3 Ways: Distressed Autumn Mason Jars

It's no surprise that I have an obsession with distressed mason jars. Here's my super easy & affordable take on how to paint & style them for the Fall season :) I find that each one brings a different light & tone into the space it occupies. The beiges & browns add a coziness & home-y feeling while the more golden & cream tones brighten up the room. So if you're indecisive as to which one you should do, ask yourself what the room/space needs. No matter what you choose - beiges, cream, & browns go along with so many different colors that you won't have to worry about whether or not it will match the color scheme in your home.

Before you start painting your mason jars, first remember to clean them with soap and water. Wipe them down to dry and then apply rubbing alcohol on the outside of each jar with a cotton ball. This will ensure that all dirt and oils have been wiped away so that the paint will adhere to the glass surface. To distress, I used 150 fine grit sandpaper for each tutorial listed below.

#1: Halloween Mason Jar

Paint used:

Wheat used - Hobby Lobby $3.00 each:

 

Apply 2 coats of orange paint to a clean mason jar. I mixed equal parts Terra Cotta & Orange Spice.

When that has dried, apply 1 coat of Burnt Umber and let dry. Distress with sandpaper. As you sand, you will begin to see the orange color peak through Burnt Umber! Add some twine & wheat and you are done :)

I placed mine on my kitchen counter, next to my basket of lotions :)

#2: Beige & Brown Mason Jar

I have an entire blog post detailing how I painted this mason jar here >> http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/06/distressing-tutorial-easy-cheap-how-to-make-anything-look-antique.html 

Wheat used - Hobby Lobby $3.00:

After painting & distressing, add twine & the brown wheat, and you are done! I placed this arrangement in my bedroom. The brown tones make the bedroom feel so comfy & home-y :)

If you are curious about the Pottery Barn-inspired glass window, I have also done a tutorial on it as well. They were made using pictures frames from the Dollar Store! LINK HERE >> http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/07/how-to-diy-rustic-window-dollar-store-picture-frames.html

#3 Cream & Golden Mason Jar
Paint used:

Wheat used:

Apply 1 coat of White paint. Ley dry. Then apply 2 coats of Parchment. Using White as the base coat brightens up Parchment. When that has also dried, distress with sandpaper, add twine & wheat, and you are done!

I decided to place this on my kitchen bar :) The golden & cream tones really brighten up my living room!

 Add an heirloom pumpkin for a pop of color ;)

And there you have it - 3 different ways to paint & style mason jars for the Fall season!

5 Ways: Repurposing Cedar Fence Wood

Today on my blog I wanted to share with you some of my creations using plain ol' cedar fence wood.  I had a great time incorporating this particular kind of wood into various projects in my home for many reasons.  First, it is easily obtainable & ridiculously inexpensive - found at The Home Depot or Lowe's, ranging from $1.55 to $2.55 a pop!  Second, you can incorporate it into your indoor and outdoor decor.  Third, it is moderately rot resistant, making it great for prolonged outdoor use.  Fourth, it exudes that farmhouse | rustic | cottage style I've just been obsessing over.  Fifth, each project is so customizable - you can tweak the size, shape, color, & finish to fit your tastes! I love sharing how to create pieces that are one of a kind without having to break the bank. My intent behind JessicaRoseHomeDecor has always been to help you make your house a home in an easy, affordable, yet tasteful manner, and all of these tutorials definitely achieve this :)

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/07/farmhouse-inspired-diy-cutting-board.html

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/07/diy-wood-flower-trough-box-under-2.html

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/05/diy-wood-flower-box.html

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/07/diy-weathered-wood-picket-fence-rustic-cottage-antique-tutorial.html

http://jessicarosehomedecor.blogspot.com/2015/06/diy-garden-series-raised-garden-box.html

Farmhouse-Inspired DIY Cutting Board

 
***Disclaimer: Please make note that this is a DECORATIVE piece - I do not suggest using it to place, cut, prep, or serve your food on!!!

I've been going antiquing a lot lately & have noticed a lot of aged/rustic kitchen items that I wanted to somehow incorporate into my kitchen decor. I knew I wanted to arrange them on a cutting board, but I wasn't happy with the ones in stores - they were too new/modern looking. Not to mention they were so pricey - I didn't want to pay $20 for something I would only use for decorative purposes. So I decided to make my own instead - AND IT ONLY COST ME $3!!!!**

You will need the following materials:

2-  5/8 in. x 5-1/2 in. x 6 ft. Whitewood Dog-Ear Picket Fence - $1.55 each (Link Here)
Hand or Power Saw

Wood Glue
Hammer

Nails

Sandpaper - 220, 150, & 80 grit

Acrylic Craft Paint

Measure out the appropriate dimensions suitable for where you will be placing your chopping board. For reference, my dimensions ended up being approximately 22" long, 16" wide.

Using a hand or power saw, cut 6 - 22 inch pieces. Take one of the 6 pieces and cut that in half, vertically. Arrange them as shown to compose your top & bottom sections. The half piece will allow the top & bottom to connect together.

Top Section

Bottom Section (Don't mind those drill holes - I am using scrap wood)

Apply a liberal amount of wood glue in-between your bottom & top sections. Secure with nails. Let it dry overnight.

All glued together :)

Note: placement of nails

 Next is to make this baby smooth to the touch! Because cedar wood so it splintery, it is important not to skip this step. I sanded first with 80 grit - then 150 - and finished with 220. Doing so will ensure that your paint goes on smoothly. It also slightly changes the coloring of the wood to more of a soft beige, which we want to peek through at the end.

The next subsequent steps involve a lot of layering different paints + one stain. This method is very important to the distressed finish. As I have said in my previous tutorials on distressing, layering similar yet juxtaposing colors allows them all to peak through when you sand away at them at the end.

Apply a very light layer of wood stain. Let dry overnight. I used Miniwax Wood Finish Stain in 'Jacobean', but feel free to use any brown stain.

Top Section

Bottom Section

Now time for painting. I didn't use any fancy paint - just cheap acrylic paint. I use 3 different colors and applied 4 layers - letting each layer dry in-between. My first layer consisted of Oyster Beige, painted as shown. 

My second layer was White, which I applied all over and diluted by taking a damp paper towel and wiping away the excess after each application.

Initial application before wiping away the excess

Wiping away the excess with a damp paper towel

Half complete

Second layer complete

 My third layer was Parchment, applying it randomly throughout, & wiping the excess with a (not damp) paper towel.

My fourth and final layer was White again, except this time I did not wipe away the excess.

Forgot to take a photo before I started sanding...whoops! But you get the picture ;)

Time to sand again. Each grit will serve a different purpose in how the paint will look. Sand at angles and with the grain of the wood to emphasize distressing. 80 grit will take off a generous amount of paint to allow the stain to peak through. So, be careful and specific in your application. Helpful tip: sand the ends for that wear-and-tear look & don't be hesitant to sand all the way to the original finish of the wood in some spots (shown below in the close-ups).

First couple of swipes using 80 grit

This is my favorite part because this is where all your hard work pays off, specifically those 4 tedious layers of paint we did earlier ;) 150 grit will subtly bring out the colors underneath the white top coat. Find a happy medium between not sanding harshly & sanding gently to accomplish this - hard to explain - you'll understand once you do it :) Do this sporadically throughout. As you can see in the image below, parchment & oyster beige are visible in these areas.

Finish with 220 grit to have an overall smooth finish. Here are some close-ups for more detail & reference

Add those antique finds of yours and you are done!

**This only includes the cost for lumber. I did not have to purchase any of the other materials used as I already had them on hand.