I’m always on the lookout for storage ideas that are both practical and stylish for our teeny little holiday home. When space is limited, you have to be creative, amiright? So today I want to share a quick and easy project with you; how to make these stunning succulent mason jar canisters and some tips on how to paint glass so it won’t peel, chip or wash off.
Not only are they trendy with their succulicious tops ;-) but they’re also food safe and easy to clean. A win-win in my books. First up, let’s look at how to paint mason jars so they’re chip-proof, peel-proof, scratch-proof, and washable.
What you need
To paint the mason jars, or any non-porous, smooth container, so they won’t chip or peel you’ll need:
- Clean empty mason jars
- Rubbing alcohol and paper towel
- Epoxy spray paint
I used Rust-Oleum’s Appliance Epoxy in white. It’s an enamel paint that’s ultra-hard wearing and moisture resistance. Regular acrylic paint won’t cut it. It’s going to peel and crack over time, and it will wash off unless you use a glass medium first. The medium gives glass, which is non-porous and smooth, some “tooth” so water-based paints can stay on.
Epoxy paints, on the other hand, contain chemical resins that, when activated, create a hard, scratch-resistant, coating. And since appliance paints are food safe, you don’t need to worry about contaminating whatever you store inside the mason jar canisters. But to be extra sure, we’ll only be painting the outside ;-)
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How to paint mason jars so they don’t chip or peel
I wanted the succulent canisters to last a long time and be able to handle whatever our holiday guests throw at them, or in them, :D so the prepping and painting had to be done right. Epoxy paints take longer to cure, so while this is a really easy DIY it does require some waiting time. Not my strong point.
Before painting, wash the mason jars thoroughly in warm, soapy water to remove any dirt and greasy fingerprints. Let them dry completely and use a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol or degreaser to remove any soapy residue. White vinegar will also work.
Set them aside for a few minutes so the alcohol can evaporate before spraying with the epoxy paint. I only sprayed the outside, and it took about three coats to cover them completely.
Appliance epoxy is slightly glossy, which is just the look I wanted – clean and fresh. Leave the mason jars to dry and cure completely before handling.
The Rust-Oleum paint I used is touch dry in about 2 hours but needs 24 hours to cure properly. I left ours for 2 days just to be on the safe side.
Once dry you can give them that succulicious makeover ;-)
How to turn mason jars into succulicious canisters
To add the succulents to the mason jars, you’ll need:
- Faux succulents
- E6000 glue or Weldbond
- Wirecutter (optional)
- Small pebbles
- Cling film
- Drill
If your succulents have long stems, like mine, use a wire cutter to trim them off first. Leave a little piece of the stem intact (about 1/2″ or 1 cm).
Drill a hole in the center of the lid that’s just big enough to slip the stem of the succulent inside. If you can find those mason jars where the lids already have a hole, then you can skip this step.
Use E6000 or Weldbond to glue a few small, flat pebbles around the hole.
Not only do the pebbles help create the illusion that the mason jar canisters are succulents planters, but they also add some texture to the lid for the succulents to hold onto when glued down.
Glue the succulents down on top of the pebbles making sure the stem goes in the hole.
It’s probably not clear in the piccy above, but the little bit of stem that was left after cutting had come out from this one. I just stuck it back on again after gluing the succulent down. In hindsight maybe the hole in the lid was a bit of an overkill, but I wanted to make very sure the lids didn’t lose their succulicious bits from continual use. And finally cut some cling film and glue it on the inside of the lid to seal and prevent any moisture from seeping in.
Once the glue dries, your succulent mason jar canisters are all ready.
Aren’t they just so succuliciously awesome?
They look great closed ……..
….. or open.
Plus I know they’re food-safe and won’t peel or crack over time. The paint is crack and peel proof but won’t withstand high heat so they’re not dishwasher safe.
I’d love to know what you think. Is it something you would make?
If you’d like to make some succulent mason jar canisters, don’t forget to pin it for later
Pssst, see that cactus print in the background. You can find the free printable over at The Graphics Fairy. I framed it in one of our easy to make magnetic frames. You can get that tutorial here.
BTW if you’re looking for some of the things we used, we’ve got you covered Disclosure: Clicking on the links below, means we may receive a commission from Amazon. But don’t worry it won’t come out of your pocket, and it helps us come up with more amazing craft ideas to share with you ;-)
And if you prefer to buy rather than DIY
And as always, here’s wishing you a beautiful, crafty week filled with lots of love. Thank you for popping in for a visit.
Last update on 2026-04-15 / Source Amazon Affiliates
34 comments
feetroots lie in water. With that being said, they can grow in a container without drainage, if you take care not to overwater them. When you do water them, let the water sit for a few minutes and then tip it sideways gently to drain the excess water and allow the soil to dry completely before watering again. Adding a few small pebbles or gravel in the bottom of the mason jar will help with drainage too.