Painted Mason Jars

It's September, which means it's finally socially acceptable to begin decorating for fall!  Yay!  Fall is my favorite season. The colors are my favorites.  I love decorating, but never have much of a budget for it.  These painted mason jars are a creative way of decorating your home with a little fall color for very little (if any) money.  

You will need:

*Glass mason jars in any shape or size

*Acrylic paints (those little $.99 tubes from your local craft store are perfect)

*Nail file

*Sealer (optional...see final pics for a comparison)

Lay down a cut open brown paper bag to protect your table surface.  My girls helped me paint these jars (I did smooth the paint on the surface when they were done covering them with paint).  I used yellow, orange, and red.  I added a few drops of brown to my bright yellow and orange paints to make them more "fall-ish."  

Using a paintbrush, paint the entire exterior of the jar.

Allow the jars to completely dry, and add a second coat if necessary.  Once dry, take a nail file and gently rub it over the lettering or any unique bumps/markings on the jar.  

Add any addition "scratch" marks around the sides or rims of the jars.  

Now, I did end up sealing my jars with a spray, clear coat sealant.  It is not necessary, though it will protect your paint longer.   The below pictures show the different in the sealed and un-sealed jars.  The sealant will add a bit of shine, so if you don't want the shine, don't use the sealant.

Sealed Jars

Not Sealed Jars

  

I have my jars on my fireplace mantel as a part of my fall decor.  Some of the jars have broken sticks and twigs from the backyard.  My sister in law has done a white jar like this and used it to hold some vibrant flowers.  So, although I did these specifically for fall, you can paint them any color and use them for so many different things!