Pantry Potion: Stained Glass Jars

Officially my new favorite DIY project, these stained glass jars are easy, cheap and full of opportunities to personalize.  I'm in the middle of making a new Halloween prop that calls for a lantern type jar.  I wanted something a little different than my Witch's Jars, something a bit more Enchanted Forest Fairy and less bloody & muck.  YouTube proffered a fantastic & short how-to on staining glass that seemed perfect and everything you need is likely already in your pantry.

Here's what you need:
Glass jars - Mason or rinsed spaghetti, salsa, jelly, etc.  Use Goo Gone to remove any label glue
Modge Podge
Food Coloring
(Bake at 215° for 1-2 hours, until all glue is clear)

I followed the YouTube instructions for my first 2 jars and while I think the overall, consistent color is cool (see the green jars below), it wasn't quite right for my project.   Rather than pre-mixing the food coloring & Modge Podge, I decided to coat the jar with MP first and then add drops of food coloring, working the color around by rolling and tipping the jar.  I also upped the cooking temp to 215° as I felt it cooked a little faster without "burning" the glue.

So far the results are killer.  I think it could still use a bit of tweaking, getting the glue to food coloring ratio just right changes the results.  For now though, I'm in love with my new Fairy Jars.

***Bloody Valentine Votive seekers, scroll down to the end of the post for more details!***

Tips:

• The food coloring will almost run right over the Modge Podge at first, different densities and all.  Eventually they will combine, something you may or may not desire.  The more you work the MP around, the more it will mix.  Too many colors & swirling, the more muddled it will get.  Get it just right and combine two complimentary colors for a fabulous 3 color finish (ie., red & yellow swirls with orange, red & blue with purple, etc.)

• Start with the lightest color.  The darker colors dominate and you don't need nearly as much so add a little at a time.

• Try to avoid excess Modge Podge.  It collects in the bottom and takes forever to dry.  Adding the food coloring adds liquid so you can go a bit light on the MP, even leaving blank areas.  Once you add to food coloring,  you'll have enough to cover the blanks.  (Or leave them clear, up to you.)

• If you do wind up with a pool of Modge Podge, don't despair! You can coat the jar with it again to expedite the drying process.  Using hot pads, take the jar out of the oven and tilt it slightly to one side.  Tilt & roll the jar around, working the VERY HOT, lava-like colored MP around the sides.  Please note this will tend to cause a more even, constant color.  So if you have some good swirly whirly areas, you may want to dodge them as you work the VERY HOT MP around.  BE VERY CAREFUL.  Make sure to keep your eyes peeled, random globs of VERY HOT MP may gather and fall if you're not paying attention.

• You can avoid the previous tip by just using as little Modge Podge as possible.  I wish I could tell you a perfect MP to food coloring ratio but it's really all trial and error and what sort of look you want.  Dig into your Haunt Hoard of glass jars to experiment with color combinations and MP.  It's endlessly fun.

Finally, like most of my projects that involve candles, I recommend using flameless LED. Safety first and it adds to the longevity of your art.

Share your Fairy Jars in the comments!

311 days till Halloween...

Even and light coating of Modge Podge with
6 drops of yellow food coloring

Swirled and whirled yellow food coloring

4 drops of green, swirled and whirled

Few drops of blue. Mid jar you can see where
the color and MP have begun to mix

Last looks before putting it in the oven

Drum roll...

While not my favorite it's a nice view of how the colors work with Modge Podge - mixing, not mixing, etc.  More results from the craft laboratory below...

Yellow, Green & Red food coloring

Blue & Purple food coloring

Yellow, green, blue & red food coloring

This was my first attempt at the new technique. It's muddled a bit but also pretty cool & will work well in my new prop.

I followed the YouTube video for these, using green & yellow food coloring and pre-mixing it in the Modge Podge

MY BLOODY VALENTINE:

For these bad boys, I premixed the food coloring (red) and MP, put a small amount in the bottom and coated just the lower inch or so.  I then carefully dripped the mixture along the upper rim of the jar, varying quantity for different drip lengths.  I used the same knife I had used for mixing color and MP like a spatula for the drips - scooping up a bit and pouring it gently over the rim.

After it baked for about 15 minutes, I swirled the hot lava MP around the bottom for another coating and also added more drips, laying the color in some places and creating new drips in others.  Repeat this process until you get the color and look you like and finish baking until all the MP is dry.  Bloody great candle holders for Valentine's day...

Antlers: A Budding Romance

I have a new crush: Antlers.

Good looking, useful in so many settings, unique, natural.  What's not to love!?!

Halloween I add them to displays and mobiles, their twists and points seemingly sinister.  For Fall, they add some sculpture and nature to a wreath.  And for Christmas, stockings get a new place to hang.

They're so universal!  If you're antler-crazy like me, bookmark this post.  I expect this post to grow as I discover new ways to integrate these stunners into holiday decor for EVERY season.   I walk around my house holding antlers now, looking for places to add points.

Get started with your own antler obsession by picking some up on eBay.  There are lots of sellers - antlers make great chew toys for dogs - so there's options at nearly every price points.  Here's my favorite seller - they'll accommodate your needs quantity and quality wise.  Just let them know what you'll be using them for and they'll hook you up.

Can't wait to dress this up for
Halloween next year.

Antler Candle Holder goes from Halloween...

...to Thanksgiving...

...and right into Christmas.

Fall-ing Forward from Goblins to Gobble Gobble

Don't toss those uncarved gourds just yet!  Keep the festivities going by gathering them together and adding corn cobs for a festive Thanksgiving display.  These corn cobs were on my cornstalks from Halloween which was an extra bonus.

Or...add some succulents.  This nifty project my mom just finished and I think it's fantastic.  She hot glued some clippings directly to the pumpkin.  The succulents will grow through the skin of the pumpkin and as the pumpkin decomposes, it provides nutrients the plants.  The more deformed the pumpkin the better, tucking the clippings into their twists and turns.  What a great Thanksgiving table centerpiece option.  Can't wait to try this myself.

Antler Shed Wreath - I'm actually not much of a wreath person but I do adore how they can mark the passing of a year through the holidays.  I took my antlers (eBay) and feathers (craft store/found) from my haunt set up and picked up this grapevine wreath at Joann Fabrics ($6.99 minus a 60% off regular price coupon).  A silver cuff bracelet adds a nice touch of metal along with some rusted bell stems I found on 70% clearance last year.   Moose ribbon a result of years of hoarding gift wrap ribbon to the point of embarrassment.

Pumpkin Bush into Turkey Topiary - My first year doing these so need to tweak but I'm already all about these silly and amazing turkey topiaries.  Left the pumpkin bush part as is and added a shepherd's hook, old trellis and some tomato cages.

Above the Cabinets - The antler candle holders were a Christmas purchase that goes from Halloween, to Thanksgiving and right into Christmas.  Owls transition from "Boo" back to "Who" when nestled among the fall harvest.  My mother was amazing at marking the year through the holidays with window & door decals and decorations.   Bringing the cheer to the space above the cabinets is my way of carrying the tradition on.

From Halloween spooky...

To Thanksgiving toasty.

Haunter Hoarder

A sauce jar turned Witch's Jar and
former libation & oil bottles create a
creepy corner

Sigh, the Most Wonderful Time of the Year has passed and the post euphoria melancholy begins to set in.  The antidote?  Planning for next year!

Repurposing everyday items falls perfectly in my cheap & easy decorating philosophy.  Stockpiling these empty or used household items keeps the DIY supply high and always at the ready when inspiration hits and time allows for prop making.  Check out this list of items and how to use them in your haunt.


Tin Cans - Hold onto the cans from everything from coffee to baked beans to acquire an assortment of sizes.  Pierce a design in with a hammer and nail and then rust them up with a salt & vinegar rusting solution for fantastic luminaries.  Add a creepy label to a rusted can to stock an apothecary.  Add some rusted cans to a Cabin in the Woods haunt to give it an "abandoned, no help is coming" feeling.  Note: be sure to hammer down any sharp edges leftover from removing the lid.

Baked beans...swirly luminaria

Glass Jars - Gonna need glass jars for Witch's Jars.  Large pickle jars are fantastic as well as supersized jars of spaghetti sauce.  Use smaller jars like olive & pesto jars and add labels for an apothecary.  I love Oui Yogurt jars for tea lights sized holders.  Ball sells metal tops with hangers that fit some wide mouth jars allowing you to create hanging lanterns for a cemetery, Pirate Ship, or Priestess Shack.

Oui Yogurt jars (2nd from left) have
a lovely shape

Glass bottles - Wine, olive oil & liquor bottles and their unique shapes add visual interest to an apothecary.  Remove the labels and add your own and wrap raffia around the necks.  Or leave the labels, age them and add to a Haunted House or Pirate Ship.  Hold onto the corks so they can be placed back in to appear still full of vintage libations.  Cider bottles are perfect for Pirate haunts or Cabin in the woods.  Stain the inside of clear bottles with Modge Podge dyed with food coloring and bake for 1 hour at 200 degrees for a cool stained glass look.

Tin Containers - Mints, tea, spices, hot chocolate; tin containers can be rusted or simply add a label and added to a Haunted House, apothecary, Pirate Ship or Cabin in the Woods.

Medicine bottles - Remove labels and use a glue gun to write the contents on the side.  Paint with silver, gold or bronze paint and distress to create potion ingredient bottles for an apothecary.

Flowers/Bouquets - If you're fortunate to get flowers show them new appreciation by adding them to a haunt.  Hang upside down to dry after enjoying their fresh blossoms.  Add to an apothecary, Shack or place in a aged vase (use the one it came in!) in a Haunted House display.

Vases/Gift Baskets - Speaking of flowers, vases are more than glass.  Metal, birch, wood, baskets, and more.  Hold onto the cool one's and toss the tacky to add to Pirate Ships, Haunted Houses, Swamp Shacks, Cabins in the Woods...honestly, they can find a home just about anywhere.  The wood box shaped one's can be turned on their sides, stacked and glued together to create a shadow or storage box display.  Gift baskets can be added to Witch's Lairs, Swamp Shacks, Haunted Houses, Undertakers, Tombs/Crypts and more.

Rust this pail up with a salt & vinegar solution

Naturals are perfect for a Witch's Lair or Swamp Shack

Stack these on their side to create a multi-compartment display

Fill with dried fruit or skulls. Age the wood with an
SOS Pad/Steel Wool solution and metal band with a
salt & vinegar solution.

Food & supplies for the Pharaoh in the afterlife were stored in
baskets not too dissimilar to these.

Bottle Caps - Make a hole and add to a mobile or create a wind chime.  Place in the eye sockets of a fake skull.

Ribbon/Yarn/String - This can get overwhelming so be sure to only hold onto the good stuff.  Wrapping these days is so "cool" it often means twine, burlap & yard.  The pieces may not always be big, but you only need a little to wrap the neck of a bottle or to hang a mobile.

362 days till Halloween....