I’ll always remember the neat rows of canning jars that lined the shelves of my granny’s basement…and how I would sometimes sit and count how many of the jars contained beans, how many had tomatoes, and so on. Never would I (or my granny) have dreamed that these basic glass containers would become the coveted decorative item du jour for weddings and other special occasions.
The Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company started making glass jars in 1884 in Buffalo, New York. The shape and lettering of the jars, as well as the color, has evolved over the years. The famous “Ball blue” glass, which came about because of the minerals in the sand that came from the shores of Lake Michigan, was discontinued in 1937.
You can buy the blue canning jars on sites such as etsy and ebay or you can even make your own with a special glass glaze. Since I always prefer projects that are as easy as possible, I decided to try my own method to make a blue jar for myself.
I started with an clean, dry glass jar. Then I took a tube of blue acrylic paint and thinned it way down with water. I painted the inside of the jar with probably 4 layers over the course of an evening, allowing each layer to dry before adding the next.
I would still like to find a couple of genuine antique blue canning jars, but for now my little knock-off makes me smile. Are you a collector of the lovely blue glass, or some other special glassware?
{Don’t forget to enter the Paula Deen Recipe Box Giveaway if you haven’t already!}
