The holidays wouldn’t be the same without splashes of glitter and glitz, and plenty of red and green! This year, the trend is leaning toward earthy colors such as pine green and woodsy browns. Rich, deep reds are great for accents as are creamy whites and vanillas!

To incorporate some of that trend, I’ve made these glittering luminaries with little earthy accents.

Note: I’ll show you how to make your own stencil easily from contact paper. I preferred my design to be subtle, but if you prefer that it stick out a bit more, simply leave the stencil on until after you have painted on the clear glitter coat.

Items Needed:

• Glass Jar
• Clear Contact Paper
• Pen
• Paint Brushes
• Scissors
• Ribbon

Instructions:

With or without a candle, the glitter on these luminaries is very apparent.

So if you prefer to use them as vases or to hold silverware on the table, they’ll be just as lovely!

Print off the pattern provided and place it underneath a piece of clear contact paper. I pin mine to a piece of foam core board so I can trace without having to hold the contact paper in place. Trace over the pattern making sure you have an equal amount of space on the right side of the contact paper. Make one stencil for each jar you are making. 

Fold the contact paper along the dotted line that represents the center of your tree. Cut along the pattern lines.

When you open the folded cut-out you will have a tree like this.

Peel off the backing and press it on to your clean glass jar, making sure there are no air bubbles.

Use a paintbrush to apply a coat (does not need to be perfect, just apply it) of Crystal Gloss Enamel Glitter (in this case, red), leaving the area around the tree for last.

Paint over the tree stencil.

Immediately after you paint, dab a cosmetic sponge over the red paint to mute it a bit. This will also get rid of the streaky lines the brush created.

Use the tip of a craft knife to loosen the top of the tree stencil and remove it. Allow the paint to dry for about an hour.

As you can see, the trees are very noticeable before the clear glitter coat has been applied. If you prefer the trees to be more prominent, do not remove the stencils until after the final glitter coat (next step).

Using a paintbrush, apply the Crystal Clear over the top of the entire jar. Use a generous amount and do not overwork it. A stroke or two, three at the most, will do the trick. If you chose to leave the stencil on, remove it once you are finished painting. Do not wait for the paint to dry.

Embellish the rims with a bit of white ribbon and twine and a few faux berries.

When your jars have dried (overnight is best) they will have a beautiful, glittery sheen, inside and out!

Isn’t glitter magical?