blue mason jars

June 3, 2013 By Linda 2 Comments

Do you know what happens when you (read: me) decides to tackle a bazillion mason jar projects while your (read: my) injured finger heals?

You catch the attention of the Ball brand people, that’s what happens. And they send you a very nice email asking if you’d like to receive a case of their Heritage Collection 100th anniversary Ball brand mason jars to craft with …

Why yes. Yes indeed. I would love to receive a case of your Heritage Collection 100th anniversary Ball brand mason jars! Oh, and while you’re at it, can you pinch me …?

And they didn’t send me just any old mason jar that you can find at any old grocery store. They sent me a case of very special mason jars in a lovely hue of blue to commemorate 100 years …

And I can go on and on about how very lovely they are, but why don’t I Iet the folks at Ball brands tell you more (from the Ball Fresh Preserving website) …

“2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the first series of jars designed by the Ball brothers, each jar intended to be better than the one before. 1913 saw the launch of the first true “Perfect Mason” jar. These limited edition blue Ball jars are a celebration of the heritage featuring period-correct blue color and embossed logos on the front and back. These vintage-inspired blue jars maintain all of our modern standards for quality and reliability. Perfect for all of your home canning needs… or as a collectible item!”

And then, to make things even more exciting, they say I can offer you ~ that’s right, my dear readers, you ~ a chance to win a case of your own!

In fact, you have a chance to win one case from the very first certified 100 cases of the Heritage Collection produced to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Ball brand Perfect Mason Jar!

They even come with a certificate of authenticity! (And look at me with all the exclamation points! You know I’m excited when I use exclamation points!)

Now I was going to share a quick tutorial on how I made those sequin mason vases (trust me, it’s not complicated) …

… but I then thought, “enough about me.” This post is all about you and how you can enter to win your very own case of vintage style blue mason jars:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and I hope you win!!

🙂

Oh, and here’s the link to the sequin mason jar how to {here} …

Sequin Mason Jar Tutorial (click here)

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Mason Jar Window Treatment

Mason Jar Sewing Kit

Mason Jar Project Gallery

the etsy shop is stocked …

May 7, 2013 By Linda 44 Comments

Metallic Mason Jars: Spray Painted in Silver & Gold

I asked …

… and you answered.

All 70 of you …

* Wow *

Seventy comments in the comments thread! Really?

I’m shocked. I’m in awe. And, most importantly, I’m truly ~ and deeply ~ grateful! I wish I could hug each and every one of you. So here’s my virtual hug …

And you were honest. Brutally so, just like I asked you to be …

And while I recognize ~ and it was confirmed ~ that so many of you that stop by here are crafty types, you recognize that not everyone else is …

So why not? You asked me.

You threw my question back at me and asked why not just go for it and give it a try? Go ahead and stock some of those painted and distressed mason jars in the Etsy shop.

So I did. You can see them right here …

And I’ve also expanded my repertoire to include a metallic line of spray painted mason jars. Spray painted in silver …

and gold …

So I hope you’ll help me spread the word. I do custom orders too ….

and just in time for wedding season.

You Might Also Like:

Fishnet Wrapped Mason Jar (click here)

How to Paint & Distress Mason Jars (click here)

Mason Jar Project Gallery (click here)

I’ve also published a book filled with mason jar craft ideas for kids. For more information click here …

Get it all started with paint delivered to your email inbox:

Blue Mason Jars … Vintage Look Blue Tinted Mason Jars

February 4, 2013 By Linda 27 Comments

Vintage Look Blue Mason Jars Tutorial Using Food Coloring.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered to the window pane mirror resting on the floor against the dining room wall. “You’ll be hung up again. She promised me. You’ll be so pretty again. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

“Nooooooooooooo,” he wailed. Outstretching his arms to the sky – as if seeking divine intervention – when he spotted the bare walls in the living room.

Well, not quite bare. They were covered in blue painter’s tape. Masking off where the boards and the battens will be installed.

“What about the art? The pictures?” he wanted to know. No. Demanded to know as he gesticulated to the picture frames leaning against the radiator. “They’ll go back up, right? RIGHT?”

I think I heard his voice crack.

“Yes,” I reassured. “There will be art. Not the same art, though. But the same frames. Okay, not really the same frames They’ll be painted. Spray painted, I think. And the art … that will be new too. You know, to complement the new rug.”

“Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ……..”

Uh oh.

My mistake. I shouldn’t have mentioned the new rugs. That’s what started this whole crazy uprising in the first place.

You see, while I’ve shared my design plans with you all for the living room and dining room remodels, turns out I’ve neglected to inform my family of the changes …

… okay, that whole innocent ‘neglected’ isn’t quite so innocent. I know full well my family is not one to easily embrace change.

But he arrival of my amazing new rugs opened up a can of worms. A worm-infested can filled with too many questions about “why do we need new rugs” and “where are the old ones are going” (both children separately requested that I put the old rugs into storage for them. Um, no. I was thinking Craig’s List.).

Then my daughter pointed out that the whole house is turning blue. The kitchen. The bathroom. The master bedroom. The entry (no, I corrected her, it’s gray. Not blue). The odd little “in-between” space between the kitchen and the bathroom and the dining room and the family room (again, gray. Not blue).

But she does have a point. I’m trading in my circa 2000 jewel tones for various shades of blue and gray.

So, before I cover their beloved red wall (yes, they’ve been crying about the red wall too) with battens and navy paint, I thought we’d take some baby steps into the world of blue with a vintage-look blue mason jar diy …

How To Make Vintage-Look Blue Mason Jars

Using some Mod Podge and blue food dye …

Do you see the Mod Podge “matte” in the picture? Yeah? You do? Well, don’t use the matte product. You won’t be happy. The finish will be dull and murky. You’ll have to scrub them clean and try again. And on the second try? Yeah, you’ll be equally unhappy. And as you scrub away the glue and dye with scorching hot water and soap – for a second time – you’ll realize that you really do need to use the Mod Podge gloss.

1. Mix Mod Podge gloss with water and food dye. I used a 4 parts Mod Podge to 1 part water equation. I wanted a deep, rich blue color. If you want it more subtle, just add more water to the mix.

2. Pour into mason jar and swirl around.

Pour the excess back into your plastic cup.

3. Dry upside down for an hour. Periodically, wipe away excess paint from top lip. You can make a little drying rack using popsicle sticks. I didn’t have popsicle sticks, so I used some plastic forks.

4. Bake in oven at 200 degrees for one hour. I let mine bake for 30 minutes upside down. Then I turned them right side up for another 30 minutes. After an hour, turn off the oven and let the glass cool down inside the oven. Oh, and you should gently wipe the excess paint from the lip at the 10-15 minute mark.

As you can see, I didn’t follow that wipe the lip step …

Oh well. I still like my tinted blue mason jars. Especially after three tries …

And the kids approve too …

Although, I have yet to hear my daughter whisper sweet nothings to them …

🙂

PIN IT!

Vintage Look Blue Mason Jars

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Blue Mason Jar Sequin Vase

Fishnet Wrapped Mason Jar

If you’re looking for more mason jar project ideas, check out my gallery here …

P.S. You can find the finished navy & white living room remodel here. And the navy & white dining room remodel here.

it’s an anthropologie inspired cinch

June 4, 2012 By Linda 65 Comments

What does it say about me that when I walk into a store like Anthropologie …

(and, yes, I have a brick and mortar Anthropologie within walking distance of my home)

… that instead of focusing on the fabulous merchandise, I’m drawn to this display …

And the silly that is me I pick up one of the jars to look for the price tag. And then … and only then … do I realize this is not for sale. It’s a prop. Part of the display.

* and now picture me clunking my forehead with my open palm *

And when I leave I cannot stop thinking about that Anthropologie display. Those paint drip mason jars stay with me. They haunt me. So I Google “Anthropologie paint drip mason jars” when I get home … you know, to find all those re-creation tutorials out in blog land …

… and I find two. This one and this one that I proceeded to pin on this Pinterest board …

Huh?

* and picture me clunking my forehead with my open palm again *

Only two? I expected to find hundreds upon hundreds of blog posts about this. Because I’m never ever ahead of the curve. On top of the trends. I’m typically trailing behind. Far, far behind …

(and it never ever occurs to me that perhaps there are so few blog posts or tutorials because this project is just not trendy or cool or ahead of the curve …)

So I forge ahead (thinking I’m way too cool) and enlist the help of my daughter for this super cinchy project. We grab some Prego jars that I’ve been saving …

… because, like pallets, the ever so popular mason jars elude me; I do not know where I would find these seemingly cheap and plentiful jars …

… and we grab the paint we used to make our birch tree painting. And we add a bit of water to the paint so that it will pour easily …

… and then we pour the paint into the bottom of the jars and turn the jar upside down so the paint runs and drips; and we twist it and turn it again and again …

… and then we layer more colors by pouring it in slowly and carefully along the top lip of the jar …

… and we repeat our pours around the lip of the jar until my daughter gives it her super sneaky smile of approval.

And then we put them on our fabulous screen porch and click away …

And when all was said and done, my favorite jar is my daughter’s blue and white design on the left …

And the very best part of this super cinchy project? Unlike Anthropologie — who probably paid a steep sum of money to some high priced stylist to make all those pretty paint drip jars — this project cost me zero dollars.

That’s right …

… Nothing …

… Nada.

Now I’m not the only one who put together a cinchy project this weekend. That’s right. Me and some of my blog friends had ourselves a “virtual” crafting party. So be sure to check out their super simple cinchy projects (just click on the pics to be transported to easy peasy fabulous-ness) …