Maria’s DIY frosted glass jar

Frosted glass jar with flower pattern, photo

Maria Romvari, a former guest nester, returns for another tutorial! I mentioned glass etching in another post recently, and it reminded of these instructions that Maria sent me a while ago. This is the frosted glass spray paint method. You could also use etching cream for longer-lasting and more durable results.

Maria’s process varies from mine because I’ve only used flat surfaces. Her jar turned out beautifully. It makes me want to frost every jar in the house.

How to make a frosted glass jar

SUPPLIES

glass jar (she found hers at Michaels)
self-adhesive vinyl, Con-Tact paper, or CD labeling paper
frosted glass spray paint
disposable gloves
alcohol
cotton swabs
carbon paper (optional)
newsprint

TOOLS

X-Acto knife or craft knife
pencil and marker/Sharpie
drop cloth
self-healing mat (optional)
manicure kit (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Hibiscus flower pattern on a T-shirt, photo

1. Draw your own stencil or find a motif you would like to transfer to the glass. Maria used this hibiscus design from a T-shirt. Draw, print out, or photocopy your design.

Cutting out the hibiscus flower pattern, photo

2. Transfer your design to self-adhesive vinyl. Maria traced the design from the T-shirt onto clear Plexiglass with a fine point Sharpie (easily erasable with alcohol), then traced it again onto self-adhesive vinyl. This seems a bit labor-intensive to me. I’d photocopy the T-shirt, then place the T-shirt on top of the vinyl with a piece of carbon paper sandwiched in between. That way, you only have to trace the design once.

Tip: If you don’t have carbon paper, rub a pencil onto the back of the paper in the area you will need to transfer. Cover the area thickly. The pencil lead will transfer on the vinyl when you trace it from the other side.

Pattern pieces on the jar with T-shirt in the background, photo

3. Cut the pieces out using a craft knife/self-healing mat or small manicure scissors. Make sure not to misplace the pieces. It’s a good idea to put them back onto the stencil until you’re done.

Tip: If you’re using a flat surface, you can forgo the self-healing mat. Just adhere the vinyl to the glass, then trace directly onto it. Vinyl is much easier to cut after you’ve removed the backing. Once cut, simply lift away the pieces that you want frosted with your craft knife.

4. Peel off the backing and stick the vinyl to the glass so it forms the motif you chose.

5. Make a handle to hold your glass while spraying without touching the fresh layers. Maria used twisted newsprint.

6. Follow the directions on the label of the spray paint to coat your jar with frost. Let the paint dry per the instructions on the can.

7. Don’t forget to spray the lid too.

8. Using a craft knife, peel the vinyl off the glass.

9. If some glue residue remains on the glass, carefully wash it off with a cotton swab saturated with alcohol. Be gentle because the cotton swab can get caught in the rough frosting. Do not wipe the glue onto the frosted part because it will change the transparency of the frosting and cannot be removed.

10. All done! Fill the jar with whatever. Or not.