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:
Can I put food in the jar? Can it be washed?
Hi Brenda! It’s not food safe, so no, it would have to be wrapped food. But they are great for candies and other wrapped foods for the holidays!
If my mod podge is this would you recommend watering it down a drop to be able to swirl it more easily?
You can add a tiny bit of water but the Mod Podge swirls around by itself okay usually!
does this work the same and would it be safe to use alcohol ink/dyes? i have alcohol dyes that i use for resin making and i want to use them for the jars but want to make sure it’s still okay
Yep! Alcohol inks would work great!
Sorry if someone has asked already. Are these safe for candles? Like if I did a glass votive and then put a tea light inside would the Mod Podge burn/ come off the inside?
If you put the Mod Podge inside, use an LED tealight. You can get them at the dollar store. It’s non-flammable but it will melt.
I love this craft! Any suggestions for tracing the design on the outside of a glass lamp or bottle? There isn’t a way to tape design inside.
The color fades/disappears if the jars are in direct sunlight… I colored a bunch and put solar lids with lights inside and put them outside in the garden. All lost the color…
Hi MPC! Yes, acrylic products will fade in the direct sunlight without UV protection. It’s like a framed poster that hangs on the wall in direct sunlight and if it doesn’t have UV glass, it will fade too. The Outdoor formula features a UV protection.
What color (s) did you use to create the amber color?
4 drops red, 4 drops yellow, and 1 drop blue food coloring per 1 T of Mod Podge. You can add a little bit of water to thin it for pouring.
@Jeanne Peters, I use a few Tbls of Modge podge with 4 drops of brown, 1 red and 1 green . It makes the real amber color, not the orangey Halloween kind.
Can I tint glass jars that I’m going to store olive oils and vinegars in?
You can – but you would want to paint the outside! You don’t want it to be in contact with the fluids.
Can you use acrylic paint in place of food coloring? I don’t have food coloring…
Yes! You don’t want to use much though because it’s less transparent. Just a few drops to color it. ANd it will obscure the glass more than food coloring (but I still think you’ll like it).
i tried this and they came out of the oven with a ton of bubbles. i can’t seem to fix it either. when i let them air dry they are fine.
Hi Christi! Since every oven is different, it’s hard to troubleshoot your particular case. I will say just let them air dry if that works for you! It sounds like the oven might be either heating up too fast or getting too hot (sometimes the indicator isn’t correct on ovens as I know from baking). Not the fault of your oven, you’ll just have to work around for this project. Thanks!