Creative Cookie Jars

Preparation & Supplies 
Before you begin your holiday craft project, follow these step-by-step preparation tips and supply suggestions so your painting time is fun and easy. If you also plan to swap cookies, do some holiday baking beforehand so you can trade with friends at the end of your party.

Choose a Container: Before your get-together, have your guests look around their homes for a container they can repurpose and decorate. Glass, porcelain or even plastic—you and your friends can add a special design to almost any surface with the right paint choice. Just be sure your containers have a sealable lid and are food-safe.

Painting Tips:
Use these handy guidelines to choose the right paint for your surface and take our Creative Cookie Jars Materials List with you to the store to pick up all the supplies you need to create beautiful designs. Craft stores carry paints that are made specifically for plastic, glass and porcelain surfaces in a variety of colors and finishes.

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• Plastic: These paints will be labeled specifically for use on plastics. You may also find plastic primers and sealers. They're not absolutely necessary, but can help your design adhere easier and last longer.
• Glass: To create an elegant, frosted look on a glass jar you'll want to use etching cream. If you choose this method, be sure to handle the etching cream carefully, follow directions on the packaging and use tips from our Message in a Bottle project for extra help. If you prefer to paint on glass, you'll want to pick up acrylic paints and an acrylic sealer. Without a sealer your paint may chip or peel during washing. When using acrylic paints, adding multiple coats will make colors more rich and opaque.
• Porcelain: Look for paints labeled specifically for use on porcelain in a variety of colors. You'll also want a clear porcelain paint to use as a topcoat or varnish. Paint pens made for porcelain can be used to outline your design. Check out our Personalized Painted Plates project for more insight.

Choose Your Design: Have each guest choose a design from our three templates, print and cut out to use as a stencil for your containers. You can also create your very own design using tape, stickers or stencils to mark out designs or lettering.

Design Templates: Each of our templates was created with a standard, large cookie jar in mind. Feel free to alter the size of the template by changing the scale in your print window. Click below to view and print the templates:

• Holiday
• Traditional
• Contemporary

Cookie Jar Decorating Instructions

Step 1: Cut Out Your Stencil Design
Start by taping your printed template over a cutting mat or old magazine with masking tape. Next, using a craft knife, cut around the outer edge of the design to create a stencil.

Step 2: Get Ready to Paint
Wash your containers thoroughly inside and out even if they're new. This removes any residue and makes it easier for paint to adhere to the surface. Cover your workspace in newspaper or paper towels to help catch any drips. Have plenty of plastic paint palettes or paper plates around for holding and mixing paints, as well as cups of water for rinsing your brushes.

Step 3: Position the Design
Position the stencil over the container. Then attach it against to the surface as flat as possible using masking tape. The design can appear on just one side of the container or all around it. Simply print more templates or reuse the first one after you've painted on one side.

If you want to create a bold outline of the stencil on your surface before you begin painting, you can use a paint pen. Otherwise just begin filling in the design with your chosen paint colors.

Step 4: Fill in the Design
Using a paint brush or sponge, apply your paint inside the design. Let your paint dry before applying more coats and detail to your design.

Step 5: Let Dry & Add Sealer
Let your painted design dry for several hours before removing the stencil from your container. Use this time to catch up with friends, sample cookies and swap recipes. Once dry, add a protective layer over top of your paint using a sealer designed to work with your paint choice and container surface.

Note: If painting porcelain, it may also need to be baked to seal in the design. Follow these directions as a guide, but don't forget to reference the paint bottle. If a friend has chosen this method, she can always take her dry jar home and do the baking step later.

Step 6: Put Your Jar to Use at Home
Once your paint and sealers are completely dry, fill your jars with swapped cookies. Wait a few weeks before washing your container again. Be sure to carefully hand wash, especially around your design.

Clean Up:
Use Dawn® Hand Renewal with Olay® Beauty to get your containers sparkling clean before you start your painting project and pamper your hands at the same time. It's also a good idea to keep paper towels on hand for cleaning up paint and water spills.