Upcycle Old Glass Jars Into Stunning Countertop Storage With Vintage Charm

Are you tired of old glass jars crowding the back of your kitchen cupboards? Instead of using up your storage space to save the jars, you can repurpose the glass containers to create more countertop storage. In a helpful YouTube tutorial, creator Evrim Taşer Yılmaz details a brilliant way to transform an old jar into beautiful countertop decor with vintage charm. By painting the jar and decorating with transfers, the YouTuber made a gorgeous container that adds a pop of personality. She also glued buttons, beads, twine, and a small lace doily onto the jar to get that classic, vintage aesthetic. Without breaking your budget, this DIY will add usable decor and a little extra storage to your space.

Reusing glass jars allows you to spruce up and organize your countertops at the same time, making this project both functional and stylish. While this version calls for an old food jar, and you could use old pickle jars to DIY cute countertop storage as well. Yılmaz decided to forgo the lid in order to hold tall, delicate makeup brushes. This is also a great DIY to store frequently-used cooking utensils by your stove. If you prefer sealed storage, paint the lid of the jar as well. This would work wonderfully for cotton balls or swabs in the bathroom. Alternatively, this adorable container could stash tea bags in the kitchen or other loose items like cupcake liners or toothpicks.

For a smooth finish, remove any labels from the glass. Yılmaz applied white acrylic paint as base for the designs. Once the paint dries, cut out a wet transfer image. Lay your picture flat onto the face of the jar, dabbing it with a damp sponge according to directions. Alternatively, opt for a different type of transfer, such as rub-on varieties or durable stickers. On Amazon, a set of 12 floral rub-on transfer sheets from BBTO sells for about $10. After the transfer image is placed, blot light-brown paint around the edges, creating a faded, vintage look. Use a sponge brush for the blotting to get a more textured design.

If you don't love the idea of struggling with transfers, paint the jar with intentional, uneven paint application to give your storage a simpler, distressed vibe. In addition to paint, three-dimensional accents will bring your piece together. Yılmaz glued a button onto a lace doily for a charming decoration. Tie twine with wood or pearl-like beads around the neck of the jar to give it a farmhouse aesthetic. Finally, place loose odds and ends in your adorable container to organize any counter space. This jar would also make a stunning vase for faux or real florals. If you want something to do with the lid, there are plenty of creative ways to use lids from old jars instead of tossing them.