I’ve been eyeing these cute little white jars at Anthropologie for a while (ok, I’ve actually been eyeing a million things at Antro). After seeing several glass jars sitting in our recycling been the idea to make my own Antro-esque chalkboard jars popped into my head. Anthropologie sells the jars for $10-$12 each and I made mine using only supplies I had on hand.
To make your own chalkboard jars you need spray paint, clean glass jars with lids, and chalkboard labels. I used larger (salsa) jars but baby food jars would be the perfect size if you wanted to use them as spice jars. I already had a ton of spray paint in the garage so this ended up being a zero-budget project! I applied 3 coats to each jar, allowing them to dry completely between coats.
To make the chalkboard labels I used my Silhouette Cameo and some chalkboard adhesive vinyl I had on hand. If you don’t have a cutting machine you can always use chalkboard labels. In a few hours and for little to no money you can make your Anthropologie chalkboard spice jars o start saving all those little glass jars!
I’ve been eyeing these jars at Anthro for quite some time, too! Can’t wait to get my craft on! Thanks Sarah!!!
Did you use food safe paint?
No, I didn’t. For that reason I ended up using the jars to store craft supplies. If you intend to use them for food, I would definitely use food-safe paint!
Does it really matter? The food , spice in on the inside of the jar, not the outside.
Awesome! They look great! Im new to blogging & enjoyed this very much. Thanks again :)
Thank you so much for this great idea! I love Anthropologie! I admired these little jars the last time I shopped there. I’m going to have to DIY some for myself. LOVE!
Did you spray the inside or outside of jars? Thanks so much!
Hi Susan! I sprayed the outside of the jars with gloss spray paint.
If you just painted the outside, does it really matter if it’s food-safe paint?
Did you spray the jar covers inside and out with 3 coats as well?
Hi Susan, I only sprayed the tops and sides of the lids. I was afraid the paint may chip if I painted the inside of the lids.
I am going to revamp some old milk glass spice bottles. I am just not sure how to make a template so that all of my labels are consistant in size and shape. Any ideas? Do the chalkboard labels mentioned in your tutorial adhere well enough that when wiping the bottle s off that they don’t lift around the edges?
I found the Silhouette chalkboard adhesive vinyl sticks really well and doesn’t peel off.
These are brilliant! My research on paints shows me there really isn’t a food safe paint only food safe acrylic to keep it from chipping. I bet if you didn’t paint the threads on the jars and don’t paint underneath the lids you’d be fine. I repurpose jars all the time.
Cute!
I love this idea! Saw it on Pinterest and I thought they look so cute! I am only a kid so I don’t have spray paint so would ordinary paint be OK as I have a lot of paints and stuff like that (acrylic and just ordinary paint I found in The Works)
Also do you have BlogLovin’? I have it for my blog and I thought it was great! I’d love to follow you!
MorganRuby x
Love this, like ornaments could you put paint on inside and mix around or would u still have to paint outside because its clear . Working with kids and didnt want to use spray paint because of fumes
Hi Krystal, you can definitely use non-toxic aryclic paint and swirl it around the inside of the glass. Just make sure to let them dry upside down, over night.
Just an FYI: I purchased the exact same Anthropology jars at Michael’s for $3.99 each.
Love this idea! I have tons of herbs and spices sitting on my counter, Mostly because I use them so frequently and I lack nearby cabinet space. So I’ve been trying to think of a prettier, yet inexpensive way to store them. I was wondering if you think chalkboard paint would work for a stenciled-on label. I also thought about painting the whole jar in chalkboard paint with a contasting lid. But I have no idea if it would stick to the glass, or easily scratch right off. Think it would work?
Love the idea of painting the entire jar in chalkboard paint. I haven’t tried using it on glass so I recommend painting one (even use an old glass jar you would just toss in the recycling bin) and see how it holds up. If it starts to peel, try painting the jars with a coat of primer first. Good luck!