chalkboard paint jars

Every mad scientist needs jars and those jars need labels, and since I like to reuse my jars the jar labels would need to be re-writable. Luckily, making re-writable labels for glass jars is easy with chalkboard paint.

All you need to make your own chalkboard paint jars is chalkboard paint, painter's tape, and chalk. Not only will your jars be quickly relabeled, you'll easily be able to distinguish between your coffee beans,marshmallows, dried monkey brains, and whatever else you have stored in your jars. You'll have the cutest jars for your lab this side of the Bride of Frankenstein.

Enough talk, let's make some chalkboard paint jars!

Remove these ads by Signing Up

Step 1: Tools + materials

tools:

foam paint brush
painters' / masking tape
straight-edged blade

materials:

clean glass jars
chalkboard paint

ALALAK says: Apr 25, 2013. 2:23 AM

Hi! Great idea! In my opinion instead chalkboard paint can be used finely granular sandpaper.

rouble says: Apr 2, 2012. 6:46 AM

My biggest issue is getting the original labels off.

It seems that the people who sell stuff in jars make removing the labels deliberately difficult - so we are not encouraged to reuse their jars for storage.

elic in reply to roubleApr 4, 2012. 10:21 AM

I use boiling water to melt the glue. I fill the jar with boiling water and wait for couple minutes to melt the glue.

jargarate in reply to roubleApr 3, 2012. 10:57 AM

You know what works amazingly? WD40. Yes, that stuff removes all sticky labels and I have been using it to remove old glue spots on mason jars too. Just apply and let it soak for at least an hour. If doesn't work perfectly the first time, do it again, it really does the job!

shinstigator says: Mar 29, 2012. 5:51 PM

Great idea! But, I would use Pebeo Porcelaine 150 Chalkboard Black paint. You cure it in the oven, and voila, microwave and dishwasher safe!

Curiositykt in reply to shinstigatorApr 2, 2012. 7:42 AM

I wonder if Mason Jars would hold up to the curing process (30 minutes in a 300F degree oven)

lperkins in reply to CuriosityktApr 2, 2012. 7:18 PM

If you're pressure canning your jars they get pretty close to that hot, so I would expect so. It would be safest, however, to turn the oven off and let it cool before opening the door to remove them since a cold draft of air might cool them unevenly enough to shatter them.

creaky says: Apr 1, 2012. 2:02 PM

What an excellent idea! I never would have thought of this. I keep putting labels on my jars, then trying to peel them off and never getting the labels off.

sbaker12 says: Apr 1, 2012. 12:37 PM

I just tried this with the spray paint version and substituted masking tape with electrical tape (all I had) and it came out pretty well. Actual paint probably works a lot better, but it was easy and came out nicely! I never would have thought of this!

foobear says: Apr 1, 2012. 9:32 AM

interesting use for this stuff. does it survive washing?

bstorer says: Apr 1, 2012. 6:41 AM

Genius! Love it! This simple idea can be used in many different applications using glass.

porcupinemamma says: Mar 31, 2012. 4:15 PM

Great Instructable! Thanks for sharing.

purplemoss says: Mar 31, 2012. 5:21 AM

Great idea and they look good ...but how well does the chalk hold up to repeated use?...I would assume it would wear off or smear when handled.

leftfootleashed says: Mar 30, 2012. 3:26 AM

Great idea. Have you had any problems with the paint adhering to the glass? I wouldn't have thought it would but your pictures demonstrate otherwise! How's it stood up to the test of time?

In the past, I've made chalkboard paint from normal emulsion and tile grout, as suggested here: http://www.marthastewart.com/271574/custom-color-chalkboard-paint - Works great on wood, don't if it would work for this.

116

mikeasaurus (author) in reply to leftfootleashedMar 30, 2012. 11:14 AM

No problems with it adhering to glass. I thought the same thing before I started, but it worked really well. I've even hand washed the jars a few time and it's still stuck on there!

A single stoke with a wide brush works really well with making a uniform coat.

leftfootleashed in reply to mikeasaurusMar 30, 2012. 4:37 PM

Good stuff, I'll give it a try.

depotdevoid says: Mar 30, 2012. 8:10 AM

Those look great! I was at the home depot the other day, every time I visit the paint section I think about this stuff, the dry erase paint, and the magnetic primer. This is a great use of the chalkboard paint.

116

mikeasaurus (author) in reply to depotdevoidMar 30, 2012. 11:15 AM

..they make dry erase paint? That's awesome!

depotdevoid in reply to mikeasaurusMar 30, 2012. 12:10 PM

Yeah, it's cool stuff! We've got to do some work on our kitchen, and I want to do a section of the wall in magnetic dry erase paint. Of course, I've got to replace the floor, cabinets, oven, counter tops, sink, and dishwasher first, so that's fairly low on the list of priorities.

bfk says: Mar 30, 2012. 6:53 AM

This is great! I've seen that paint in the store and wondered how I could use it... You've just given me the incentive to try it out. Thanks.

116

mikeasaurus (author) in reply to bfkMar 30, 2012. 11:14 AM

Great, post your results!

TheHawkeye says: Mar 30, 2012. 8:07 AM

Materialistic and Practical! What if you made chalk-board stickers so you could adhere them to whatever you want really quickly?

RollerScrapper says: Mar 30, 2012. 7:50 AM

Cool I just won two jars for plaid chalkboard paint in an auction and had no idea of what to do with them. The cool thing is one is pink and one is green so I could do multi color!

mitch and sean says: Mar 30, 2012. 5:39 AM

U make very interesting things, I enjoy your work

I think you are really creative and inventive, very inspiring

mrmerino says: Mar 29, 2012. 7:05 PM

Oh man! Chalkboard paint! I loved that stuff. My aunt and uncle painted half of my baby cousin's wall with that stuff a few years ago. Then they moved like three months later.