Ever wonder how to paint glass with chalk paint? Today we’ll find out how easy it is!
I’ve been seeing a lot of people painting glass vases on Pinterest and other blogs for a couple of years now. Recently there have been some painted canning jars for sale at Room With a Past, too. But I could just see in my mind one of these glass florist vases painted and distressed in Memphis Blue (my current favorite CeCe color!)
NOTE: This project was first published in 2014… my writing and photos have improved a lot since then. Thanks for your patience!
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Supplies for Painting Glass Vases
- old glass vase – the more detail the better!
- 2 colors of chalk-type paint – Our shop no longer sells the brand of chalk and clay paint that I used for this project. Shabby Paints has a couple of colors that are similar – Beach House and White Ice.
- paintbrush – This round paintbrush is my favorite for painting small pieces with lots of detail.
- rags
- wax
I used to see clear glass floral vases ALL the time at garage sales and thrift stores for a quarter or so. I guess now that people are painting them and using them in weddings they’re getting scarce. I looked for weeks before finding what I had envisioned — and I had to pay a whole dollar for it!
How to Paint a Glass Vase
This was a really simple project but it did take a bit more time than I was expecting. Maybe because I picked a vase with so much detail… but it was worth it.
Start by just cleaning your vase. I ran mine through the dishwasher with some other bottles and vases that we’re going to use for Jordy’s wedding reception (and I can’t show you ANY of those photos ’til AFTER the wedding so expect to see a lot of wedding stuff posted in late August!)
I gave it one good coat of CeCe Caldwell’s Vintage White. After it dried I noticed that I missed some of the deeper cuts so I went back with another light coat. Then did the same with the Memphis Blue. So probably one and a half coats of each color (if that’s possible…lol).
Then I took a wet rag and lightly rubbed until I could see some of the white paint and glass underneath.
I really do like how this one turned out. Even though it’s not a navy blue I like how it looked in my patriotic display with the US flag in it. You can see that on my Room With a Past shelf.
If you enjoyed this post, you might also like these:
- How to Paint a Simple Black Jewelry Box
- Memphis Blue Jewelry Box Makeover
- Memphis Blue Chalkboard Table
Thanks for reading! If you try this leave me a message with a link to your finished project. I’d love to see what you do! Originally published Jun 23, 2014.
‘Til the next project,
Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim
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Tania says
Beautiful! I just tried this myself only I used a different kind of paint.
Tania
Sherry says
Great makeover! This looks great painted!
Heidi says
How long does the paint last? Did you use something to make it set? I’ve been making a lot of my own garden decor and would like to paint some glass but have concerns that the paint would wear off too easily
ducttapeanddenim says
Heidi, Thanks for your question. This paint worked well for me but even though the photos were taken outside I kept it inside. I don’t feel like this particular paint would do well outside. But DecoArt has a patio paint that would probably work. In fact, I may get some and try the project over again but leave it outside. Here’s a link to the paint: http://decoart.com/patio-paint-outdoor/
Leslie Zimmers says
I found your tutorial on Pinterest and am dying to try. I was just curious what chalk and clay paint is vs chalk paint. Is there a difference?
ducttapeanddenim says
Annie Sloan trademarked the phrase “chalk paint” so technically we aren’t supposed to call other paint “chalk paint”… even though there’s no difference. We are supposed to be calling other brands “chalk and mineral paint”, “chalk-type paint”, or “chalky paint”. Ridiculous… but that’s the law. (I do still slip sometimes.)
Billie says
Hi.. you didn’t mention use of the wax. or did I miss it? Do you use it after paint has dried?
ducttapeanddenim says
Thanks for asking. I wrote this a LONG time ago and I need to go back and update it. I waxed it after I distressed the paint and it had dried completely. Thanks again!