Quarantine Crafts with Mary S

Welcome back! I hope you are all well and finding ways to keep yourself occupied and entertained.

Like many people these days, my husband and I find ourselves not only working from home but also helping my 1^st grader with school work. Our dining room table has turned into a community workspace with 3 laptops, power cords and pens and pencils and loose papers scattered everywhere with one corner reserved for our 3-year-old to “work” with us. After five weeks of never being able to have what we need at hand without digging through the mess, I finally decided to make good use of some mason jars and recycled pickle jars. I spray painted a handful to make some office supply organization but you can also use them as flower vases, bathroom/vanity jars, etc.

If you are enjoying these crafts or are finding others to occupy your time, check out How to Make Money Using Etsy available in our eLibrary (https://lclibs.overdrive.com/media/662465).

The materials I used are:

• Mason jars/Pickle jars
• Painters tape
• Spray paint
• Unfolded cardboard box

*Please note that you should only use spray paint in a well-ventilated area*

I didn’t take pictures of each step as I have done for previous crafts. I think this craft is pretty easy to follow along without pictures – the hardest part for me was having patience in between coats!

Step 1: Remove labels from the jars and scrub any remaining adhesive off. I had no problem removing the glue with just a sponge and some dish soap. It helps if you soak the jars in warm water first. Dry jars completely.

*After I finished painting each jar I discovered something strange and slightly frustrating. While the teal paint I used covered up the date stamp on the jar the clear coat somehow allowed it to show through again! I can just turn my jars so I can’t see it but if it will bother you the internet says nail polish remover will remove the date stamp. I recommend doing this before washing the paper label off so you any remnants of acetone wash off during that process*

Step 2: Use painters tape to cover any area you do not want to be painted. I had fun making each jar a little different and since I had 3 colors to work with I planned to use two colors on one of the larger jars. I placed tape on the inside rim of the jar opening but I wish I would have covered the opening completely to prevent any spray getting into the jar itself.

Step 3: Working in a well-ventilated area paint each jar. I recommend working slowly and letting the paint dry between light coats. I was really excited about the pattern on one of my jars and sprayed too much during my first coat that it dripped down while drying. Learn from my mistake — Don’t get ahead of yourself and take your time!

Step 4: Remove the tape before the paint is dry. If you let the paint dry completely first, the tape could pull some of the paint off with it. I let my jars dry about an hour or two and then removed the tape.

Step 5: If you are using more than one color on a single jar, wait until the first color is completely dry cover it with tape, and follow steps 3 and 4 again.

Step 6: Once all the paint dried I used a clear protectant coat we had on hand to spray the jars all over. I think you could go without this step if your jars will be mostly decorative. I’m sure mine will be knocked over a bunch so I wanted to reduce the chance of the paint chipping over time!

Here are my two favorite jars. I really love the way my colored paper clips peek through the window of the little jar. I never would have put the two colors on the large jar together. Since they were the only colors I had on hand I thought I’d just give it a try and see how it went and it is my absolute favorite jar of the bunch! I can’t wait to put some flowers in it and use it as a vase!

Aside from learning that I need more patience I really enjoyed this craft! I am going to start saving more jars of various sizes and once we are safely able to shop for frivolous things again I plan to get some different colors and make some more. If you try this craft, I’d love to see your work so please share them with me on Facebook! Stay well and happy crafting!