DIY storage jar to make your stash decorative
Disclosure: Marabu Glass and Porcelain painters c/o Marabu
My yarn stash is slowly outgrowing the shelf I have it in. It’s time for a clear out. And every maker knows a ‘clear out’ starts off with good intentions and ends with piles of new projects. In the spirit of NOT actually clearing out when I needed to, I repurposed some of my lonelier yarn scraps into a crafty (and useful) decoration.
Moving things around in the same room counts for effort, right?
All I needed was something pretty to display my scraps in! This jar is the result. And I’m sharing my tips on using glass markers, one beginner helping another! Free heart printable included.
What I used
- Storage jar (from the Garden Trading range here)
- Marabu Porcelain Painter in metallic silver
- Q-tips and paper towel to fix mistakes
- Tape and printed heart design
Click here to download PDF pattern
My first design idea was a floral folk embroidery-inspired motif. Lesson learnt: clear glass needs a simple design.
How To
- Measure your jar’s surface. Print out or sketch your design to fit.
- Tape the design onto the inside of the jar.
- Trace with your chosen colours.
- Let dry, and enjoy!
Tips & Tricks
- Double check the surface is clean and dry before you decorate!
- Ink dries more evenly if the surface is laid flat until it’s dry to the touch.
- Less is more. Busy designs will get confusing when the jar is full.
- Use paper towel to absorb excess ink from the marker tip.
- Wet wipes remove the ink even after a couple hours. So don’t be afraid to practise!
The Verdict
Colour scribbles! Glass painters: pink, lime, purple, red and green with bold tips (all transparent),
white (medium tip, transparent), and porcelain painter metallics (medium tips, called opaque)
- Ink is touch dry in a minute; still easy to scrape off to fix mistakes
- Much more portable than paint pots or powdered pigments and is quick to store away
- Transparent colours are bright and give a stained-glass look
- Metallic shades really pop
- White (transparent) is VERY transparent. This matters most on clear glass
- Three days drying time before project is dishwasher safe
Overall, I found the Marabu glass and porcelain painters really simple to use. More storage jars are in the makes! I’m thinking fabric scraps and buttons next.
My yarn scraps jar is sitting on the windowsill next to tins full of knitting needles. (No pics because of the bad lighting, unfortunately!) I was going to perfect each X after testing the design. Instead I’ve kept my quirky first attempt. I like it.
It’s a good reminder not everything has to be perfect.
Lots of crafty love,
This is awesome! My yarn started in a 10×10 bin, it now has grown to 3 of those bins and a closet! =D
Yarn just keeps on multiplying doesn’t it! I’m like a kid in a candy shop when I look at yarns, it’s hard to resist new materials and colours!
COOL! I want to do this for glass jars in my kitchen. To write what’s in the jar, like SALT, SUGAR, etc … =D
Yeah I’ve been thinking of that too! Garden Trading sells a spice rack set with little jars included; it’s very tempting to buy a set and decorate!