You care about the environment, so right now, your recycling bin is probably full of glass bottles and jars. While recycling is definitely something to applaud, you know what’s more fun? Upcycling— and adding a bit of gorgeous tinted color while you’re at it! Watch how we turned our bottles and jars our favorite hues.
Yes friends, with just a little bit of Mod Podge, food coloring, and water, you can turn those glass bottles and jars you’d otherwise send off to the recycling center into lovely items for your home. Who needs to buy vases, containers, or organizational things when you can just upcycle them yourself— and match them to your decor while you’re at it?!
How to Tint Glass Bottles & Jars
Materials
- Mod Podge (Gloss-Lustre)
- Water
- Food Color
- 2 Sheet pans
- Newspaper/parchment paper
- Craft sticks or Popsicle sticks
- Assorted Jars, labels removed
Crafter’s Tip
- Your measurements of Mod Podge and water will vary depending on how many bottles and/or jars you are trying to color. The following ratio of Mod Podge to water tinted 3 to 4 jars using the same mix.
Directions
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine ¼ cup of the Mod Podge, 1 tablespoon of water, and your desired amount of food color. (Keep in mind that the color of your finished bottles and/or jars will be lighter and not as vibrant as the color of the Mod Podge mixture.) Mix well, until there is no longer any visible white remaining in the measuring cup.
TipHero - Prepare the sheet pans by lining them with old newspapers or, if not available, with a piece of parchment paper. Place the Popsicle or craft sticks on the paper, spaced out in pairs, just wide enough to keep bottles slightly elevated off the paper. (This will give the Mod Podge room to pool outside the bottle when it is inverted onto the paper; otherwise, it will pool inside the jar.)
- Pour some of the Mod Podge mixture into the bottom of one of your jars.
TipHero - Working above the measuring cup, swirl the mixture around the inside of the bottle. Gradually tip the bottle upside down as you go and pour the excess Mod Podge back into the measuring cup.
TipHero - Shake as much excess out as possible and place the bottle, upside down, on the Popsicle sticks.
TipHero - Repeat with 2 to 3 more bottles and/or jars. Leave the bottles and/or jars upside-down for about 1 hour.
TipHero - Preheat the oven to 225℉ (110℃). Flip the bottles right side up and place on the clean newspaper-lined sheet pan. Let sit for about 10 minutes, allowing any excess Mod Podge still in the bottles to settle to the bottom of each jar. Place the sheet pan(s) of bottles in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
TipHero - Allow the bottles to cool before handling.
Crafter’s Tips
- Having difficulty getting those pesky labels off of your glass jars and bottles? Just soak them for a few hours – up to overnight – and they should come off easily. For the most stubborn, we recommend using Goo Gone; it gets off all the resistant glue and paper.
TipHero - If varying shades of the same color are desired, add a few more drops of food color to the Mod Podge mixture and mix well, before pouring into each jar.
- Struggling with swirling the Mod Podge mixture around the bottle or jar you’re tinting? Diluting the Mod Podge with a little water will help thin the mixture and made it easier to coat the insides of the bottles, as well as making it easier for excess to drip out when the bottles are inverted.
- Speaking of inverting the bottles— make sure that the bottles have plenty of time upside-down, as any excess Mod Podge will pool in the bottom of the jars while baking and the resulting jars won’t be as nice.
And just what should one do with these gorgeous bottles and jars after you finish tinting them? Well, they’re not waterproof, so refilling them with more liquid isn’t a good idea, but why would you want to do that when they’re so pretty?! These tinted bottles and jars are just made for decorative use.
Need ideas? They make great candle holders, pencil holders, vases for dried flowers, and holders for any decorative knick-knacks you could want. Of course, they’re also very pretty, decoratively, all on their own!
Be sure to check out our other favorite DIY projects: