Upcycled Life: Tinted jars

Transforming an object is always one of my goals for upcycling. Can you make a salsa jar look beautiful? Or ordinary jars more desirable for reuse? This process of tinting glass jars is great for transforming glass jars for display and storage for non-food items.

For an 8-ounce jar, mix about 1 tablespoon of Mod Podge with about a ¼ teaspoon of water and food dye.

Acrylic paint can also be used to color the solution, however I found that thicker paints didn’t mix in well and left flecks on the side of the jar.

Pour into the jar and swirl the mixture around to coat the inside of the jar. Mixing in a separate container and then pouring into the jar will give you a smoother coat on the jar. Turn the jar upside down on a used paper bag. Let the jar sit for about an hour to dry. Reposition the jar when a puddle forms to keep the extra solution from drying around the top edge.

Place all of the prepared jars right side up on a foil lined baking sheet in an oven at 225 degrees. Heat for about 45 minutes or until all of the streaks have disappeared.

Katie Patterson Larson is the director and founder of Art Salvage. Art Salvage keeps usable materials out of the waste stream and makes them accessible and affordable. For more information, visit artsalvagespokane.com.