Mason in Pink

I don't know about you, but I have a love for mason jars.  I didn't always have this passion.  This new 'romance' has only been around for a few years, now.  I started canning a few years ago.  Nothing fabulous, just home-made goodies: strawberry jam, blueberry fruit, cranberry relish, and sliced peaches.  I do a water bath canning process.  I don't have a pressure cooker, and so vegetables don't get canned at my house {smile}.

I embraced this new 'romance' whole heartily.  That translates to mason jars can be seen in my paper crafting.  I now own 4 rubber stamps, that are mason jars.  I have embraced their sense of home, farm-land, comfort, and vintage implications.  

And so, I have a 'board' on Pinterest titled, Jars.  I love the creative look of altered mason jars.  Painted, wrapped in lace, or bits of burlap/twine.  All clever and beautiful!

here is what I did:

If you love these gems, and want to distress them, grab a drink, and settle-in.  There are hundred of different tutorials on how to distress these kitchen common items.  And there are just as many different techniques and tips to help you achieve this look.  So, my suggestions, are to look for a tutorial that provides you with a complete list of supplies, photos to show the process, and techniques that you are comfortable preforming.  To me, there is nothing worse, than spending a bunch of $ on supplies to 'try' something new, to find that you are incapable to completing the task.  The end product is hours spent in frustration, an uncompleted project, materials that you (now) have no use for, and disappointment.

I wanted to paint the outside of my jar.  That way, I can put flowers (and water) on the inside.  I also wanted to use materials that I already had on hand.  And, I wanted to utilize techniques that I am comfortable with.

So, I painted the outside of the mason jar with baby pink craft paint.  Two coats.  I also used a foam brush, instead of a bristle brush.  I let the jars dry for a few days, to allow for the paint to cure.  Then I used a few different grits of sand paper, to distress (remove the paint) from various portions of the jar.  Ok, I raided my husband's work shop {smile}.  I sanded the paint off the threads at the top of the jar, the raised lettering, the bottom rim, and then random places.  Then, I gave each jar a few coats of a clear sealant, to help protect the outer surface.  Tada!  I'm totally happy with how my painted distressed jars turned out!  

I hope your crafting attempt, inspired from Pinterest, is successful, too!