modern farmhouse and vintage so I’ve included a template for both designs in this project.
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So I painted my first jar yesterday w/acrylic paint using the easiest method I thought I’d try that I had learned about online. I just can’t fine a strait answer on 2 things & thought maybe you could help me.
First, should I leave it sitting outside on the screen porch to dry (it’s been about 90• here lately & very outside) or is in the sink on parchment paper ok?
And second, it’s been almost 24hrs exactly that I painted it yesterday but seems like it could use a good bit longer to dry. What would you say your dry time average is when you paint your jars using this method?
Thank you so much for your help & I love your website! Learning so much from it!!
Hi Stephanie,
It depends on the humidity of the air. We’ve left it by a window with a breeze for 24hr and it was sufficient.
Happy Crafting!