Chalkboard Vases

So I'm sort of killing two birds with one stone...or well, three. These recycled chalkboard vases would be great for Mother's Day or as a gift for Teach Appreciation Week, and the flowers are a fun and easy decoration to make for Cinco de Mayo (or Mother's Day if you don't have the $$$ to buy real ones). See my tissue paper flower tutorial here.

To make these recycled chalkboard vases you'll need:

Glass Containers

Masking Tape

Pebeo Chalkboard Paint 

I tried the Martha Stewart Chalkboard Paint since her other craft paints work on glass, but it peeled right off. The Pebeo paint is made for painting on porcelain and other solid surfaces, and once baked it's dishwasher and microwave safe.

1. Wash your jars (I used a pickle jar, an olive jar, and the taller one was a jar of salad dressing), and remove any adhesive residue with rubbing alcohol or Goo Gone.

2. Use masking tape to tape off the area you want to paint.

3. Apply a thin coat of paint with a soft brush. (If it's too thick it will run!)

4. Let it dry for a few hours before applying a second coat of paint.

5. Once you've applied two coats, allow jars to dry for 24 hours.

6. Remove the masking tape and place jars on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put the jars in the oven and preheat to 300⁰ F. (If you put the jars in the oven after it's been preheated they may crack!)

7. Once the oven reaches 300⁰ F, set the timer and bake jars for 35 minutes. Remove from oven when they are done.

8. Once the jars are cool, rub a piece of chalk over the painted surface, then erase with a soft cloth.

9. Add a message for mom and fill with flowers...or give the lids a coat of spray paint and fill with candy!

When they're not holding flowers, these jars can be used for storing little odds and ends. I always hang on to pretty jars and use them to keep my desk organized, store art supplies, and hold things like cotton balls, Q-tips, and cosmetics in our bathroom closet. It's hard to beat free containers, especially when they're so cute!

Find even more Mother's Day gift ideas right here.