$3 Farmhouse Cookie Jar
I have this thing for big jars. I had quite a collection in my pantry before the fire:
Oh, how I loved that pantry! Mr. TBG and I had converted it from the laundry room to a big, open pantry/mudroom. It was so organized! Anyway, I found another big jar to start my post-fire collection. It was only $1 at one of those really crusty yardsales - you know, the ones that look like everything has been sitting outside for years & years? I almost left empty handed and then this gem caught my eye.
First, I sanded the lid with my palm sander, and painted it with chalk paint just like I did my industrial kitchen canisters. I like cookie jars that make you smile, so my next step was to paint this litte resin pig that I had picked up at the Grocery Outlet a few months ago for $1.99. Important step for painting both the lid AND the pig for this project: do not wax the chalk paint, like I did with the canisters! Omit that part! I don't think the E6000 glue (next step) will stick well to a waxed surface.
If you've never used E6000 glue, you are missing out! This glue is SO strong. A little dab on the bottom of the hooves, wait 24 hours, and you have an instant pig handle! It really is strong enough to open and close the lid by using the pig as a handle! And here's some advice for cleaning your E6000 tip - just slide a pipe cleaner through it, and it'll be good for next time - no harsh cleaning chemicals needed.
You don't have to use chalk paint for this project - any paint would do - but I really love how it looks with a bit of layering and distressing (again, all information about how to do that is in my kitchen canister tutorial).
After the glue was dry, I sprayed the entire thing with two coats of Krylon Clear Satin Sealer. You could also wax it (as I did with my canisters), but I thought this might be better since I plan on opening the lid to this cookie jar a LOT! :) The next step was to fill it with peanut butter cookies, which of course taste WAY better if you make them uisng a quick batch of homeade peanut butter!
If you want to make a jar like this, you could use ANY little figurine you find. The dollar store would be a good place to look, or how about some plastic farm toys from Oriental Trading? Of course, if you just want to buy something similar, you can always check out one of my favorite Etsy shops - Star Ray Designs. She uses all sorts of figurines on her jars - everything from army men to raccoons! Hers are finished with a nice shiny epoxy paint that looks fabulous!
Happy crafting!
-Jamey
P.S. If you like it, please share! :)