I'm a hoarder of glass jars. When we moved last year I was hiding them in boxes everywhere so Mike didn't realize just how many I had collected. And why? I have no idea. I feel guilty throwing away a perfectly fine receptacle for pens, or cutlery at a party, or an upcycled vase for felt flowers. And what are we supposed to do with all the grease that you can't put down the kitchen sink (which I have used a jar exactly once for this purpose)?? Anyway, when I saw this tutorial on Pinterest, I knew I had to give it a try. Besides, my jar collection could double as wedding decor! However, I learned a few tips along the way the other bloggers are not reporting.
What you need: Mod Podge, food coloring, paper bags to cover your countertops, jars, wax paper and a cookie sheet. Mod Podge tends to get a little lumpy if you haven't used it in a while, so beware of clumps or dried up pieces within your bottle.
This mixture goes a long way. If you're just planning on doing one jar per color (like me), you need about a tablespoon of Mod Podge and a few drops of coloring - depending on the size of your jar. Make sure the inside of your jars are clear of any dust or dirt or crumbs.
You can forgo the water. I think it made the mixture way too watery and was tricky to get the rims of the jar covered without it spilling out the top. Swish the color around until all the sides are covered.
Dump the excess out and NOT IN THE SINK! It will dry and coat your pipes with a thin layer of dried glue. I emptied it all into another jar and threw it away. Yes, I threw a jar away.
Turn the jars upside down so they can finish draining the excess color. When you pick the jars off the paper, be careful, there might be a lot of liquid hiding under there and will start rushing everywhere :) Which brings me to another point. Even though it's diluted, you are still working with food coloring. This will stain your fingers, clothes and other surfaces, so be cautious when you're working.
Turn your oven to "warm" or about 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and place your jars top down. Here's my advice. Either have a second wax-paper lined cookie sheet ready, or place your jars in a straight line (if they'll fit). After about 10-15 minutes, you'll flip the jars right side up and there will be leftover liquid on the tray. If you distribute habhazardly like I did, you run out of room and end up playing a juggling game with hot jars, a hot oven and a food-colored mess. Also, these are glass jars in an oven. They will be hot!
The last thing I will point out is the smell. I'm not a fan of the smell of Mod Podge. It grosses me out. But throw some Mod Podge-covered jars into a hot oven? Your whole house is going to smell like hot glue. Not a very flattering smell for someone who just came home from a run and was going to throw some chicken in the oven (sorry, sweetie). Overall, the jars came out just like the tutorial said. I love the yellow and the black created that nice green you see on the left. I want to try it again with red to make a nice shade of pink. Until then, I'll be finding uses for these lovelies around the house.
I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.