I swear, everywhere I look, I’m seeing the Coastal Grandma aesthetic playing out. It’s a great style to play with in your hom,e and I came up with a super simple craft to tap into it.
Have a glass jar kicking around? How about some Mod Podge and a little paint? Perfect!
In this post, I’m going to show you how to make a beautiful faux sea glass candle holder from an upcycled glass jar.
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How to Paint Glass to Look Like Sea Glass
You don’t need special paint for this! To paint glass to look like sea glass, simply mix 2 tablespoons of Mod Podge or school glue with a few drops of acrylic paint. Mix well, sponge onto glass, and bake to set. To get that signature dusty finish, rub chalk all over. Read on for detailed instructions and tips!
Materials
- Clean glass containers (I used Oui yogurt containers but these have the same shape and can be purchased in bulk)
- Mod Podge
- Acrylic paint
- Sponge daubers
- Parchment paper
- White chalk
Step 1: Clean your glass containers
I reused a few Oui yogurt containers for this because I love the shape, but any glass container will do. These have a similar shape, making them ideal for bulk production.
I ran the jars through the dishwasher and then wiped them with rubbing alcohol to be sure they were free from any residual grease or grime.
The rubbing alcohol isn’t entirely necessary, but it’s a good step to take if you’re upcycling food containers.
Step 2: Mix Mod Podge and paint
Pour about 2 tbsp of Mod Podge into a plastic cup. You don’t need to be exact with this, just eyeball it based on how many candleholders you plan to make. We won’t be adding too much paint, so the final amount of product will be about equivalent to the amount of Mod Podge.
Pro tip: If you don’t have Mod Podge, school glue will also work.
Sea glass is typically blue or green, so gather a few bottles of craft paint that match the color. Add a few drops at a time and mix well each time until you achieve the desired shade.
For these, I mixed three colors using a blend of blues, yellows, greens, and tans to achieve the desired shades.
Step 3: Sponge the paint onto the glass
Using cheap sponge paint daubers, tap the paint onto the clean glass. It can be tricky to cover the entire surface, so be sure to protect your work area in case you need to put the jar down while it’s covered in paint.
I opted to add some spots of a secondary color to these to introduce some interesting color variation, but they are equally lovely when painted in a single solid color.
The reason you want to use a sponge dauber to paint glass to look like sea glass is a matter of texture. If you use a brush, there will be a lot of streaking, which detracts from the realistic effect.
The pour-and-swirl method that I’ve seen many people use for a stained glass effect almost always ends in drips and unevenness. The sponge will create a nicely textured finish that is reminiscent of tumbled sea glass. Plus? Those little divots will highlight the dusty finish we’ll apply at the end.
Step 4: Bake your glass
Place your painted jars onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and put the whole thing into a cold oven. Then, set the oven to 350°F. Once it comes to temp, turn the oven off and let the jars sit in the warm oven for at least 2 hours.
Or longer if you have other things to do in the meantime 🙂
Step 5: Rub with chalk
Now here’s where the true magic happens! Take your cured sea glass painted candle holders and rub them all over with a stick of white chalk.
Yup, just the cheap kind you can buy anywhere.
This step adds that lovely dusty matte finish that real sea glass has. It also serves to highlight all the divots in the paint, giving it a more high-end look.
Pop in a candle and you’re done!
These are great for holding citronella candles to keep those pesky mosquitoes at bay on a nice summer night.
If you like upcycling projects, you’ll want to check these out too:
