Spooky Silhouette Halloween Mason Jar Craft

Happy Halloween! I’ve been meaning to finish this Halloween mason jar project for some time now, but considering I’m 8.5 months pregnant with a 4 year old pre-schooler and a full time day job, things are moving a bit slowly these days.

I love the versatility of mason jars as they serve many purposes in my house. They are functional (i.e. making pickles and storing craft supplies), decorative (i.e. displaying candles and flowers), and my favorite, gift giving (because who doesn’t love some cute surprises in a jar). These Halloween mason jars are pretty easy to make and look great filled with candy or candles (or both). Unlike a lot of painted mason jar projects, I chose to use spray paint instead of a brush on paint. This is mainly because it’s quicker to apply and there are no brush strokes which I find annoying. I did learn some tips along the way, so I will definitely share them as always. So let’s get started!

ANOTHER FESTIVE HALLOWEEN CRAFT: An Easy Outdoor Halloween Sign With Pumpkin Base

Halloween Mason Jar

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Glass Mason Jars (P int or Quart size)
Spray Paint (See tip below)
Painters Tape
X-acto Knife and Cutting Mat (See tip/alternatives below)

Supplies for making halloween mason jars — Supplies For Making Halloween Mason Jars

MATERIAL TIPS:

Spray Paint – When buying spray paint, make sure that the can specifically says it can be used for glass. There are lots of products out there that say multi-surface, but I find that they tend to either streak or not provide adequate coverage on glass (even though any paint you use will require a few coats).
Cutting Tools – There are a number of tools you can use to cut out the Halloween shape(s) for the jar:
- I prefer using an X-acto knife and a cutting mat because they are pretty inexpensive and can cut out intricate shapes quickly. I’ve also used them in many other projects, so they’re great tools for any crafter or DIYer.
- If you don’t have them, no worries. A sharp, fine point scissors will do the job. It may take a bit longer to cut out any intricate shapes without ripping them though.
- A Cricut machine will also do the job, although I personally do not have one so I cannot advise on which paper to use instead of the painters tape.

PREPPING THE MASON JAR

1. I prefer to keep the rim of the jar free from paint. This allows you to easily put the lid on, in case it’s a gift or for storing candy/food. (It also looks neater in my opinion.). To do this, rip off a piece of tape. Line it up with the bottom of the rim, leaving a very slight overhang, and work your way around the jar. After you’ve run to the end of that piece, go back and press that overhang under the rim with your finger nail. Continue with more tape until the rim is covered.

Taping up mason jar rim — Taping Up The Mason Jar Rim

2. Fold over what’s left of the tape at the top of the jar, pushing it inside to completely cover and protect the rim.

Folding painters tape inside mason jar rim — Folding The Painters Tape Down Inside The Mason Jar Rim

CREATING THE HALLOWEEN SHAPE FOR THE JAR

3. Now onto the Halloween shape on the front of the jar. Rip off 2 or 3 pieces of tape that are wider than the jar and lay them out on cutting mat, so that they overlap. If you are using scissors, just lay them on a flat surface, preferably glass or plastic, so they can easily be pealed up as one sheet.

Painters tape on cutting mat — Painters Tape On The Cutting Mat

4. Draw the shape you want to apply to the jar on the tape.

Drawn shape on painters tape — Drawn Shape On The Painters Tape

TIPS:

Cookie cutters and stickers work well for shapes. Either trace around the cutter or stick the sticker directly on the tape.
Lay the mason jar down on the tape and trace the sides of the jar. This will act as a guide for how large or small the shape should be to fit on the jar.
I tend to free hand draw from something I see on the internet and then adjust when I cut it out. If that works for you, go for it.

Shape of mason jar drawn on painters tape — Shape Of The Mason Jar Is Drawn On The Painters Tape

5. Once the shape is drawn, cut it out with the X-acto Knife. If you are using scissors, peel up the entire sheet of tape and cut out.

Witchs hat shape in painters tape — Witch’s Hat Shape In Painters Tape

6. Stick the shape on the mason jar. Be sure to firmly press down all of the edges with your fingers or a credit card, so paint cannot get under it.

Painters tape shape stuck on mason jar — Painters Tape Shape Stuck On Mason Jar

PAINTING THE JAR

7. Time to paint the jars.

PAINTING TIPS:

Be sure to spray paint outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
I like to spray the jars in a large cardboard box tipped onto its side, so the paint cannot get everywhere.
The first jar I did had bubbles in some areas because I started spraying right on the jar. To avoid that and get an even coat, start the spray off the jar on the ground/cardboard, working from the bottom up and side to side. Rotate the jar a quarter turn to spray each side evenly.
Remember that you can add as many coats as you want, so thin coats are better than thick coats that may run. (It’s like painting your nails…2 thin coats are better than one thick coat)

8. Once the paint is initially dry, 2 to 10 min depending on paint, carefully peel off the tape shape and rim tape. If you let it dry completely, some paints may start to lift up with the tape, so the edges won’t be clean.

9. Tip the mason jar over and let dry completely, usually 24 hours, before using.

Hope this Halloween mason jar (or jars) add some fun to your festivities. Fill them with your favorites candy and they make great hostess gifts or take home gifts for your guests! If you are making a number of them, I would suggest assembly lining each step as you can get a lot done in a fairly short amount of time.