Turn ordinary mason jars into gorgeous stained-glass-style decor with just Mod Podge and food coloring! This DIY is easy, budget-friendly, and beautiful.
Skills Required: None. Even if you’ve never Mod Podged before or have little crafting experience, you should have success with this project.
Ever wanted to tint glass jars in dreamy shades of ocean blue or forest green — without splurging on specialty paints? Good news: all you need is Mod Podge, food coloring, and a little crafty curiosity.
In this easy tutorial, I’ll show you exactly how to color glass at home using a foolproof method that creates gorgeous, translucent color with a glossy finish.
Whether you’re dyeing glass for wedding centerpieces, shelf decor, or a fun upcycling project, this is a beginner-friendly craft that actually works.
I tested four mason jars—two in vibrant blue, two in lush green—and found the magic combo: 4 drops of gel food coloring to 1/4 cup of Mod Podge. The result? Stained-glass-style jars that look custom, expensive, and totally stunning in the sunlight.
You can see the beautiful shades I achieved above.
FAQs you might be wondering:
- Can you use Mod Podge and food coloring to dye glass? → Yes, and it creates a beautiful stained glass effect.
- What type of Mod Podge works best? → Gloss formula gives the prettiest sheen and works best with glass.
- Will the color stay? → Yep! The color holds strong. Be careful about putting them in windows though, with bright sun. Regular Mod Podge isn’t UV resistant (the Outdoor formula is).
- Can I make other colors? → Absolutely—just tweak your food coloring drops for endless custom shades.
So if you’re searching for a way to tint glass bottles, stain mason jars, or create faux colored glass on a budget, you’re in the right place.
Let’s get into the exact steps I followed (including a tip or two from my earlier “oops” moments) so you can get stunning results without the trial and error.
NOTE BEFORE BEGINNING . . . these can’t be used with water. The Mod Podge is on the inside of the jar, and is water soluble. If you would like to make jars that can hold water, you can use the spouncing method on the outside like I do here.
Are you ready to begin? Get the printable how to card below:
How to Dye Glass
Equipment
- Cups 1 per color
- Stirring stick(s)
- Scraping tool
Materials
- 4 Mason jar(s) mine are 32 oz
- Mod Podge Gloss
- 4 drops Gel food coloring this is per jar – double for regular food coloring
- Wax paper to cover work surface
Video
Instructions
- Clean the jars with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. If you use rubbing alcohol, swirl around and pour the excess back into the container. Let dry.
- For each color you want to make, add 1/4 cup of Mod Podge Gloss to a cup.
- Add four drops of gel food coloring per color to each cup. If you're using regular food coloring, you'll want to double that to eight drops.
- Stir each cup completely, or until all the color is dispersed throughout the Mod Podge.
- Working one jar at a time, pour the Mod Podge into the jar. Scrape the excess out of the cup with a tool, so that you get all of it into the jar.
- Swirl to coat. It can take a minute to completely coat the inside.If you notice the mixture doesn't reach certain areas, you can use a paintbrush to assist.
- Place upside down on your work surface to let drain. Allow to sit until all excess Mod Podge is fully drained.
- Prop up (to allow air in) and let dry for 24 hours. Alternatively, you can place in a 200 degree oven and bake until dry (do not leave unattended).
- Use the craft knife to trim any excess Mod Podge from around the lips of the jars.
Notes
Did you enjoy this project? Let me know in the comments! I’d also love for you to check out these other ideas:
Would this work the sameone the outside of the glass? I have some glass mugs I want to color but I want the handle, steam and back to match.
I would recommend doing this with permanent glass paint if you are doing it on the outside. Because with glass mugs the Mod Podge will just wash off, unless you use Dishwasher Safe, and I think it would be more streaky to mix with food coloring than to just use a glass paint.
Can you apply a napkin and mod podge over the colored jar?
Yes Kathy, but you want to make sure the color is on the inside of the jar rather than the outside. You don’t want to reactivate the Mod Podge already on the jar with more Mod Podge (although you could be very gentle and try it that way).
These are so very pretty
So cute!
Loved this n so easy!
WOW – didn’t know it would dry clear! very helpful tip.
Fun and easy!! I may do this on the outside to add some spark to my jars. Its a great idea. I have a clear vase im useing for a scrubber holder but you can see leftover soap real well. a little color would hide that.
These colored mason jars (with my own twist)would be perfect for Valentine treats that I love to hand out…usually fudge! I’d probably place them in a tiny ziplock bag. Then the recipient would have a snack and something to keep! Thanks!
Okay, this is brilliant (no pun intended, ha ha)
I have some stencils I use for fabric decoration and this will give them something else to do. And since I”m a sucker for colored glass, this is perfect for some lantern ideas that I have. Thanks for posting this!
Colored Mason Jars