Mason jars are a great craft staple. Combined with decoupage (a visual art that decorates an object by gluing colored paper cutouts onto it), you can create a Decoupage Jar for beautiful storage or home decor.

The first decoupage project that I can remember was in first grade. My Girl Scout troop was planning a puppet show. For the puppet heads, we used light bulbs covered in decoupage. Then we each drew a face on our light bulb. To make a handhold, we sewed little Brownie shirts and attached the head to them.

It was the first time I sewed alone and turned a corner ALL BY MYSELF! If you can’t tell, I was incredibly proud of this whole project! I can remember EXACTLY what my puppet looked like (and I have a terrible memory.)

Back in my childhood, decoupage was a popular craft. In those days, decoupage consisted of making a big bowl of glue paste and using strips of newspaper. It was messy and time consuming.

Today, with Mod Podge, decoupage is super easy, much neater, and a much quicker process.

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Decoupage Jar Supplies

• Mason Jar or empty glass jar (clean, empty food jars work great)
• Scrap paper or tissue paper (you could also use scraps of fabric)
• Scissors
• Glue (I prefer Mod Podge)
• Paintbrush

First, gather your paper scraps. Visit your Scrap Paper Organizer to find pieces of paper you want to use. (Note: Plain paper or even tissue paper works best. Card stock will be stiff and difficult to shape to the jar.)

Cut the paper into pieces. Make random cuts of random sizes. You could also tear the paper into pieces which would create a rough torn edge. Keep in mind how you want your finished jar to look.

Paint the jar with Mod Podge. It is best to work in sections so your glue doesn’t dry out before you can put paper on it.

When I use Mod Podge, I prefer to pour it into a smaller container and use a paint brush. I LOVE guacamole and I sometimes buy it in single-serve containers. They are perfect for this. (And a great reason to eat more guacamole! AND an example of reusing and recycling!)

Mod Podge has a brush that I like, but sometimes it is easier to have a long-handle paintbrush (plus my Mod Podge brush is in a top-secret, safe place somewhere in my craft room…)

Place scraps randomly on the jar. Make sure to overlap your scraps so you can’t see the glass jar between pieces of paper.

For each scrap you put on the jar, make sure to paint it over with more glue.

Keep repeating this procedure until you have covered the whole jar.

Once you have covered the jar, put a top coat of Mod Podge over the whole jar. This will seal and protect it.

There is so much flexibility with this project. You can use:

• Random scraps of paper
• Scraps all in the same family of color or design
• Complementary colors
• Specific shapes like hearts, stars, circles, etc.
• Scraps of fabric
• Random scraps with one focal shape or design

The possibilities are only limited by your imagination and your supplies.

Now that your jar is ready, you just need to figure out what to put in it.

• Makeup brushes
• Paint brushes
• Pencils
• Scissors
• Bookmarks
• Cooking utensils
• Flowers
• And more

If you plan to use the jar to store things inside, you should keep the lid. You can decoupage it or simply glue a decorative circle on top. You can also embellish the side of the lid with washi tape, fringe, or ribbon.

Then you can use your jar to keep things inside like:

• Buttons
• Sewing supplies
• Earrings
• Twine
• Washi tape

Again, the possibilities are endless. You can also use this jar for a Gratitude Jar.

How do you plan to use your Decoupage Jar? Email me at hello@lazycrafting.com and let me know.

Happy (lazy) crafting!

Want to remember this? Post this DIY Decoupage Jar to your favorite Pinterest board!