by Chiara Alberetti Milott

Anyone with a baby knows how quickly those glass baby food jars can fill up the recycling bin. This DIY is a pretty, fast and inexpensive way to decorate for a baby shower or a baby’s 1st birthday – simply by dipping the baby food jars into paint.

Materials needed: clean glass baby food jars (labels removed), paint, and a shallow bowl.

Step 1: Pour out some paint into the bowl – you don’t need much, maybe 1/2 cup or so.

Step 2: While holding the bowl on an angle, dip the jar in, and begin slowly turning the jar as it touches the paint.

Step 3: Sit the jars right-side up to dry. I let mine dry overnight. It’s important to let them dry right-side up first so that no paint drips in the wrong direction.

Step 4: Turn the jars over for a few more hours to let the bottom dry.

I think this would be lovely with all different colored dipped jars. You could even get adventurous and double-or triple-dip them to make stripes.

Fill with flowers or tea lights, and let the celebration begin!

All photos by Kate Mathis.