hello lovely readers!
happy 2013! hope you have had a wonderful break over the holiday season; whatever it may have entailed.
let's face it; resolutions; they ain't ever what we hope they'll be.. those first few days are great and then BAM everything seems a little harder to continue. but hey - maybe that's just me!... i therefore thought of a more realistic project to get the year going, which is to help organize all my bits and bobs. heck knows i do have a lot of bots and bobs laying about the house. i am a bit of a collector - my usual crafty mantra is "waste not; want not!" so in this case i'm collecting some of the jars we emptied over the christmas period and making them into muti-purposeful//re-usable storage containers (which look pretty fab if i do say so myself!)
first things first! what will you need?
i'm branching out a little from my usual crafty creations sourced from soley around the home - but it will be well worth it!
you will need //
//a couple of recycled [clean] jars with their lids
//sticky tape
//a permanent marker
//a paint brush (preferably and old one)
//chalkboard/black board paint (sourced from my local hardware for $10 for a 100ml pot - trust me - this stuff goes a long way! i've used enamel based paint as i'm using it on glass - however a water-based version is also available)
//a piece of chalk
//a cloth for wiping up mistakes
recommended with enamel-based paint
//gloves and old painting clothes
//face mask
//turps/nail polish remover [for cleaning the brush and any booboos - only for enamel based paint]
note: i know this is old hat, but i'm chucking it in anyway! always paint somewhere well ventilated.
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step one // framin' it baby
i'm going for a crisp/clean looking label; some i'm using sticky tape as a border to create a straight lined rectangle (if you would like to create a more rustic look this step isn't necessary). using 4 lengths of sticky tape create a rectangle of your choosing - smooth down any bubbles or air gaps as the paint will get through. i've tried to make it as centred as possible for ease of reading.
i've traced a rough shape onto the sticky tape, as a guide, so i know where to paint.. that sticky tape can get lost on those clear jars..
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step two // paintin'!
get a small amount of paint on your brush and paint in a horizontal direction across the rectangle - this will make the final product look as even as possible. add more paint to get an even distribution..
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step three // let her dry
pop the finished jar in a well ventilated spot to dry - in this current heat mine are drying super fast - but you can allow half an hour if you want to be sure.
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step four // peelin'
after the paint has dried; slowly peel off the sticky tape and hey presto - reusable label central, population you.
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step five // chalk it up
as soon as your jars are dry, chalk away!
NIFTY TRICK: a neat little tip i picked up working in a cafe - use cola or any sugary soft drink to wipe the label clean - this dissolves ALL the chalk and leaves it looking like new again without any chalky white residue!
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the best thing about these jars is you can use them again and again for different things without the hassle of printing new labels! think spice racks people! OR as the current trend of using jars as drinking vessels - why not use them as the ultimate personalized drink?! perhaps as a gift from such an occasion?! the sky's the limit with these little babies.
happy crafting!
love g
xx
