Upcycled Jam Jar Tutorial

 
-Several clean jam jars with labels and sticky residue removed

-Spray paint (I used Plasti-kote Fast Dry enamel in Sky Blue & Hot Pink from B&Q)

-Plastic toys – new or discarded!

-Strong adhesive  (Araldite works best)

-Plastic carrier bags – cheap thin ones are the most suitable

-Protective sheeting or newspaper

-Good ventilation!

-Apron to protect clothing

1. Eat lots of delicious jam or chutney.

2. Soak empty jars in hot soapy water to remove labels. Use nivea and a J cloth to remove the sticky residue (tip from my grandma!). If you do not remove the stickiness you will be left with a rough surface when you apply the spray paint.

3. Glue plastic toy to the jam jar lid using a strong adhesive such as araldite.

4. When dry, put a plastic carrier bag over the glass part of the jam jar and screw the lid shut.

5. Put on an apron and cover your work surface with newspaper or protective sheeting.

6. In a well ventilated area, spray the lid with an even layer of spray paint. You may need to apply several coats to larger toys. It is advisable to wait for each layer to dry before applying new coats of spray paint.

7. When the lid is completely dry remove the plastic carrier bag and fill. I filled mine with ribbon and wires that were cluttering up a drawer. 

8. Screw on lid and admire your handiwork! 

I would like to say that I do not take any credit for this idea. I spotted Torie Jayne’s Bunny Jars last autumn on Pinterest and pinned them to my Studio Envy board for future use. I was pleased to find another use for the many Bonne Maman jam jars that I had collected for my wedding table flower arrangements!

Wedding photography by Kelly Clarke of Imagesplash