Easiest Way to Paint Glass for Summer Decor

Have you ever painted glass? It’s a great way to bring seasonal color into your home. Part of my summer decorating journey started with a DIY paint project that I’m so excited to share with you. It’s the easiest way to paint glass for summer decor.

The first room on my summer decorating agenda is our living room. 

I had a vision of how I wanted our living room to look for summer. This vision led to one of the most satisfying craft projects I’ve ever done.

The results of this project turned out better than I imagined.

Inspiration for My Living Room Summer Decor

Summer decor can focus on a soft, neutral color scheme or a bright color-drenched color palette. 

I decided to use a bright, saturated color scheme. My inspiration was the painting above our living room mantel. 

The mantel would be the first area to decorate.

The bright combination of colors in this painting (canvas from Etsy) – pink, blue, yellow, orange – reminded me of summer flowers. Gerbera Daisies, pentas, purslane, and lantana came to mind. 

How to get these bright flower colors into our living room?

Vases, Bottles and Jars, Oh My!

A collection of brightly painted vases, bottles, or jars would be the perfect solution. 

I have seen collections of brightly colored glass used for decorative purposes. Those would be my guides.

this Idea.

Would I be able to find enough brightly colored vases to give my summer decor the impact I wanted?

Where would be a good place to find colored glass vases or bottles?

My first thought would be thrift stores or antique malls. I headed to one of my favorite local thrift stores, St. Vincent de Paul. I knew they would have a nice selection of glass, both plain and colored.

This shelf is only one of about five with glass.

I hit the jackpot with my search for glass items.

I found a few colored glass items that would work, but not enough to meet my needs. But there were plenty of clear glass vases and glass jars. I looked for different sizes and shapes for interest and contrast. 

I filled my cart with some great finds. The cheapest item was $1.49 and the most expensive was $6.99.

What to do? I didn’t hesitate. I would paint the plain glass vase and glass jars with bright paint colors. I have found that any glass surface takes paint very well.

That’s when the idea for the easiest way to paint glass was born.

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My Thrift Shop Glass Collection

When I returned home with my shopping bonanza, I set most of the items on the kitchen counter.

There are two colored glass vases that would work as is. The lime green and blue vase are perfect. The pale yellow pitcher and tall green vase were possibilities.

I also went through my own stash of ceramic containers and glass bottles (I save interesting-shaped wine and liqueur bottles.)

I pulled out the glass items that had a variety of shapes and sizes. 

I started with seven pieces and decided that more would give me more options and variety in my DIY project. I added more pieces for a total of eleven. Three pieces were already colored, so I only had to paint eight items.

Choosing the Type of Paint for this Project

Once I had my collection, the next step was deciding what kind of paint I would use for this project.

I know that different types of paint will work on glass, such as acrylic paint, chalk paint, and ceramic paint. I’ve used all three. There is also sea glass paints which is fun to use.

Glass can also be painted with glass paint that looks translucent. I wanted a paint that would provide a solid coverage for the glass vases.

I wanted a shiny, smooth finish to my glass pieces. I knew that chalk paint wouldn’t give me that look. 

I also didn’t want any brush strokes on my glass. 

Also, the idea of cleaning brushes multiple times for the variety of colors I envisioned didn’t sign like much fun.

How about Spray Paint? 

Why do I suggest using spray paint for this glass painting project?

• lots of available colors
• easy application
• minimal tools needed – no paint brush or paper towel, 
• minimal setup
• minimal clean up
• smooth, shiny finish to the glass
• relatively inexpensive

I only had one can of spray paint at home to use for this project. A trip to Lowe’s was the fastest way to get the number of colors I needed. (I was impatient and didn’t want to wait for Amazon to deliver the paints I found online.)

I bought six cans of paint in pinks, blues, yellow and orange. 

When I got home, I lined up the cans of paint. I realized that I bought another pale pink in the same color I already had. I knew I would use it.

​Here are the colors of spray paint I used:

From Left to Right: Candy Pink, Seaside, Berry Pink, Gloss Yellow, Gloss Orange, Harbor Blue*, Candy Pink

*This paint was not gloss (satin) and I didn’t use it for my mantel project. I used it on a couple of other pieces.

To get the best shine for this project, you want to use a Gloss finish.

Krylon and Rust-Oleum are the two major spray paint brands that offer a variety of paints suitable for glass. I’ve used both brands and they work equally well. I focus on the color and the finish I want.

Preparing the Glass Jars and Vases

Before you start painting, there are two steps to take:

1. Remove any stickers or labels from the glass. If there are labels that are hard to remove (like on the liqueur bottles), I use Goo Gone.
2. Wash the glass with just a drop of Dawn and hot water. I also added a drop of Dawn, along with plenty of water, to the inside of the liqueur bottles to remove any remaining liquid from the bottom of the jars. Rinse completely and dry the glass with lint-free cloth towels to eliminate dirt, oils, and fingerprints.

Set Up Your Painting Station

One thing you have to consider when using spray paint is location and temperature.

• You need to find a well-ventilated area, ideally outdoors, to ensure adequate air circulation and minimize exposure to paint fumes.  
• If you have to paint inside, use fans to circulate air or open windows and doors to maintain a constant supply of fresh air. This precaution reduces exposure to potentially harmful fumes and helps dry and cure the paint. You could wear a painter’s mask.
• You need to cover nearby surfaces with drop cloths or plastic sheets to protect them from paint mist.

TIP: I have used a spray tent which is a great solution.

For a quick set-up, find a cardboard box that is big enough to hold your item with an area around it for the paint mist. I saved a large Amazon box just for this purpose. 

NOTE: Spray painting in a garage with the doors open is a good solution. Just make sure you move your cars out of the garage first. 

• The other thing to consider with spray paint is temperature. Spray paint should be used at temperatures between 50 ° and 90 ° F. Extreme cold or high humidity can affect paint drying, so make sure your workspace remains within the recommended range.
• You also don’t want to spray paint on a windy day.

It was June when I spray-painted these bottles, so to paint below 90°F. limit, I painted in the morning. Since it was sunny outside, I painted between 8:30 and 11:00 to stay in the shade on our front driveway.

What Else Do You Need to Make Painting Easier? 

• A plastic turn table. I have used one of these for years. They allow you to turn the direction of the item without touching it. This makes painting anything, especially using spray paint. so easy. It means you can paint an entire piece in seconds.

TIP: I cover my turntable with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to keep it clean and free of paint.

• A spray paint gripper for the can of paint. I can’t paint without this handy little gadget. It is one of the easiest ways to keep your index finger clean and there is less stress on your hand.

Painting Your Glass

Once your painting station is set up with your covered turntable inside, place your piece of glass inside. Just follow these easy steps;

1. Start by shaking the can of spray paint vigorously for at least a minute to ensure thorough mixing.
2. Place your glass piece on the turntable.

3. Hold the spray can 8-12 inches away from the glass surface. This part is very important for an even application.

4. Apply the paint in smooth, overlapping strokes, moving smoothly and consistently in a single direction to avoid streaks or drips. I went slowly side-to-side.

5. When you have finished one side or section of a piece, use your finger to turn the turntable to the next section. Repeat until you have covered the entire jar. This shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds.

6. Allow the piece to dry completely before moving it.

NOTE: For these pieces, I only used one coat of spray paint. The coverage was complete and had the shine I wanted. 

If you want to add a second coat, apply multiple thin coats, allowing each to dry completely before adding the next. 

When a piece was completely dry to the touch (at least 30 minutes), I carefully moved it to a drop cloth that I placed on our dining room table.

That is how easy this fun project was. I believe it is the best way to get the colored glass look for your summer home decor. 

I repeated the steps with all the glass pieces. I used the pale pink, hot pink and aqua color on two pieces each. One piece I painted yellow and one piece I painted orange. 

NOTE: The French Blue and Green glass were original colors.

NOTE: Because I was only working a couple of hours at a time, it took me a couple of days to completely paint all the glass pieces. I also painted some that I’m not showing here. It takes longer for the paint to dry than to paint the glass items. In between, I worked on other tasks and took Nola for a couple of walks.

Here is another great way to paint clear glass bottles – Make Sea Glass Vases.

Displaying My Spray-Painted Glass Vases

Now the fun part. 

The mantel in the living room was the stage for my collection of painted vases. I rearranged the vases until I was happy with the arrangement to maximize the colors, sizes, and shapes.

Remember: The French blue vase, green container, and the pale yellow pitcher were already colored.

I placed six vases on one side of the mantel and five on the other side. I added the yellow pitcher to the mix.

I love how the vases pick up the colors from the painting.

This colorful display brightens up our mantel and provides a wonderful focal point. 

I will be using other spray paint projects in other parts of our living room, so look for my summer home decor tour. To ensure you don’t miss those posts, join my Bluesky at Home community.

How to Use These Painted Glasses Vases

• use individually throughout your home
• use in smaller groupings
• use as a centerpiece in the dining room or breakfast room
• use outside on your patio
• use in a vignette on the coffee table

Remember that the colors of Gerbera Daisies were one of my inspirations? To ensure that they lasted for weeks, I found a great option of faux Gerbera Daisies online. I ordered two bunches of 15 to a package.

The flowers had five colors of three each: two shades of pink, yellow, orange, and white.

I placed one daisy in each vase. The stems on these faux flowers are soft and so easy to bend to fit your container.

Isn’t this the easiest way to paint glass for my summer decor? Do you like the look? Would you try making pretty, colorful vases?

More Glass DIY Projects:

• How to Decorate Glass with Paint for Your Home Decor
• How to Paint Glass with Ceramic Paint
• Decoupage a Thrift Store Glass Platter

If you like this paint project and want to save it, PIN it to one of your Pinterest Boards. Visit my Pinterest Boards, DIY Projects, Paint Projects, and Summer Home Decor.

Enjoy painting!

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