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:
What color do you use to get the amber color
Jars came out great until I added water after they dried and the jars became cloudy. Jars were heated at 200 degrees for 90 minutes, and the water was added several hours later. Any suggestions?
Hi Bryan! Did you add water to the interior of the jars and dye the interior of the jars? If you’re going to add water, you have to put the Mod Podge on the outside, or add a separate vase to make it a double hurricane: https://betweennapsontheporch.net/pottery-barn-knock-off-double-bowl-hurricane-easter-tulip-centerpiece/
Any acrylic product is going to be activated with water sitting on it!
We made these im amber and purpley pink for my wedding and they looked lovely. Unfortunately they got totally messed up in the July sun. They looked all milky again and the colours totally changed. The ambers went a neon greenish/yellow.
Just a warning to anyone else plans to do the same as us!
Hi Mash! Yes you would have to use Mod Podge Outdoor with UV protection – or something else with UV protection! Mod Podge doesn’t have it with the exception of that one formula.
Rewrite, I plan on using on mason jars with fairy solar lights. Will the modge podge melt in the hot Florida sun?
I want to do this to Madonna jars and then add solar fairy lights. Will they stand up to the heat from being outside in the hot Florida sun, or will it melt.
I’m having problems with bubbles when I’m using modge podge, food coloring for stain glass. I’m using a toothpick to spread, but still getting bubbles and they won’t come out.
Any suggestions?
Hi Ladonna! Hmmm – it’s probably a good idea to join our FB group if you can: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftywithmodpodge
I’m not sure what the problem could be. You can leave after you ask the question!
I was wondering what type of paint you could use, rather than food coloring. Was food coloring used for a specific reason?
You can use acrylic paint too but the more you add, the more the Mod Podge loses its transparency. The food coloring keeps the transparency 🙂
Amy, what am I doing wrong? My jar has streaks and still some white places of mod podge
Hard to say! Come join our Facebook group and provide more detail and images: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftywithmodpodge
Does anyone happen to have a guide/cheat sheet that tells you how many drops of each color (red, yellow, green or blue) to mix with the modpodge to reach a desired shade of a color… such as a asparagus green or a light chocolate brown? TYI!
Hi Paula! If you search food coloring mixing chart you can find some that are used for food but I’d use the same amount of drops for your Mod Podge!
Hey I am trying to do a large wine bottle but on one I can’t get the modge podge /food coloring mix to dry . I have read a lot of these sites say wash the bottle with soap and water. I didn’t use rubbing alcohol. Could this be why I am having problems? I thought since it had wine im it , it would be ok. I had it soaking in a bucket of soap & water to get the label off before trying the mix to stain it so I thought it would be clean enough. Appreciate any advice. Thank you!
Hi Lora! Are you talking about on the inside or outside? If it’s on the outside, the Mod Podge will eventually dry. If it’s on the inside, then you probably have a thinner mouth to the bottle and air isn’t getting into the bottle to dry. Try putting it into the oven at the lowest temp and watch it – it will start drying. Make sure you kept the bottle turned over too – to get the excess out.
Not using rubbing alcohol isn’t your problem – soap and water is fine. The Mod Podge just needs air to dry. If it’s not, it’s either too thick or it’s not getting enough air. The oven will help!