Saturday, May 26, 2012

Aging New Mason Jars and Lids




I have a few of the old blue mason jars with the zinc lids and love the look of them.  I've tried painting new canning jars with the Vitrea paint and heating them in the oven.  That worked well, but the Vitrea paint is somewhat expensive, even with a coupon.  I then found Suzanne's post on her blog Chickens in the Road about using Mod Podge, food coloring and water. 

I started with:
2 tablespoons Mod Podge
1 tablespoon Water
4 drops of Blue Food Coloring
1 drop of Green Food Coloring

I mixed those in a bowl, then played with the food coloring to make it more blue, although it stayed somewhat green... 



I poured some of the mixture in the clear canning jar and swirled it around until everything was covered.  I tried to let any excess drip out.





You will only be putting the color on the inside and please be aware that because it's Mod Podge, you cannot add water to these.  The color will come off.  I would not put food in them either.

Suzanne recommended using parchment paper, then foil on a cookie sheet.  I put those down and set the jars upside down on the parchment paper.  It continued to drip out, so I moved the jars around so they wouldn't have a pool of the mixture at the bottom.

I then put them in the oven at 200 degrees.  After a few minutes, I pulled them out and using a hot pad to hold the jar, carefully wiped off the excess with a paper towel.  (Even though I did this,  there was still a lot of excess even at the end of the process...) 

I put them in the oven for about 35 minutes total.



It's funny how different the colors look here, but once they were done, I couldn't tell them apart.





After the 35 minutes, I pulled them out of the oven and let them cool for a few minutes.  I didn't get a picture of this step, but there was a fair amount of goop that had pooled at the lip of each jar.  I used plain steel wool and wetted it with a little water to remove the goop.  I had to be careful not to rub the steel wool too hard into the jar, only on the lip where there was a lot of excess.




Now that I had bluish-greenish jars, I decided to see if I could make zinc looking lids.

I found some Dophin Grey paint and mixed it with Black Antiquing Gel.  I only used the antiquing gel because I couldn't find a bottle of regular black paint...










I used a 1" foam brush and dabbed it on until it looked rough enough.

I let it dry and kept adding a little more paint and texture until it looked right.  







I really like the way they turned out. 



I like the look of sand and shells in them too.




Thanks for your visit!

Pam


I've been nominated for Best Innovative Blog at Palatin Remodeling.  I'd love it if you would vote for me.



I am linking to the following parties:



>Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

27 comments:

  1. I tried the mod podge method also, and found if they have any sun exposure, it will fade quickly. You may want to keep them out of direct sunlight. I love the look of the old jars with the zinc lids. Great tutorial:)

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  2. Awesome tutorial, Pam. What a difference it makes! I like the aged look, too.

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  3. Thanks for the tutorial! They turned out great! Enjoy your weekend!

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  4. They turned out really nice. I would love to try this too. Thanks for sharing your tutorial.

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  5. Move over Martha because Pam is the new "queen" of crafts!! These look awesome! Have a great weekend Pam:)

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  6. Wow, that was a great job, those jars look 100 years old!

    Carol

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  7. Wow! that is amazing! who would think u could paint them?

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  8. So pretty and the color is gorgeous.

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  9. This is so neat, Pam. I just voted for you. And you are already a winner by being nominated. Good luck!...Christine

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  10. What a fabulous tutorial! Thanks for sharing and also for stopping by and visiting my blog :)

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  11. Awesome tutorial...too funny, we both have mason jar postings.
    I do love the aged look though.

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  12. What a great tutorial! Thanks for the info.

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  13. Really cute! ;)
    thanks for sharing!
    Sofia
    ideiasdetrazerporcasa.blogspot.com

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  14. What a great idea! These jars are so popular right now. I really like the sand and the starfish ;)

    Thanks for the inspiration!

    blessings,
    karianne

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  15. Came over from Nifty Thrifty. I needed a lesson on how to make something metal look like zinc. I cannot believe that the first post I looked at had the instructions. Thanks! (Also, I love the look of the jars)

    Distressed Donna Down Home

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  16. What an awesome idea! They turned out great. Thanks for giving such a detailed tutorial. It's good to know about not putting water or food in them. Super cute for decorating!! Visiting from Wow is Wednesday. ~ Jamie

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  17. Great to see a blog about the importance of lighting. It really does affect the mood and furniture in a room.

    I've seen some of the most beautiful grains ruined by poor lighting, and yet have also seen some awful grains made to look wonderful through great lighting.

    Lighting is so important, yet it's often overlooked or simply installed just because someone likes the idea of a spotlight rather than the affect it gives!

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  18. Hi darling, how creative. I have several jars around here, have bookmarked this hoping to try it soon. I can think of a dozen ways to use them.. hope you're getting along ok.
    hugs ~lynne~

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  19. Nice methods to decorating your home.I like your idea since it is very creative and innovative.keep up the good work

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  20. Hi darling, I'm so glad you knew about the geranium, so many folks didn't. Hope you're having a great w/k. hugs ~lynne~

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  21. Hi Pam,

    Your jars look so pretty sporting their new color. I love the added sand and starfish. Cool!

    Dee

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  22. Thanks for writing such a detailed tutorial on paiting hese glasses. It is not only a wonderful pastime but also creates something that you can show off to friends besides being useful in the kitchen. I hope you'll keep coming up with such wonderful ideas to keep me busy at home.

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