Transform An Old Mason Jar Into Beautiful Countertop Decor With Vintage Charm

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There are so many clever ways to use mason jars for home storage and decor, and they never go out of style. This unassuming object has been around for centuries. Even today, it's easy to find and sold virtually everywhere, including thrift stores, dollar stores, and other in-person and online retailers. In fact, don't throw out old pasta sauce jars. Instead, clean them out and repurpose them through DIY projects.

If you're a fan of rustic, farmhouse-inspired interior design, we have a creative way to upcycle the aforementioned jars. With a few crafty embellishments, style them into old-fashioned decor that adds a vintage touch. All it takes is a couple of jars lined up side by side to give country-esque kitchen countertops and islands a more homey vibe. The YouTuber The Cutest Little Thing! Upcycle with Andrea shows how you can completely transform this household staple using basic crafting supplies and custom-made vintage labels.

If you're already a crafty DIY-er, you probably have a lot of the necessary supplies at home. To start, gather matte Mod Podge, paint, paintbrushes, and kitchen labels to imitate vintage food jars. You can buy many of these items individually, such as the Waverly Inspirations Matte Truffle Brown Chalk Paint. If you don't already own most of these items, there's a Magicfly 15 Pcs Chalk Furniture Paint Set that comes in a farmhouse color palette. It includes the brushes and several paint options for this project.

The most important piece for this DIY (aside from the mason jar itself) is the label. If you have artistic skill, design the front label yourself. However, those who are less artistically inclined will need to turn to premade labels instead. Amazon doesn't have many options large enough for mason jars, as most of its stickers are designed for small spice jars. Etsy will be your best bet, such as the storefront CloudPetalsCo's Vintage Farmhouse Kitchen Labels: Printable Pantry Jar Decor.

Keep in mind that all the aforementioned items are just the basic necessities for this DIY. You'll also need to gather twine, burlap, and rustic accessories to finish the look. If you don't have any of these items on hand, you can get them for cheap at a local Dollar Tree or other dollar store.

Start by applying your homemade or store-bought labels using Mod Podge. Once the Mod Podge dries, roughly brush paint on the glass around the label. We recommend using a dry brush to leave more textured paint strokes. This leads to a more distressed and authentically vintage appearance. 

You can also follow the YouTuber's creative method, which utilizes paint, antique wax, cinnamon, instant coffee, and potentially other spices. She dips her Mod Podge brush in all of these ingredients. They result in thick and textured brush strokes on the jar, which makes the overall look more realistic. Keep in mind that she uses different combinations and colors for different jars, depending on the food they're styled to look like.

Once these steps are completed, the hardest part is over. All that's left is to accessorize the jars. Try pinning a burlap or lace square around the lid using a thin piece of twine. The burlap maintains a rougher aesthetic, while lace may add a classier and more feminine touch. If you remove the actual lid before adding the burlap, you can repurpose the old jar lid into another DIY home decor piece.