Transforming ordinary glass jars into spooky Halloween decorations is a fun and creative way to embrace the season. In this craft tutorial, we’ll guide you through creating custom-decorated jars using a Cricut Joy, premium vinyl, and a touch of chalky finish paint. Whether you’re looking to add a festive touch to your home or need unique pieces for a Halloween party, this step-by-step guide will help you turn simple jars into eye-catching decorations. Gather your materials, including the free Cricut Halloween SVG, and let’s get started on making these enchanting DIY Halloween jars that are sure to impress!
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Materials Needed:
- Free Cricut Halloween SVG file “All Over Spiders SVG“
- Cricut Joy with Fine Point Blade
- Standard grip mat
- Cricut Premium Vinyl, Permanent in black
- 3 Glass Jars with lids removed (If you can’t find the ones like those used in the images, use similar ones of your choosing. You could even save and upcycle some juice jars from the grocery.)
- Scissors
- Weeder tool
- Americana Chalky Finish (for Glass) in Everlasting
- Paintbrush
Instructions for DIY Halloween Jars:
- Gather supplies.
- Thoroughly wash jars with soap and hot water and let them dry completely before using.
Preparing the Mason Jars
- Apply a thin coat of chalky finish paint to each of the mason jars. Put aside to dry fully and repeat with additional coverage as needed.
Preparing the Images
Open Cricut Design Space. Click on the “+” sign to start a new project, opening up a blank canvas. Click on the “Upload” button from the toolbar and browse your downloaded files to insert the SVG file. Download the file here: “All Over Spiders SVG”
The cut image will appear on the canvas. Click on the “Ungroup” button. Highlight the dangling spiders image and click on the “Attach” button to secure all parts of the image together for cutting.
Highlight the bunches of spiders and click on the “Attach” button to secure all parts of the image together for cutting.
Right-click on the bunches of spiders and duplicate the image to cut more spiders as needed.
Maintain the size or adjust it to fit your jars. To adjust the size, highlight the image and click on the size box in the top toolbar. Change the measurement to suit your jars accordingly.
Creating the BOO text
Select the text icon from the toolbar. Type BOO.
Change the font to “Little White Lies”.
With the word highlighted, adjust the letter spacing to 0.7.
Stretch the lettering by clicking on the lock symbol above the size section and adjusting the height to 1.7” while keeping the width the same. Next, click on the unlock symbol and adjust the word height to 2.75”.
With the word highlighted, click on the “Attach” button.
Cutting the Permanent Vinyl
Select “Make It” in Design Space. Choose “On Mat” to cut vinyl using a Cricut Joy cutting mat.
Follow the prompts for loading the mat into the Cricut Joy and cutting the Premium Vinyl. When prompted, unload the mat from the cutting machine. Choose “On Mat” to cut vinyl using a Cricut Joy cutting mat.
How to Assemble the Jars
Using the weeding tool, peel away the excess vinyl around the cut images and discard.
Cut around each spider and image with a pair of scissors.
Cut a piece of transfer tape a bit larger than the size of the word BOO.
Peel away the transfer tape backing but ensure the transfer tape is not overly sticky. Dab the sticky side of the transfer tape with your hand to weaken the adhesive.
Place the transfer tape overtop of the image. Gently rub the vinyl to help it stick to the transfer tape. Peel away the vinyl backing, leaving just the image adhered to the transfer tape.
Position the image with the transfer tape onto the lower part of the jar and press in place. Press the vinyl down with your fingers to help it stick to the painted glass jar.
Slowly and carefully remove the transfer tape leaving the vinyl image on the jar. Repeat for the other spider images placing them all over the jar in a random pattern.
To finish, fill the containers with artificial flowers or other Halloween decor.
Tips:
- Don’t rush the project. Rushing the project may affect the finished item.
- Be sure the paint is thoroughly dry.
- Use the free Cricut Halloween SVG on other items like no-stem wine glasses to fill with tea lights.
Congratulations on completing your DIY Halloween jars! By following these steps, you’ve turned plain jars into charming decorations that are perfect for adding a spooky touch to any space. With your Cricut Joy, vinyl, and a little creativity, you’ve crafted unique pieces to bring a festive spirit to your Halloween celebrations. Display your newly decorated jars with pride, whether filled with artificial flowers or as standalone decor. Enjoy your craft, and have a spooktacular Halloween!