spice jar face vases

I love finding creative ways to upcycle and after a big clean up and organization of our kitchen cupboards, we had a bunch of empty spice jars just waiting for a new life! I thought they were the perfect size and shape for bud vases.

And of course I decided to paint the jars! After cleaning them up and peeling off the labels, I grabbed some glass paint and got busy creating.

Most craft supplies stores will sell a variety of glass paint. Since my vases were just for decoration, I didn't have to be picky about the type of glass paint. 

I started by painting the jars with a couple coats of white paint. Then with a tiny brush I painted simple faces.

You could tackle a face in a variety of ways- really simple, realistic, whimsical or quirky. I keep my vases black and white and went for quirky. Sometimes its fun to create faces that are a little funky and have some personality! I added hair and a few details but overall I kept them simple.

I let the paint dry and then baked the glass jars in the oven according to the directions.

The result are super fun little bud vases! 

Painted Glass Cake Stand

I have a thing for cake stands (and for cake!) they are pretty and fancy and make dessert look more yummy. I am always on the lookout for unique cake stands to add to my growing collection.

When I came across this simple glass cake stand for $7.00 at Target I knew it would be perfect for me to transform into something all my own!

If you have never tried using glass paint...you must try! It is an easy and colorful way to transform glassware into your very own art. FYI- painted glass also makes really great one-of-a-kind holiday, birthday and wedding gifts for people.

There a number of different kinds of glass paint out there and you can purchase it at most crafts stores. Some paints you will need to bake in the oven after painting, while others (like the Delta brand that I used) requires that you condition the surface with a bonding agent and then paint on top and let air dry for days. The kind of paint you select should depend on the what you will be using the glassware for- how much it will get washed, used for food vs decoration, etc.

Cover the surface with your painting or design.

I wanted a lacy, henna inspired design to cover the entire surface.

I covered every inch of the cake plate with my designs.

The paint I used has a really cool iridescent look to it when it hits the light.

I let the paint dry according to the directions- 10 days- and then I washed it in preparation for a cake!

What's the point of having a new cake stand with no cake?

The result is a beautiful and unique cake stand perfect for summer entertaining!