Charlotte Pembroke
Why Empty Jars Are Worth Keeping
Most British kitchens generate a steady supply of glass jars: jam, pickle, coffee, mustard, pesto. They are food-safe, non-reactive, easy to wash and don’t hold on to flavours once properly cleaned. The trouble is that a jumble of mismatched lids and faded labels looks more like a car boot sale than a pantry. That’s where a tin of chalk paint earns its keep. A single colour ties the whole collection together, turning a scruffy shelf of odds and ends into something that looks deliberately collected rather than accidentally accumulated.
It’s also a genuinely useful project. Chalk paint is matte, forgiving, and grips glass without the need for a primer, which makes it far easier to work with than gloss or eggshell. And since you’re reusing what you already own, the whole thing costs very little beyond the paint and a decent brush. Glass can be recycled almost endlessly, but the cheapest and lowest-energy option is simply to keep using it.
What You’ll Need Before You Start
- Clean glass jars with matching lids, ideally roughly similar in size
- A small tin of chalk paint in a soft neutral, such as limestone, sage or chalky white
- A flat brush about 2cm wide, plus a small round brush for awkward corners
- Masking tape for clean bands and edges
- Fine sandpaper (around 120 grit) and a lint-free cloth
- Methylated spirits or white spirit for degreasing
- Clear furniture wax and a soft cloth for finishing, or a clear matte varnish
- A chalk marker pen or blank kraft labels
Work on a sheet of newspaper or cardboard, and keep a damp cloth nearby. Chalk paint dries quickly, so a little organisation goes a long way.
Cleaning and Preparing the Glass
Start by soaking the jars in hot soapy water to lift old labels. A paste of bicarbonate of soda and a few drops of water will shift stubborn glue; for anything really determined, a dab of cooking oil left to sit for ten minutes usually does it. Wash, rinse and dry thoroughly, because any grease left behind will stop the paint from keying.
Give the outside a light scuff with fine sandpaper — just enough to take the shine off, not to scratch deeply. Wipe away the dust, then go over the surface with methylated spirits on a cloth to remove every trace of oil and fingerprints. This step takes a minute and makes the difference between paint that grips for years and paint that peels off in the first month.
Decide now on your design. If you want a bare glass band around the base or below the rim, mask it off with tape and press the edges down firmly, particularly around the curved shoulder of the jar where tape likes to lift.
Painting and Finishing
The secret with chalk paint on glass is thin coats, not thick ones. Dip the brush lightly and wipe off the excess, then apply the paint in one direction, working around the jar rather than up and down. Thin paint settles and self-levels; thick paint shows every brush mark and takes days to harden properly.
Leave each coat to dry for around thirty minutes — a hairdryer on a cool setting speeds this up if you’re impatient. Two or three coats is usually right; the aim is opaque coverage without a heavy build-up. Keep the inside completely unpainted, and mask off the screw threads or the rim where a lid sits, as paint there will chip as soon as you open and close the jar.
Once the final coat is touch-dry, leave it overnight. Then apply a thin layer of clear wax with a cloth, working it into the surface, and buff off the excess after fifteen minutes. This gives a soft, durable finish that resists the odd splash of water. Leave the jars to cure for about a week before heavy use, and never put them in a dishwasher — hand wash the outside only, or simply wipe with a damp cloth.
Labels and Lettering That Last
A chalk marker pen writes beautifully on sealed chalk paint and wipes off with a damp cloth if you make a mistake, which makes it ideal for anyone who isn’t confident with handwriting. Write directly onto the jar, or mask a rectangle and paint it in a contrasting shade first for a proper label panel. Give the writing a light coat of wax or clear matte varnish to stop it rubbing away with handling.
If you prefer something more traditional, kraft paper labels with a dab of glue stick work well, as do plain brown luggage tags tied around the neck with garden twine. Whatever you choose, keep the lettering in the same place on every jar — around 2cm up from the base, or centred on the lid — and use the same pen throughout. Consistency is what makes a row of handmade jars look intentional. Add the contents in capital letters and the date in smaller script underneath.
Filling, Storing and Looking After Your Jars
These jars are for dry goods: pasta, rice, lentils, dried beans, flour, sugar, porridge oats, dried fruit, tea, coffee beans, herbs and whole spices. Fill to the shoulder rather than the very top, so the lid doesn’t press on the contents, and use a paper cone or a small jug as a funnel. Keep spices and dried herbs out of direct sunlight, as light fades both colour and flavour.
If a jar previously held garlic, vinegar or anything highly spiced, leave it overnight filled with a solution of bicarbonate of soda and warm water before you paint and use it, otherwise the smell lingers. For anything with a high oil content, such as nuts or ground spices, add a small silica sachet to the jar and use the contents within a few months.
Only use jars for homemade preserves if you have proper clip-top or screw-band jars with new rubber seals or lids, and follow a tested preserving recipe — decorative painted jars are for cupboard storage, not for heat processing. Finally, arrange the jars by height and colour, group them on a lined shelf or a shallow crate, and rotate the oldest to the front. A tidy, labelled pantry is far easier to cook from, and you’ll know at a glance what needs replacing before you next shop.
