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Craft Tutorials | Holiday Crafts | Halloween Crafts | Halloween Luminaries
Halloween Crafts

Halloween Luminaries

Author by Amanda Davis on October 1, 2024 Updated on October 1, 2024

5 from 25 votes
Learn how to make these super fun and colorful luminaries for Halloween! Kids and adults alike will love this simple project.
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halloween luminaries
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These colorful Halloween luminaries are made from painted mason jars and will light up your sidewalk or window this Halloween! These are a gorgeous addition to a Pumpkin Painting Party too!

glowing painted halloween luminaries on steps


 

Why We Love This Project


Halloween luminaries are a fun way to decorate your sidewalk, mantle, or bookshelf for Halloween! It’s a versatile craft in which you can use whatever colors you’d like, and the best part is just how easy they are to make yourself. Grab some friends or the kids and make it a Halloween themed craft night.

Back in 2009 I published these Halloween Painted Jar Luminaries. They were an instant hit and to this day remain one of the most popular Halloween crafts on this site. So here we are, 9 years later, and I decided to make them again and not only update the photos, but also make a video tutorial to help you all make them!

painted halloween luminaries on a shelf with candle lights

This isn’t the first time I’ve made Halloween luminaries. Several years ago I made these painted Ghost Luminaries, these decoupaged Jack O’Lantern Luminaries, and these Skull Luminaries.

halloween painted jar luminaries

Over the summer I bought a couple of boxes of canning jars with the intention of canning. Well, that didn’t happen. So I opened a box, went inside and grabbed my acrylic craft paint, paintbrushes, and a dish of water and went to work.

glowing halloween luminaries

How To Make Halloween Luminaries

You can find the full printable instructions at the end of this post.

  1. Prep your pint jars by washing them with soapy water and make sure they are rinsed well and do not have any soap residue. Next, give them a rinse with rubbing alcohol and let them air dry.
  2. When the jars are dry, make sure your fingers are clean so as not to transfer any of your skin’s oils to the glass which can cause issues with the paint adhering.
  3. Use a flat paintbrush to add one layer of acrylic craft paint on the OUTSIDE of each jar. One layer is best as you want the candle light to shine through!
  4. I used a Sharpie marker to draw on the face, then I simply painted the facial features with black paint using a liner brush.
  5. I painted the jar rims with black paint. Then let them all dry for about half an hour. Spray with glaze, waiting 20 minutes between coats; I used two coats. Let dry for several hours.

After the Halloween luminaries have dried for several hours, you can have some fun displaying them. I place regular tea lights inside the jars and use a long-handled lighter to light them.

Be sure to watch the video below to see how it’s done!

lit up halloween luminaries on shelf

Most commonly asked question on this post:

Q: Do you paint the outside or the inside of the jars to make these Halloween luminaries?

A: The outside of the jar. :) 

Fun to make glowing jack o lantern jars

Want another easy and cheap idea for Halloween luminaries? Line your sidewalk on Halloween night with these quick and easy Glowing Jack O Lantern Jars. For a Halloween party, check out these awesome Zombie Mason Jars. Perfect to fill up with treats for Halloween guests! More Halloween decorating ideas here.

beautiful fall and halloween mason jar luminaries made from paper napkins and mod podge

Fall Napkin Luminaries are another beautiful fall and Halloween luminary idea made from paper napkins and mod podge!

More Halloween Ideas

  • Balloon Ghosts
  • Halloween Ribbon Wreath
  • Zombie Mason Jars
  • Halloween Keep Out Door
  • Paper Halloween Luminaries
  • Clay Halloween Village
Full tutorial on how to make these AWESOME Halloween luminaries! I LOVE all the colors and faces! From Amanda Formaro at Crafts by Amanda
Halloween Luminaries

I love to create and share my projects with you! I know it’s hard to remember to come back and search, so I’ve made it easy for you with my weekly newsletter! You can subscribe for free and I’ll send you fun crafts every week right to your email.

halloween luminaries
Print Project
5 from 25 votes

Halloween Painted Jar Luminaries

Learn how to make these super fun and colorful luminaries for Halloween! Kids and adults alike will love this simple project.
Age Group: Crafts
Project Type: Halloween
Author: Amanda Formaro

Supplies

  • Clean glass jars I used pint size Kerr jars, but Ball jars cost less
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Acrylic craft paint
  • Paintbrushes flat brush and liner brush
  • Sharpie marker
  • Glaze I use Krylon Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze
  • Tea lights or LED tea lights

Instructions

  • Prep the jars by washing them with soapy water and make sure they are rinsed well and do not have any soap residue. Next give them a rinse with rubbing alcohol and let them air dry.
  • When the jars are dry, make sure your fingers are clean so as not to transfer any of your skin's oils to the glass which can cause issues with the paint adhering.
  • Use a flat paintbrush to add one layer of acrylic craft paint on the OUTSIDE of each jar. One layer is best as you want the candle light to shine through!
  • You can create your own stencils using cardboard or a piece of paper/cardstock for the faces. Or, you can freehand the designs which is what i opted for.
  • I used a Sharpie marker to draw on the face, then I simply painted the facial features with black paint using a liner brush.
  • I painted the jar rims with black paint. Then let them all dry for about half an hour. Spray with glaze, waiting 20 minutes between coats; I used two coats. Let dry for several hours.
  • After they've dried for several hours, you can have some fun displaying them. I place regular tea lights inside the jars and use a long handled lighter to light them. If you prefer, you can use LED tea lights as well!

Video

Expert Tips & FAQs

The most commonly asked question for this project is if I painted the inside or the outside of the jars – the answer is to paint the outside. :)

Originally published right here on October, 19, 2009.

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Amanda Davis
Amanda Davis is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She loves to bake, cook, make kid's crafts and create decorative items for her home. She is a crafting expert and guru in the kitchen and has appeared online and in print publications many times over the years.
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Filed Under: Crafts for Seniors, Halloween Crafts, Luminary Crafts, Mason Jar Crafts, Other Kid's Crafts, Recycled Crafts for Adults, Recycled Crafts for Kids Tagged With: acrylic paint, Crafts Using Recycled Jars, glass paint, Monster Crafts

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Comments

  1. sharon says

    October 18, 2024 at 4:22 pm

    Hi Amanda
    i love these !!
    just wondered if you have tried doing the designs going over again with a thicker sharpie instead of paint and if so how that worked out?
    thanks

    Reply
    • Amanda Davis says

      January 11, 2025 at 12:37 pm

      I haven’t, but instead of Sharpie I would use acrylic paint pens.

      Reply
  2. Cassidy says

    October 3, 2018 at 11:44 am

    Hi, I’m wondering if I could do the same thing with plastic jars and buckets I have on hand and use phosphorescent paint for the faces instead of putting candles inside?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 4, 2018 at 7:53 am

      If you’re going to paint plastic, check out my tips in this post https://craftsbyamanda.com/tips-for-painting-on-plastic/ but I think it should work :)

      Reply
      • Cassidy says

        October 4, 2018 at 12:05 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
  3. mary smith says

    August 31, 2017 at 6:03 am

    Hi, I love these! Could you tell us what shades of purple and green paint you used?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 8, 2017 at 6:41 pm

      Oh my, I made this several years ago and I apologize but I did not write down the colors back then! A lavender shade would work great, and something similar to apple green :)

      Reply
  4. PATRICIA says

    October 21, 2016 at 7:12 pm

    THANKS FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS ABOVE ALSO WOULD YOR DO YOU HAVE ANY FALL THANKSGIVING OR XMAS ONES LIKE THESE I LOVE YOUR SITE IF YOU DO COULD YOU LET ME KNOW ALSO WAS WONDERING
    EVEN IF YOU DID XMAS JARS ETC LIKE GREEN OR BLUE WOPULD YOU HALF TO PAINT THEM ON THE OUTSIDE TO
    THANKS SO MUCH

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 24, 2016 at 5:27 pm

      Hi Patricia. I always paint my luminaries on the outside. I don’t trust putting a candle inside a jar that has been painted on the inside. As for more luminaries you can see all of mine (which include Christmas and other holidays) here: https://craftsbyamanda.com/category/craft-tutorials/adult-crafts/luminary-crafts/

      Reply
  5. PATRICIA says

    October 19, 2016 at 8:07 pm

    i love your halloeen jars you only put one coatr on right but after that do you half to put a spray on is it necessary
    or can you use regular mod podge on it but maybe that wouldnt light would ya let me know thanks love these of yours

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 20, 2016 at 6:45 pm

      I used the gloss spray sealer because I wanted mine shiny. I’m sure you could use Mod Podge as your sealer, but I haven’t tried that with these jars myself :)

      Reply
  6. Dawn Marie says

    September 21, 2016 at 7:26 am

    R,I,P, red guy on the right with the triangle eyes and the square mouth – did you sweep him up and throw out the glass or upcycle him somehow – love these luminaries – I prefer the “real” tealights as well – we also line our path with paper bags decorated with a little sand on the bottom and a tealight inside – the glow is really fabulous – thank you Amanda –

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 24, 2016 at 8:51 am

      I’m sure I recycled the glass, poor guy! And yes, I love those paper bag luminaries too!

      Reply
  7. charmaine says

    October 28, 2015 at 9:45 am

    Your luminaries are SO cute! I wish I had time for another project. I actually have a question for you that is not about these cute little guys, but you seem to me like you would know a little something about paint and flames. I am painting a pumpkin this year for the Teal Pumpkin Project, but I would also like to carve it and put a candle in it. Do you think that’s safe to do? Also, do you know if there is a certain type of paint that is less flammable than others. Would love any thoughts or advice that you have. Happy Halloween!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      November 16, 2015 at 10:03 am

      I’m so sorry that I missed this comment/question Charmaine. What did you end up doing?

      Reply
  8. Kelly says

    September 20, 2015 at 9:35 am

    Planning on making these for Halloween. Q: did you use battery operated candles or votive candles?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 21, 2015 at 12:29 pm

      I use regular tea lights that I light with one of those long handled lighters. LED tea lights will work as well :)

      Reply
  9. Chelsea Evans says

    September 14, 2015 at 6:30 pm

    I love your ideas! I am going to share this post on our blog! Take a look tomorrow 9/15 to see! http://www.capturecreatephoto.com/blog

    Thanks again!!
    Chelsea

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 15, 2015 at 10:27 am

      Thank you Chelsea, I appreciate the feature!

      Reply
  10. Tove Maren says

    August 17, 2015 at 8:09 am

    These are adorable! I will have to make them with my four little boys!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      August 21, 2015 at 9:01 am

      Thanks Tove, hope you have fun!

      Reply
  11. El İşi Tarifleri says

    July 27, 2015 at 12:35 am

    LOL !

    Reply
  12. Sue says

    October 25, 2014 at 11:37 pm

    I looked for the link to the candy corn jars but it is no longer posted on Disney Kaboose. Are you able to re-post or send me the instructions?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      November 3, 2014 at 7:12 am

      HI Sue. Sorry about that. Spoonful was reorganized and I hope they will have the instructions back up soon!

      Reply
  13. Cherrie says

    October 19, 2014 at 4:43 pm

    We love this luminary craft! We are doing this with 26 5th graders at our annual Fall Festival in a couple of weeks :) Did you use foam brushes or regular brushes to paint the jars? Also, about how many jars can be painted with a little bottle of Acrylic paint.

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 22, 2014 at 8:21 am

      Hi Cherrie. I don’t know how many jars can be covered with one bottle, but for 26 kids I would say to take 4 with you, just in case. You’ll probably have plenty left ober. I used regular brushes for this, but you could use foam brushes if you think it’s easier for the kids :)

      Reply
  14. Tami says

    October 19, 2014 at 1:24 pm

    These are sooo cute!! Do you think they would turn out ok with glitter acrylic paint? I have some leftover from another project (but am not exactly crafty lol) Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 22, 2014 at 8:22 am

      I think glitter acrylic would work fine!

      Reply
  15. Susy Hilterbran says

    October 16, 2014 at 10:07 pm

    do you think a glow stick would be bright enough to use instead of tea lights? Also, have you tried the glow in the dark paint?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 22, 2014 at 8:26 am

      I’m not sure that glow sticks would work for these. I have not tried the glow in the dark paint for something like this. It tends to be really streaky.

      Reply
  16. Jennifer says

    October 14, 2014 at 9:30 am

    I know that you use acrylic paint, but do you use the pastels or the regular colors?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 15, 2014 at 8:52 am

      I think the purple and green were pastel shades and the rest were regular colors. Doesn’t really matter though, whatever colors you like will work!

      Reply
  17. Jean Morrissey says

    October 4, 2014 at 4:49 pm

    I love these! I would suggest using the little battery operated tea lights instead of real tea lights (for safety reasons) Especially, if you line your sidewalk with them….little ones in Halloween costumes could be at risk.

    Reply
    • Jean Morrissey says

      October 4, 2014 at 4:50 pm

      Then you could use plastic jars too…I guess the paint would stick?

      Reply
      • Amanda Formaro says

        October 6, 2014 at 7:33 am

        Hi Jean. I wouldn’t use plastic simply because of the heat from the candle. However if you use LED lights you won’t have that issue. Plastic is a trickier beast when it comes to paint. You would have to either rough up the surface to make it more porous, or buy a paint that is specifically for plastic surfaces. I would stick with glass if you can.

        Reply
  18. Stacey says

    September 27, 2014 at 4:53 am

    Do you *need* to add the glaze? I really want to make these but I’m living in Korea and a can of glaze runs nearly $20 :(

    I love the look of them with the glaze but would hate to spend the money on the glaze if it’s not totally necessary.

    Thanks so much and great job! Yours look fantastic!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 2, 2014 at 9:33 pm

      Hi Stacey! You don’t HAVE to, it just gives them some added protection from nicks and scratches and adds a nice shine :)

      Reply
  19. Betty says

    September 4, 2014 at 9:30 pm

    I think these are so cute, I will make them this Halloween, line up the walkway with them, but instead of candles, I like to use white christmas lights

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 9, 2014 at 7:37 am

      Thanks Betty, hope you have fun!

      Reply
  20. Linda Storey says

    August 25, 2014 at 4:22 pm

    These are wonderful. I have got to have my grandkids make some, they’ll love them! TFS!!

    Reply
  21. Avalon says

    August 9, 2014 at 5:31 pm

    I have a bunch of used-up/burned out jars candles in different sizes – I couldn’t bring myself to just toss them, and now I think I will use them to make these! Thanks for the share!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      August 10, 2014 at 8:00 am

      Awesome, hope you have fun with it Avalon!

      Reply
  22. Sheri says

    October 22, 2013 at 10:49 am

    I took empty plastic peanut butter jars, washed them out well. I made labels on orange, purple, and yellow copy paper, cut them to fit inside the jar. On the top I cut a circle of fabric, tacked it with glue to stay on the lid, tied a Halloween ribbon around the cap. I made labels that said “Spider Jelly”, “Monster Mash” to name a couple of fun names. Inside I put a flameless candle. I have them on my steps, but these are cheap and make great neighbor gifts!!! I could reuse the jar for Christmas too!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 23, 2013 at 7:13 am

      That’s awesome Sheri, they sound adorable!

      Reply
  23. Yvette says

    October 21, 2013 at 1:41 pm

    I LOVE THESE!! <3 I have a question when its sprayed by the glaze is the paint from the eyes & mouth are suppose to run off the jar?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 22, 2013 at 6:59 am

      Hi Yvette :) If the marker is running then one of two things have happened: 1) the marker wasn’t dry enough yet or 2) the spray can is being held too close to the jar and the application is too thick. I’m sorry that happened to you! :-(

      Reply
      • Yvette says

        October 23, 2013 at 8:37 am

        Ok thank you so much & it only happened on one them but it still came out nice it gave the ghost a nice effect to it :)

        Reply
        • Amanda Formaro says

          October 24, 2013 at 7:05 am

          Awesome! :)

          Reply
  24. Katie says

    October 20, 2013 at 4:23 pm

    These are awesome, so much better than purchasing luminary bags every year. I have a question-do you paint the inside or outside of the jars? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 20, 2013 at 9:24 pm

      hi Katie! Paint the outside :)

      Reply
  25. LeAnne says

    October 19, 2013 at 2:42 am

    Did you paint the outside of the jars or the insides? Also do you know how this would work on plastic jars? I want to try this with my 4 yr old this year but concerned with the glass.

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 20, 2013 at 9:27 pm

      I painted the outside of the jars. You can paint plastic, but it’s best to use a multi surface acrylic paint for plastic. Or some enamel paints will work on plastic too. If you use regular acrylic paint, it’s possible it will peel and flake off later.

      Reply
  26. fairyCrafty says

    October 11, 2013 at 4:56 pm

    Call me cheap, but i don’t want to use a good canning jar for this…but I think they are so cute! I’m thinking of an empty milk jug. Then lighting it with a battery operated votive for the ghost. Orange glow sticks for the pumpkins and green glow sticks for Frankenstein… that way the plastic won’t burn and I don’t have to use paint…do you think that would work?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 12, 2013 at 9:20 am

      Hi fairyCrafty :) My answer is two fold. 1) if you want these to last year after year (I just pulled these very jars out of the attic the other day and they still look awesome after 4 years) I would highly recommend using jars. You don’t have to use canning jars, you can use recycled mayonnaise or jelly jars and they will produce the same result. 2) if you are just looking for a decoration for this year, milk jugs will work just fine, though they might not store very well (who knows, they might!). You can see I did this exact thing (using the glow sticks) for a Frankenstein milk jug I made this year – here’s the link – https://craftsbyamanda.com/2013/10/glow-dark-frankenstein-milk-jug.html

      Something important to keep in mind about using glow sticks. They only last one night and then you will have to drop another one in. That can get pretty pricey if you want to use these for a week before Halloween. ALSO, milk jugs are very lightweight. A windy autumn evening could scatter your luminaries all over your yard, or worse, the neighborhood! So if you do decide to use milk jugs, be sure to add rice or pebbles or even pennies to the jug to give them some weight.

      I personally think that with all the factors mentioned above you’d be better off in the long run using jars. :) But either way will work. Hope you have fun!

      Reply
  27. Monique Moore says

    July 29, 2013 at 7:05 pm

    These are so cute! I think I”m going to make some with leaves on them for Fall and Thanksgiving decorations, and some with snowflakes for Winter. Such a great idea, especially since mason jars are inexpensive.

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      July 31, 2013 at 8:09 am

      Thanks Monique! Those sound like they will be pretty!

      Reply
  28. Mariah says

    October 28, 2012 at 9:53 pm

    Very neat…did you paint inside the jar or outside?

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 31, 2012 at 12:32 pm

      The outside

      Reply
  29. Maria says

    October 27, 2012 at 2:26 am

    Just finished making a ton of these. Thanks for the amazing idea! Worked out great! It was so much fun, can’t wait to poke around and find more holiday crafts!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 28, 2012 at 1:34 pm

      That’s awesome Maria so glad you had fun!

      Reply
  30. Lori says

    October 25, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    Hi there,
    Should I be concerned about the Krylon and the heat produced by a burning candle? I know some of these types of sprays can be highly flammable. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 25, 2012 at 5:14 pm

      A spray paint or sealer is flammable when wet and when being sprayed, but from what I understand loses its flammability when dry. I made these luminaries three years ago and bring them out every Halloween and light them. I have never had a problem.

      Reply
  31. Jami says

    October 23, 2012 at 5:37 pm

    We made these @ homeschool day in the park. We dated the bottom and wrote names on them and plan to make them again so the kids will each have their own “collection” to keep! Thanks for the simple to follow directions and great pictures!!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 24, 2012 at 11:30 am

      How fun! Glad you enjoyed them Jami, thanks for letting me know! :)

      Reply
  32. denissa thurman says

    October 23, 2012 at 12:39 pm

    Thanks for sharing i was trying to think of some way to get some Halloween stuff for my grandbaby’s now scene they live with me this i can afford again thank you very much you just made 2 children very happy

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 24, 2012 at 11:31 am

      Aww that’s great, thanks Denissa!

      Reply
  33. Damaris says

    October 19, 2012 at 4:06 am

    love this!! i made these with my children and they had a blast! thank you :)

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 19, 2012 at 12:08 pm

      That’s great Damaris, so glad you had fun!

      Reply
  34. Christine says

    October 17, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    I LOVE these. I made them and I have had requests from family to make more. I also linked your tutorial. Thank you :)

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 19, 2012 at 12:10 pm

      Thanks Christine, so glad you had a good time making these!

      Reply
  35. doro K. says

    October 10, 2012 at 7:17 am

    i like these jars. they’re simple but so decorative!

    I linked to your tutorial on my blog – thanks for sharing!

    doro K.

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 10, 2012 at 11:07 am

      Thanks for the link Doro, so glad you liked them :)

      Reply
  36. Crystal Torres says

    October 9, 2012 at 3:06 pm

    Thanks for such a great idea! I had some sauce jars and such in my recycle bin just waiting to be used :) I also took down my collection of wine bottles (I knew I was saving them for a reason!) I am so happy with the way the jars and bottles turned out. The kids loved them too!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 9, 2012 at 9:13 pm

      How fun Crystal, glad you had a good time!

      Reply
  37. Marla says

    October 6, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    These masion jars are wonderful!! I agree with all the pictures, I couldn’t decide which was my favorite either.
    Which jar looked better with the candle in the dark?
    I think this would be a great way to lite my walk way this halloween, add some to my flower gardens which are in an alcove at the front door. Thanks for sharing this!
    Marla

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      October 9, 2012 at 11:06 am

      I would have to say the yellow look the best, but they all look great!

      Reply
  38. Sonya Moore says

    September 26, 2012 at 1:16 pm

    What kind of acrylic paint? I bought some last year, but you couldn’t really see thru them:( Thank you!

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      September 27, 2012 at 1:15 am

      I just used regular acrylic craft paint, it was probably Americana, but could have been Folk Art. I only use one coat! Two would make them too dark.

      Reply
  39. Jessica says

    September 26, 2012 at 2:56 am

    Such a great idea! Love the colors and cute faces…

    Reply
  40. Sherri says

    September 24, 2012 at 9:48 pm

    Hi Amanda! These are so cute! I’m thinking about making them for my yard, but I’m worrying about the tea lights. When you make them, do you punch holes in the lids and then put the lids on? Or do you think that would take away from the effect or put the flame out? I could buy the fireless votives lights, I guess, but I thought I’d ask about the lids first.

    Thanks for sharing this adorable idea!
    Sherri

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      September 24, 2012 at 10:18 pm

      Hi Sherri! I don’t use the lids on mine. If you want to use lids, I would get the LED tea lights. Putting lids on with the flame tea lights won’t work, the flames need oxygen to stay lit.

      Reply
  41. Toni Ann says

    September 18, 2012 at 6:48 pm

    Love! Did you paint the inside or the outside?

    Reply
    • Amanda says

      September 19, 2012 at 8:58 pm

      Hi Toni! These are painted on the outside :)

      Reply
  42. Sherry Y says

    March 18, 2012 at 11:35 pm

    I found these Halloween luminaries on Pinterest. I just love them. I can’t wait to make some for my grandsons (and myself) to put out next Halloween. I also can’t wait to peruse the rest of your delightful site. I’ve bookmarked it for future fun. Thanks for sharing your projects, Amanda!

    Reply
    • admin says

      March 24, 2012 at 12:46 am

      Thank you Sherry!

      Reply
  43. christina says

    October 28, 2011 at 9:00 pm

    Thanks for sharing these- I love them! I gave them a try and you can see the pics here: http://fromonemommatoanother.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-lanterns.html

    Reply
  44. Andrea @ HandMakeMyDay says

    October 26, 2011 at 8:47 pm

    So happy I found you on Pinterest! My husband also painted some jars which turned out great! He actually scratched out faces on the back side so that you get a neat silhouette on the wall. http://handmakemyday.com/2011/10/19/easy-halloween-luminaries-he-made-painted-jars/

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 27, 2011 at 1:03 am

      Those are awesome Andrea!

      Reply
  45. joyce hemker says

    October 26, 2011 at 6:38 pm

    I’m going to try this with the plactic kool-aid containers

    Reply
  46. Shana says

    October 26, 2011 at 5:03 pm

    found this post from a google search and i’m soooooo excited to make these; will let you know how it goes! thanks for the great pictures and all the detailed instructions

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 27, 2011 at 1:05 am

      Awesome thanks Shana!

      Reply
  47. Stacey says

    October 23, 2011 at 10:54 pm

    I absolutely love these! they’re genius. Halloween is my favourite holiday and you’ve helped me decide that I’m going to make a special space in my attic for halloween items so I can make something new each year.. this is definitely going to be in there! Brilliant, so thanks :) xx

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 27, 2011 at 1:15 am

      Thanks for your kind words Stacey – glad you like them!

      Reply
  48. Sarah says

    October 21, 2011 at 5:16 pm

    Hiya! I just tried these with my patients where I work, they loved them!! The only problem I am running into is that we used lights from the dollar store and we we place them in the jars the only color that shows is that of the light. So every jar looks orange! I am going to take a few home and try an actual flame candle and see how that goes! Thanks for the fantastic idea!!

    Reply
  49. Jen says

    October 20, 2011 at 7:54 pm

    Really Cute!!

    Reply
  50. Margie Chao says

    October 18, 2011 at 12:56 am

    Hi, I love your painted Halloween jars! My kids can’t wait to make them. I had a quick question….I have lots of tempera paint. Would that work instead of acrylic paints? I’m thinking with the clear glaze the tempera would be okay. Any thoughts on using tempera instead of acrylic paints?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 18, 2011 at 1:03 am

      Hi Margie! I have never actually tried tempura paint on glass. You can always try it on one and see how it works. If you do, would love it if you would come back and leave a comment on how it worked!

      Reply
      • Margie Chao says

        October 29, 2011 at 4:59 pm

        The tempera paints worked great! I wanted an easier paint to work with since I’ve got little kids doing the project and I didn’t want the hassle of using acrylics. Acrylic paint did go on more smoothly on glass, so I can see why you chose acrylics. The tempura paints were more streaky going on, but after being sprayed with the clear coating, they came out more transparent, which was kind of cool! Thanks again for your project idea. I will continue to do this every year with my children!!!

        Reply
        • Amanda Formaro says

          October 29, 2011 at 5:51 pm

          I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know about that, it’ll be great info if someone else asks. So glad you guys had fun! :)

          Reply
          • Margie Chao says

            October 30, 2011 at 9:40 pm

            Hi Amanda,
            I wanted to share this in case others wanted to use tempera paints too…unless you apply like three coats of the lacquer spray the tempera paints will run if wet. I found this out the hard way this morning when the sprinklers went off near my porch steps! LOL :)

  51. LS says

    October 15, 2011 at 12:47 am

    Thanks for the cool idea! Just made these last night and finished up today. My paint looks much more streaky than yours and when the candles are in it really shows. I’ve never painted on glass before so maybe it’s a serious learning curve, The clear coat is pretty cool and makes the appearance a bit better. We drew the faces with just sharpie as another reader suggested and it was a real pain in the bum until hubby found a large, lone, odd sharpie and he rocked out the rest of the ghosts with that. We put some tap led lights in & the kids are running around holding the Boo Story light :D.

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 15, 2011 at 1:06 am

      Yeah painting on glass can create streaks. I tend to go over the paint several times, smoothing it as I go. BUT I actually think the streaks are cool too, adds character! :) So glad you had fun!

      Reply
  52. Tammy says

    October 13, 2011 at 1:27 am

    These are precious! I shared them with my readers today at Aimee Asher. I hope that is ok! Thanks for the wonderful idea!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 13, 2011 at 4:01 pm

      Thank you so much, how nice of you!

      Reply
  53. Chris says

    October 11, 2011 at 10:47 pm

    what kind of jars are you using? All the canning jars I’ve seen have some kind of markings or words bubbled into them. I’m sure they will show through as a shadow.

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 13, 2011 at 4:02 pm

      Ball jars! And the raised letters don’t show through.

      Reply
  54. LK says

    October 11, 2011 at 1:50 pm

    I found these on parents.com and thought they would be fun for my 4 year old son and me to try. I used a foam brush because I thought a paint brush would be too streaky, but the foam brush did not put the paint on thick enough. I let it dry overnight and then tried to put on a second coat. It didn’t work. When you try to put a second coat of paint on it just takes the first layer off. I washed the paint off and will give it another try with a brush and a thicker single layer of paint this time. They are so cute that I want it to work.

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 11, 2011 at 9:00 pm

      Even with streaks they look good! :) adds character ;-D

      Reply
  55. Christina Aldrich says

    October 11, 2011 at 1:11 pm

    Hi- I saw this link to your blog and luminaries on Pinterest (my new FAVORITE thing to do instead of cleaning!!!). Yesterday I bought everything I need to make these, except for the mason jars. The store was out but said they would be getting more in today or tomorrow. My 4 year old is home sick from pre-school today so I’ll be scouring my house for any empty jars that aren’t nailed down LOL. Can’t wait until the end of the week :-) Wish me luck!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 11, 2011 at 9:02 pm

      That’s exactly what I was going to suggest! i always have a stash of empty jars of all sizes in the cabinet in the basement :)

      Reply
  56. Angie says

    October 3, 2011 at 2:08 am

    So glad to have found this…I gotta make some…SOOO creative!! =)

    Reply
  57. Kari says

    October 2, 2011 at 4:32 am

    Congratulations!
    Your post has been nominated for a Mommy Blog Award. Mommy Blog Awards were created to highlight relevant and creative content that is worth sharing with family, friends and those in search of inspiration. Rather than following entire blogs and stories, our goal is to provide answers to current questions and snippets that can be easily shared. So, take a moment to visit your post, forward the link to your friends, vote, and hopefully find something worth sharing at mommyblogawards.com.

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 7, 2011 at 1:51 pm

      Thank you for the nomination!

      Reply
  58. Ashleyakamomto1tot says

    October 1, 2011 at 11:45 pm

    I made these today! my daughter myself and my husband all of us really enjoyed it! i bought the battery powered tealights but i used large mason jars they almost needed 2 of them to get it lit well , i did use 2 coats of paint so it made it a little thicker for the light to show through…. BUT also i found out hello mason jars have that centerpiece under the lid u can keep off and still look like a lid is on it and it wont snuff out real tea light candles :) they turned out AWSOME i wi sh i could post pics thanks so much for sharing this idea! im a NON crafty mom but i made 12 of these to line the walk way and i will use them for many years! :)

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      October 2, 2011 at 4:43 pm

      How awesome Ashley!! Thanks for letting me know, it always makes me smile when one of my projects can inspire someone else :)

      Reply
  59. Wendy says

    September 26, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    I’d love to do this for a craft in my child’s class…do you think I could use a blow dryer to speed up the process?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 27, 2011 at 1:28 am

      Abolutely!

      Reply
  60. becky says

    September 26, 2011 at 6:32 pm

    do you paint the inside of the jar or the outside?

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 27, 2011 at 1:29 am

      The outside :)

      Reply
  61. Christen Allen says

    September 25, 2011 at 1:55 am

    Found these on Pinterest and making them tonight with the fam! I love your blog. So cute. :)

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 27, 2011 at 1:31 am

      How fun, hope you had a great time!

      Reply
  62. Rachel says

    September 22, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    So cute! Just found you on pinterest! Love this and Im deff going to try it this Halloween!

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 23, 2011 at 10:59 am

      Thasks Rachel, these are one of my favorites :)

      Reply
  63. Jennifer says

    September 19, 2011 at 12:42 pm

    These are adorable! I found your site on Pinterest.com and decided that since I am one of the homeroom parents for my daughters 1st grade class…we are SO doing these for her Halloween party. I thought I better see how messy it would be first and made some this week with my daughter–LOVE THEM! I am going to write a blog later today and will link it to your page to give you credit. I just have one–and probably a really dumb one–question…Do you spray the clear coat inside or outside of the jar or both. OH, I also used the sharpie on the outside of the jars and didn’t have to use the black paint over it. Thanks for the cutest craft idea out there!!
    Jennifer

    Reply
    • Amanda Formaro says

      September 19, 2011 at 12:47 pm

      Hi Jennifer, thanks for the compliments! You only need to spray the outside of the jars, it’s just to keep the paint from peeling off and to give them a nice glossy finish. Can’t wait to see your version!

      Reply
  64. pageturnershollow says

    September 15, 2011 at 7:54 pm

    Loved your post! I mentioned it as my inspiration for a Halloween project in my blog!
    http://pageturnershollow.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/halloween-silhouette-lanterns/

    Keep up the good work!

    Reply
  65. Audrey says

    September 14, 2011 at 12:56 am

    I love this post and I'm so excited to try it out. I've also shared this with my readers!

    http://lonelypaper-designs.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-jack-olantern-luminaries.html

    Reply
  66. Recovering Noah says

    August 13, 2011 at 12:26 pm

    Thank you for stopping by my blog. I love love love this idea! Now I know what to do with all those salsa jars I have laying around. I'm so glad Halloween is just a few months away… I'd hate to have to wait any longer to try this idea. I'm loving your blog! Leslie =)

    Reply
  67. Amanda says

    January 15, 2011 at 1:22 pm

    Thanks Carol! How awesome that you already made these! As for the marbles, yes you are spot on, those are a bit bigger than the average ones. I honestly can't remember if I found them at Michael's or a thrift store. If you do a google search for "large flat glass marbles" there are some there too ;) Thanks!

    Reply
  68. carol wolfgang says

    January 15, 2011 at 5:30 am

    Wow Amanda. This is actually very interesting to me. I made a few of these a couple years back.I actually thought of these idea cuz i seen them done with milk jugs. I like painting on jars. So of course today when i came acrossed your site i seen the epsom salt luminaries and im so going out to buy the stuff to make them. I save all kinds of jars, pickles, jelly mayo's anything. i save them. But yeah that is so cool that i made pumpkin luminaries like u did. I personally like yours better, but it was my first time doing them so im quiet happy. i also was wondering on the flat glass marbles how big are those. they look larger then normal size marbles. i cant find bigger ones anywhere though. I am wanting to make those to. And they dont have to be just for valentines. U can do anything u want with them. Thats for sharing your. I think u have alot of talent and interestign things to make. ideas on the page

    Reply
  69. Amanda says

    October 23, 2010 at 12:00 pm

    Thanks so much Shweta, so glad they turned out! Happy Halloween!

    Reply
  70. Anonymous says

    October 22, 2010 at 2:01 pm

    I absolutely love your blog and get inspired to try out all your crafts.I tried making them myself last week and they turned out so well!
    Thanks for sharing,
    Shweta

    Reply
  71. booturtle says

    October 19, 2010 at 4:22 am

    Thought I already commented. But wanted to chime back in that I finally made my pumpkin luminaries inspired by you and put pictures up on my blog. Thanks so much for the idea!

    Reply
  72. booturtle says

    October 18, 2010 at 1:33 pm

    I finally finished my painted pumpkins and put them up on my blog with credit for inspiration from you. Thanks again for sharing.

    Reply
  73. Amanda says

    October 17, 2010 at 3:35 pm

    erisgrrrl – How fun! Thanks for the kind comment, would love to see a photo of your jars. If you are on Facebook, you can post them on the Crafts by Amanda fan page! http://www.facebook.com/CraftsbyAmanda

    Reply
  74. erisgrrrl says

    October 17, 2010 at 3:23 pm

    We did this today using recycled jars that I've refused to throw away. We let our son paint several of them and it's adorable! I think we might add a jar or 2 each year so we can kind of chronicle his abilities over time! :D

    Thanks for such a great idea!

    Reply
  75. Amanda says

    October 12, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    Thanks for the features ladies!

    Reply
  76. Jess @ Frugal with a Flourish says

    October 9, 2010 at 3:07 am

    I love these! Just featured you in my "10 Ways to Use Mason Jars in your Home" :)

    Reply
  77. booturtle says

    October 7, 2010 at 7:15 pm

    Love this. I don't have jars but when I saw my local thrift store had squatty round floral vases for a dollar apiece your pumpkins came to mind. I picked up a few vases and plan to pain them this weekend. I'll be posting on my blog with a giant tip of the hat and link back to you. Congrats on the ivillage mention too.

    Reply
  78. Krystal says

    October 2, 2010 at 9:30 pm

    This is so cute and a great idea! I featured this on my blog if you want to check it out and grab a button.
    sassysanctuary.blogspot.com

    Reply
  79. Amanda says

    October 2, 2010 at 12:43 am

    Thank you very much for telling me. And on that one she's blatantly taking credit! Someone asked her what she was going to do with them and she sai she was going to make magnets, as if she really made them! UGHHH!

    Reply
  80. Anonymous says

    October 2, 2010 at 12:00 am

    She has your Bread Tag Monsters too. She admits in the bread tag post that the post about the luminaries was deleted because she didn't have links and claims that Cafemom won't let her have links up. People can have links there, just not in their signature or links to their own blog or website as advertising. I have seen her make links to her own stuff there though.

    Reply
  81. Amanda says

    October 1, 2010 at 11:08 am

    This is not i.heart.rachels tutorial, it's mine. Thank you VERY much for bringing this to my attention!

    Reply
  82. Anonymous says

    October 1, 2010 at 6:45 am

    What a cute idea! Did you get the idea from i.heart.rachel on Cafemom? She has a lot of her tutorials there including this one, same pictures and instructions and all.

    Reply
  83. Amanda says

    September 27, 2010 at 11:13 am

    Anon – baby food jars will work fine as long as the mouth is wide enough for a tea light. Those will be awesome! :)

    Reply
  84. Anonymous says

    September 26, 2010 at 11:08 pm

    These are so cute! I'm making some today, only I'm using old baby food jars so I have different sizes. Thanks for the idea!

    Reply
  85. Amanda says

    September 26, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    Thanks Melissa! So right you are. Kids love to paint as do adults. So this is great for all ages :)

    Reply
  86. Melissa says

    September 26, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    These are so cool! And a craft that can span the ages! What kid doesn't like painting!

    Reply
  87. Amanda says

    September 26, 2010 at 1:50 am

    Thanks! Couldn't have a better compliment than that :)

    Reply
  88. Anonymous says

    September 26, 2010 at 1:34 am

    even though i have a teenager and i usually hate crafts + stuff like that, i am sooo excited to do these now! halloween is my favorite holiday and this seems like a lot of fun to do one day to really make my house look great:) thanks for posting too such clear instructions + good pictures!

    Reply
  89. Amanda says

    September 25, 2010 at 5:13 pm

    Thanks Anna~ hope you make them, they are fun!

    Reply
  90. John, Anna & Rebecca says

    September 25, 2010 at 4:50 pm

    How adorable!!!! I have a whole bunch of glass jars too. I wasn't sure what to do with them. Great idea and I think I'll even let me three yearold help me with them. I can't decide what I like more, the ghosts or goblins.

    Anna
    http://wastedbandwidth.org

    Reply
  91. Amanda says

    September 24, 2010 at 5:19 pm

    Thanks Carmie!

    Tonya how fun! So glad they were easy and you were able to make them, they sound great!

    Reply
  92. Tonya says

    September 24, 2010 at 5:15 pm

    I made 5 of these last night but cut out leaf stencles and glued them on with a glue stick (glues washed right off) and just did a fall theme….AWSOME IDEA! They turned out great. Thanks so much for the "how to"!

    Reply
  93. Carmie, the Single Nester says

    September 24, 2010 at 4:23 pm

    How fun! Scary too!

    Reply
  94. Amanda says

    September 24, 2010 at 2:30 pm

    Thank you again everyone! :)

    Carri – as long as the mouth of the jar is wide enough to get a tea light candle inside they should work fine!

    Reply
  95. Carri says

    September 24, 2010 at 2:21 pm

    These are so fabulous! I'm going to try these with my Girl Scout troop. I wonder if the larger Baby Food jars would work?

    Reply
  96. malia says

    September 23, 2010 at 4:38 am

    amanda these are awesome! love for you to link up tomorrow to a crafty soiree at http://www.yesterdayontuesday.com

    Reply
  97. Katie @ Not Just Decorating says

    September 22, 2010 at 4:31 pm

    These are simply adorable! I am going to have to try to make some of them! Thanks for the great idea!

    Reply
  98. Colleen @ MuralMaker&More says

    September 22, 2010 at 1:59 am

    You know, painting on glass is usually my absolute least favorite surface. But I have to try these. They are just so dang cute, I can't believe it! Thanks for all the tips, too. Great tutorial.

    Would love for you to stop by Sunday and link them up to Passion for Paint.

    Reply
  99. Alicia says

    September 21, 2010 at 4:09 pm

    I popped over from Under the Table and Dreaming, these are so cool. I want to try them right now =)

    Reply
  100. Amanda says

    September 21, 2010 at 3:38 pm

    Thank you so much Corinna! :)

    Veronica – thanks! I believe these were pint sized jars. They are still packed away (I'm bad, haven't pulled out my Halloween stuff yet!) but I know that the quart jars are what I used for my pickles, and they aren't as big as those :)

    Reply
  101. Veronica says

    September 21, 2010 at 3:19 pm

    Love this! I too have lots of canning jars and can't wait to make these with my boys. Did you use the pint or the quart jars?

    Reply
  102. Corinna says

    September 21, 2010 at 2:24 pm

    Saw these on Skip to my Lou. They are SUPER cute! I love your ghost ones also. And I have a ton of canning jars so I'm totally inspired by your post today! :)

    Corinna

    Reply
  103. Amanda says

    September 21, 2010 at 1:15 pm

    Than you EVERYONE for all of your kind comments!! :) :)

    Kimber – yes Ball jars do have raised letters, but only on one side. :) The ones that I used also have the raised letters.

    Reply
  104. Kimber says

    September 21, 2010 at 1:06 pm

    I love these. Could you tell me where you bought canning jars that are smooth like that? I know the ball canning jars have raised glass lettering on them. Thanks.

    Reply
  105. Liz @ LivingMySweetLife says

    September 21, 2010 at 12:29 pm

    OMG! LOVE!
    How did you know I had a box full of jars that I had NO IDEA what to do with????
    You're amazing, I stopped by from today's creative blogs linky party and now I am poking around your site. It's awesome~!

    Reply
  106. katieb says

    September 21, 2010 at 6:09 am

    This was GREAT I loved this idea! I live on the second floor of an apartment and I have giant squirrles that love to run across my patio. I don't think having pumpkins this year will be an option, as I fear that they will eat them and never leave me alone.But now I'm SUPER EXCITED for halloween this year! This was great for my raining day sunday craft project! I also like a few other ideas you have and will be using them with my little cousin! :)

    GREAT BLOG!! Thank you for the great fun and easy craft ideas! :)

    Reply
  107. Q @ JAQS says

    September 21, 2010 at 3:17 am

    OK THAT IS AWESOME. I will be making this for our house this year :). Thank you for sharing this awesome idea!

    Reply
  108. Christina says

    September 21, 2010 at 1:36 am

    Awesome!

    Reply
  109. Chic Cookies says

    September 20, 2010 at 10:42 pm

    OK, I need to make these this year…

    Reply
  110. Erin says

    September 20, 2010 at 8:26 pm

    I love them!!! And they are easy too!

    Reply
  111. Shannon @ Quarry Orchard says

    September 20, 2010 at 2:53 pm

    These are so cute!
    I just can't part with my canning jars though! :)

    Reply
  112. Patti says

    September 20, 2010 at 11:44 am

    These are cute…I made some last year and put strands of xmas lights in them!

    Reply
  113. Glenda says

    September 20, 2010 at 6:30 am

    your blog is awesome, I am following you so I can keep up with the great stuff on your blog.,can I borrow your idea for my nieces to make, we in Australia dont have a big Halloween but I still would love to make these for them.,love glenda

    Reply
  114. Anonymous says

    September 20, 2010 at 4:43 am

    I've done something similar with my neighborhood kids in recent years and let me remind all of you that plastic peanut butter and mayo jars are usable and especially good if you're letting smaller kids make their own "pumpkins" (and you can use the little battery lit candles from the $ store to lite them)…then you can screw the tops back on after lighting. Waiting for my grandbabies to grow so we can 'play' with things like this together.

    Reply
  115. Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:55 am

    Really really cute. I didn't know clear glaze could do this to paint. I really like it. It is on my list.

    Reply
  116. gena says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:53 am

    Wow that's just adorable !!!! I'm going to try them myself this week !
    thanks for sharing,
    gena
    http://www.thehouseonlavenderhill.blogspot.com

    Reply
  117. Pat says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:14 am

    Stopping by from Between Naps on the Porch. What a CUTE idea!

    Reply
  118. Heidi@TheCraftMonkey says

    September 20, 2010 at 3:04 am

    I LOVE these!!! I'm so going to make these!! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  119. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says

    September 19, 2010 at 11:10 pm

    glad you shared your own project! these are so adorable!

    Reply
  120. brookie says

    September 19, 2010 at 10:44 pm

    How smart and cute! Love this.

    Reply
  121. creativejewishmom/sara says

    September 19, 2010 at 10:42 pm

    love these Amanda, thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday!

    Reply
  122. KasiaJ says

    September 19, 2010 at 10:27 pm

    I love them! I did something similar just the other day! You can check them out if you want:
    http://kasiascrafts.blogspot.com/2010/09/jack-o-lantern-string-lights.html

    Reply
  123. Anonymous says

    September 19, 2010 at 9:53 pm

    Please don't worry if you should post or not…. this was a great idea!!!!

    Reply
  124. Alison says

    September 19, 2010 at 9:27 pm

    I have always wondered if acrylic paint would work well on these. I tried spray paint before and it didn't work out so well. :) And I am so jealous you could do the faces by hand! impressive!

    Reply
  125. Anonymous says

    September 19, 2010 at 9:27 pm

    For the young toddlers, I just saved my milk cartons and let them draw on faces. I then went and got those fake candles and put them in the bottom. You can also use a strand of light.
    [email protected]

    Reply
  126. divaskychick says

    September 19, 2010 at 8:29 pm

    Well it's a good thing you posted on Craft Gossip. I am obsessed with all those posts and somehow didn't even know you had a separate blog!!!

    Reply
  127. Amanda says

    September 19, 2010 at 6:29 pm

    Thanks Ecolicious! I couldn't find anything at that link, but thanks anyway! :)

    Reply
  128. Amanda says

    September 19, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    Thanks Pam!

    Reply
  129. Ecolicious says

    September 19, 2010 at 6:08 pm

    These are great! I just added them to my jar recycling lens http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/new_workshop/reuseglassjars

    Reply
  130. Pam says

    September 19, 2010 at 5:52 pm

    Can't wait to try this fun project; thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  131. Amanda says

    September 19, 2010 at 4:36 pm

    Thanks so much Julie!

    Reply
  132. Julie says

    September 19, 2010 at 4:22 pm

    Found you from Craft Gossip. Love both blogs. You're so talented. Thanks for this. The glaze looks awesome!!

    Reply
  133. Amanda says

    September 19, 2010 at 2:57 pm

    Thank you Karen :) I hope everyone feels the same way as you. Sharing it on Craft Gossip was a little nerve wracking for me. I don't want anyone to think I would use that as a tool to further my own blog!

    Reply
  134. Karen Harrington says

    September 19, 2010 at 2:40 pm

    Seriously cute! THANKS for sharing!

    Reply
  135. Amanda says

    September 18, 2010 at 8:31 pm

    Thanks everyone! Thanks for sharing Judy, those are very cute :)

    Reply
  136. Judy says

    September 18, 2010 at 8:08 pm

    I am so impressed just by the sheer number of jars you have, let alone how cute they are. I made similar jars with fabric and Mod Podge and had so much fun! It's a great way to reuse those jars!

    Reply
  137. Barbara @ Modern Comfort Food says

    September 17, 2010 at 12:22 am

    I'm a year late, but these wonderfully creative luminaries are such a great idea. The short road our house is on is so dark that children often don't come our way on Halloween. I think I'll make these to light the way!

    Reply
  138. Elle says

    September 15, 2010 at 8:54 pm

    I looooove these!!! And so simple, too! Yours are Halloweeny good!

    Reply
  139. Morgan Louise says

    September 10, 2010 at 1:27 am

    I'm making these for sure this year! Love your blog! :)

    Reply
  140. Sheila Irish says

    September 9, 2010 at 6:42 pm

    LOVE these! Now I have to get me some canning jars….Freecycle here I come….LOL

    Reply
  141. Brittany says

    September 2, 2010 at 4:11 pm

    these are so cute! i will have to start collecting jars!

    Reply
  142. Lana @ Never Enough Thyme says

    August 26, 2010 at 1:13 pm

    Amanda! You are so talented! And creative! These are just precious. Great job.

    Reply
  143. Deeba PAB says

    August 26, 2010 at 10:49 am

    Woot woot…these are so cute! Precious Amanda, just too precious! Well done!

    Reply
  144. Megan says

    June 5, 2010 at 11:34 pm

    These are way better then luminaries. I wouldn't worry as much with kids and costumes. Too cute, LOVE 'EM!

    Reply
  145. Creative Craft Ideas says

    November 14, 2009 at 3:40 pm

    LOVe this idea too. It is cute (and easy) that you painted the jars—I have seen it done with glued on tissue paper but this would be much easier! ah, next year here i come =)

    Anne

    Reply
  146. ZeidmanZoo says

    November 8, 2009 at 1:33 am

    We made some great ones on the fly with your inspiration! My kids made jack-o-lanterns out of various size glass jars, and ghosts out of baby food glass jars! I can't wait to adapt this idea to other holidays, and add more to the Halloween ones we now have! You can see the pictures on our blog: http://zeidmanzoo.blogspot.com/

    Reply
  147. painted maypole says

    November 2, 2009 at 12:45 am

    found you on the crafty crow – loved this simple and very cute craft. Posted a pic and a link to this post here: http://paintedmaypole.blogspot.com/2009/10/happy-halloween.html

    Reply
  148. BululuStudio says

    October 30, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    This project is super cute and another way to reused. Excellent thank you for sharing it.

    Reply
  149. Amanda says

    October 29, 2009 at 8:07 pm

    Karen – How awesome, thanks for stopping by!

    Tonya – Good luck, hope they come out for you this time ;)

    Akela – Thanks! Your drink bottle luminaries are cute!

    Jolene – so glad you and the kids had fun! Since you painted them on the inside make sure you only use tea lights and not votive candles. The larger votives may leave black marks on your paint from the flames.

    alexandra – fabulous! Hope you are having fun! :)

    Reply
  150. alexandra s.m. says

    October 29, 2009 at 7:30 am

    My 6 year old and I are in the process of making some . Thank You!!

    Reply
  151. Jolene says

    October 29, 2009 at 1:48 am

    Made these tonight with my 2 and 4 yr olds… we painted the insides of the jars, though, and the faces on the outside… less mess with little guys to paint inside…

    Reply
  152. Akela Joy says

    October 28, 2009 at 6:13 pm

    These are just gorgeous! I made some out of 2 litre cold drink bottles – (http://www.craftsforcretivehands.blogspot.com) but yours look great! Love your blog.

    Reply
  153. Tonya says

    October 28, 2009 at 5:14 pm

    Okay, so I took the paint back off of my jars, and I'm going to see which Apple Barrel colors are the most translucent so that I can start again today! Yay!

    Reply
  154. Karen says

    October 28, 2009 at 4:22 pm

    Just made 2 with my 4 year old! Love them!!!

    Reply
  155. Amanda says

    October 28, 2009 at 3:08 am

    Thanks Regina, and thanks for coming by!

    Reply
  156. Regina says

    October 28, 2009 at 2:30 am

    I love these!! THey totally rock! THanks for the instructions.

    Reply
  157. Amanda says

    October 27, 2009 at 8:46 pm

    Thanks Pom Pom!

    Reply
  158. Pom Pom says

    October 27, 2009 at 6:16 pm

    Delightful! You give such wonderful instructions! Happy! Happy!

    Reply
  159. Amanda says

    October 27, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    Hi Kristen – I used acrylic craft paint such as Delta Ceramcoat or Apple Barrel :)

    Tonya – I'm sorry they didn't work! You can go ahead and wash them with a scrubby pad under warm water with some dish soap, that should get the paint off since you haven't put a glaze on yet. Are you sure though that the light won't shine through? Did you try one in a dark room with a tea light? I would do that before starting all over :)

    Reply
  160. Tonya says

    October 27, 2009 at 5:19 pm

    I tried this yesterday and failed miserably. Can you tell me what kind or colors of paint you used? Mine aren't nearly transparent enough for light to shine through, and they look pitiful. And, do you know what I can remove my paint from the jars with? I didn't glaze then yet, and want to remove what I have on there and try, try again before this weekend. Your idea is great, but I am a craft noob and just did it stupidly! Thanks!

    Reply
  161. Kristen says

    October 27, 2009 at 5:05 pm

    These are wonderful! I love them. What type of paint did you use though? Acrylic? Tempera?

    Reply
  162. Amanda says

    October 27, 2009 at 12:40 am

    Zeidman and Crafty Dollar – Thanks! hope you get to make them :)

    Ollie thanks!

    Painter Mommy – thanks for the compliments! You had some great ideas too :)

    mizntc – great! Thanks for coming by. I was looking at your beads, those spider earrings are awesome!

    Reply
  163. miznyc says

    October 25, 2009 at 5:08 pm

    Those are soooo cute! I found you through craftgawker. :D

    Reply
  164. Painter Mommy says

    October 24, 2009 at 2:30 pm

    Oh my goodness, you craft ideas are awesome! I just subscribed to your blog.

    And thanks so much for stopping by my Painter Mommy blog and commenting. I love your idea about framing the kid's artwork. I will be doing that too.

    Have a great day!

    DAWN

    Reply
  165. Ollie says

    October 24, 2009 at 11:58 am

    Cool! just need to get some glaze…

    Reply
  166. ZeidmanZoo says

    October 23, 2009 at 5:30 pm

    Thanks so much for your reply! I have a clean pasta sauce jar in the recycling that I'm hoping to paint before the week is through! :)

    Reply
  167. The Crafty Dollar says

    October 23, 2009 at 4:47 pm

    Those are so cute! Definitely need some of these for Halloween night.

    Reply
  168. Amanda says

    October 23, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    Thanks ZeidmanZoo! Yes acrylic paint works great. I've painted on jars for a long time, and the trick to remember is not to add a second coat until the first coat has dried COMPLETELY, otherwise you run the risk of peeling off the first coat. However, with these luminaries there's only one coat required, so that's not an issue :)

    Reply
  169. ZeidmanZoo says

    October 23, 2009 at 11:59 am

    Awesome idea!!! I had no idea acrylic paint would work so well! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  170. Amanda says

    October 23, 2009 at 11:48 am

    Thank you Chica and Patrice! We are loving these little guys, glad you liked them\!

    Reply
  171. pinkpatrice says

    October 23, 2009 at 4:40 am

    I love this idea! I am definitely going to do this for Halloween this year! :)

    Reply
  172. Chica and Jo says

    October 22, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    These are too cute! Will have to find the time to make them for my daughter's Halloween party!

    Reply
  173. Amanda says

    October 21, 2009 at 4:06 pm

    Thanks Jen! Would love to hear about it if you do :)

    Reply
  174. Jen says

    October 21, 2009 at 3:46 pm

    Wow, I love these, I want to make some!

    Reply
  175. Amanda says

    October 21, 2009 at 12:02 pm

    Thanks Terri, yes love that spray :)

    Reply
  176. Terri says

    October 21, 2009 at 4:28 am

    Wow—so very cute!! Don't you just love that Krylon spray?

    Reply
  177. Amanda says

    October 20, 2009 at 1:21 am

    Thanks ladies!

    Reply
  178. The Party Animal says

    October 19, 2009 at 1:21 pm

    These ROCK – thanks for the share

    Reply
  179. Felicia says

    October 19, 2009 at 12:16 pm

    This is my new favorite blog!! You are amazing!

    Reply
  180. Emily says

    October 19, 2009 at 6:02 am

    These turned out sooooo cute! Great job with the paint (way faster :) Thanks for the link-up!

    Reply
    • pam says

      October 1, 2012 at 9:09 pm

      These jar luminaries are so cute. We are using them for our Girl’s wkend craft
      Thanks for the easy and cute idea

      Reply
      • Amanda says

        October 2, 2012 at 11:40 am

        That’s great, have fun!

        Reply
        • angie says

          March 15, 2013 at 9:27 pm

          You can use enamel paint, put the jar on foil, then on a cookie sheet, put it in a cold oven, set at 350. Bake for 20 minutes, pull out and let cool. This allows you to wash the jars without worrying of chips or flakes. You can also bake a clear glaze over the enamel paint.
          will save you on having to touch up every year.

          Reply
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