I try to answer as many questions on Hometalk forum as I can. Especially the questions under the category of “paint”. 🙂 One question that I keep seeing pop up is “How do you Paint Mason Jars?” Let’s get into this because I absolutely LOVE to paint mason jars and it really was one of the first things I sold!

What kind of Paint to paint glass mason jars

When painting glass you want to make sure you’re using a paint that will adhere nicely to the glass. You do not want it to peel off later. Acrylics will not adhere to glass and latex paints will later begin to peel off glass. I have found that chalk based paints are the way to go if you are wanting to paint mason jars. I personally prefer using Annie Sloan on my mason jars because it has worked perfect for me every single time.

I have also used Modern Masters Patina Finish on mason jars and it has worked wonderfully! No problems. I love their patina finish because it adds a little uniqueness to your mason jars. There are more steps in creating a patina finish. You will need to have Modern Masters Primer, Their metal paint and the green or blue patina to spray. They actually sell everything you need in a kit! How awesome is that!?

Affiliate disclosure: “This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.”

Do you Paint the Inside or Outside of a Mason jar?

Outside! I always paint the outside of the mason jar because it’s easier, you can also distress or antique this way. If you paint the inside you are not able to distress the paint. The color of the jar also ends up being WAY brighter if you paint the outside of the jar. 🙂

What you need to Chalk Paint a Mason jar

1. Chalk based OR Mineral based paint – (Annie Sloan, or Dixie Belle, I have also seen them painted well with Amy Howards one step paint. 2 Bees in a pod have a great tutorial with Amy Howards paint. 🙂
2. Clear wax – (This will make your mason jar feel nice and smooth almost like leather.)
3. Steel Wool – (for distressing)
4. Your favorite brush! Here are mine! They are a great price and come in different sizes! 🙂

To begin I like to turn the mason jars upside down and I paint them bottom to top. This is a nice way because it allows one hand to fit inside the mason jar while the other hand paints. Start painting the mason jar like you would if it had a wood grain. Going in a pattern with your brush strokes. Once mason jar looks the way you envisioned, begin lightly distressing with steel wool. Alway distress the raised edges such as the “BALL” or the “KERR” part of the jar. Lightly rub with clear wax and you should have a smooth leathery adorable mason jar!

More Fun Ideas to Jazz Up your Mason jars

1. Add adorable charms to the top of the jars with twine! I have found charms in Target’s dollar spot. I’ve also used wine glass charms and they look adorable around the top of mason jars!
2. Add a stencil saying! I added “You are my sunshine”, I’ve put leafs on them for the fall or snowflakes on them for the winter. Also, hearts for Valentines Day and I’ve even done some with palm trees and little silver dollars around the top. 🙂
3. Add Buttons! I fell in love with these large craft buttons on Amazon and they are the perfect size for decorating your painted mason jar! I found these buttons on Amazon and they are the perfect size for mason jars!

Painting mason jars is also a great to transition your self into painting furniture. Starting on small projects first and then moving to the big one’s when you are more comfortable will help youth your confidence! 🙂

Have you painted mason jars before? If So, what kind of paint did you use? Leave a comment below. 🙂