Painted Mason Jars: 75+ Easy to Make Ideas!

Painting mason jars is easy, fast, and the results are beautiful! Learn several techniques and get over 75 ideas for making them fabulous.

Have you ever painted a mason jar? If not, you’re missing out. I liken painting jars to making Christmas ornaments . . . easy . . . quick . . . fulfills the creative bug. You can make beautiful home decor, you can make gifts. You can mess up, wash it off, and start over again.

Not that it’s ever happened to me 😮

But seriously, you’re going to love these mason jar crafts. You’re going to get excited about making them – for decor, Christmas, etc. And then you’re going to want to make more. Trust me on this!

Tips for Painting Jars

Before I share the list of ideas with you, I want to go over the frequently asked questions I get about painting glass. If you’re just interested in the projects, simply scroll past this section (though I hope you do find some useful information).

PS – most of these ideas are painting mason jars on the outside. If you want to paint them on the inside, this is a great post.

Do you need to prime the glass before painting?

You don’t NEED to. BUT what the primer does is help any paint stick better and make it look less streaky. You’ll also have to use less coats of paint to coat the jar. So I recommend white primer.

Note: before I add glitter to a jar, I always use a corresponding solid paint color. That solid background allows the glitter to really pop off the surface.

How do you get paint to stick to jars?

You have two options. Option one: clean the outside with rubbing alcohol and cotton balls. Option two: wash with mild soap and warm/hot water and let dry. In either scenario, you want to remove oils from fingerprints, etc. so that the surface will allow paint to adhere.

What kind of paint do you use?

I nearly always stick to acrylic paint. Under that umbrella, I use chalk paint, acrylic paint (multisurface or glass only), glitter paint, and chalkboard paint. I also use acrylic spray paint as well. If you use spray paint, use several light coats.

How do you cure the jars?

These methods ONLY apply to glass paint or multisurface paint. For the rest of the paint types I mention above, let them air dry according to bottle instructions.

Bake Method

1. Allow painted item to dry for 24 hours to be sure all layers of paint have dried.
2. Place project in a cool oven, as the glass must heat gradually with the oven to avoid breakage; do not place glass in a hot oven.
3. Set oven temperature to 350ºF.
4. Once temperature has reached 350ºF, allow the project to bake for 30 minutes.
5. After 30 minutes, turn the oven off and let glass cool down completely before removing from the oven.
6. Cured surface can be washed 72 hours after baking. While painted surfaces can be safely cleaned in dishwasher, washing by hand in warm soapy water is the best way to extend the life of your project. Not safe for use in microwave. 

Air-Dry Method

Paint is cured to the surface after 21 days; however, air-dried projects are NOT suitable for use in the top rack of your dishwasher. 

How do you waterproof them?

Mod Podge Dishwasher Safe and Mod Podge Ultra are pretty close to waterproof, although not technically fully waterproof. If you use glass paint and follow the curing instructions above this paragraph, you can hand wash the items.

Otherwise you can use a clear enamel spray or something like Minwax waterproof sealer. I always handwash. That’s just how I roll.

Can you drink out of painted jars?

You absolutely can. The recommendation from the “experts” is to not paint the rim of the jar or anywhere that your lips will touch.

Keep the action below the rim – or if it’s flat, 3/4″ – 1″ below the top. Also keep the paint on the outside (I think that’s a given, but just in case you’re curious).

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Are you ready to get the mason jar painting ideas? Check out the list below!

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Now that you’ve seen all the ideas, let me know your favorites in the comments.