Left Continue shopping
Your Order

You have no items in your cart

Save 5% at $50 • 7% at $75 • 10% at $125
Decorated pet treat jar with a gnome kitten, gnome puppy, sunflowers, bees, clay embellishments, and pet treats scattered around it.

A Cheerful Handmade Treat Jar for Your Favorite Pet

Do you have a plain glass jar that could use a little personality?

In this tutorial, Donna from Mason Creations etc. turns a large glass jar into a sweet pet treat jar with decoupage, air-dry clay, paint blending, sunflowers, a tiny bee, and golden highlights.

This project is perfect for storing pet snacks while adding a handmade decorative touch to your kitchen, craft room, or pet station.

Watch the video below to see Donna create the full pet treat jar, then follow the steps to make your own.

Shop the Key Products

Tap any item to shop this project.

Materials You Can Shop Here

You can shop the featured finishes and supplies below, then use the tutorial steps to bring the project together.

            Also Needed

            Glass Jar, Cup Cradle, Nail Art Brushes.

            Step 1: Clean the Glass Jar

            Start with a large glass jar.

            Wipe the surface with alcohol to remove dirt, oil, and fingerprints. A clean surface helps the primer, paint, and varnish bond properly.

            Step 2: Prime the Glass

            Brush on Polyvine Multi-Surface Lacquer in a Dead Flat finish.

            This removes the shine from the glass and creates a gripping layer so the paint is less likely to chip or peel.

            For best results, let the lacquer dry overnight.

            Step 3: Paint the Jar White

            Paint the jar with Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Cotton.

            Donna applies two coats so the surface is fully opaque. A white background is important under rice paper because it keeps the printed image looking bright and clear. Dark colors underneath can make the image look muddy.

            Avoid painting the jar threads so the lid can screw on easily.

            Let the paint dry for about 30 minutes.

            Step 4: Prepare the Rice Paper

            Test fit the rice paper on the jar and remove any excess from the top and bottom.

            Use a water brush to tear the paper and create a soft feathered edge. This type of edge blends much better than a sharp scissor-cut edge.

            Remove any factory white edges from the sides as well.

            Step 5: Decoupage the Rice Paper

            Use Polyvine Heavy Duty Varnish as the decoupage adhesive.

            Position the paper where you want it, lift one side, and brush varnish onto the jar. Lay the paper down and brush another coat over the top. Continue working around the jar.

            The rice paper does not need to wrap all the way around. Donna blends paint into the open area later.

            Step 6: Smooth the Paper

            Mist a piece of plastic storage bag with water.

            Lay the damp plastic over the rice paper and press through it with a paper towel, working from the center outward in all directions. This helps remove bubbles and wrinkles.

            Lift the plastic carefully so it does not pull up the paper.

            Let the decoupage dry for a couple of hours.

            Step 7: Seal the Paper Edges

            Once the rice paper is dry, brush another coat of varnish over the decoupaged area, paying close attention to the edges.

            This step prepares the jar for paint blending. Sealed paper edges will not grab onto the paint as much, which helps prevent obvious lines.

            Let the varnish dry for about one hour.

            Step 8: Mix Paint for the Sky and Grass

            To fill the blank area where the paper does not meet, mix paint colors that match the rice paper.

            For the sky, Donna mixes Dixie Belle white paint with Pentart Country Blue, light turquoise, and a small amount of Pentart Leaf Green. Although the sky looks pale blue at first glance, she notes that it is really more of a pale turquoise.

            For the grass, she mixes Pentart Leaf Green, light yellow, and yellow ochre.

            Step 9: Blend the Paint

            Use a sponge to dab the sky color into the blank space.

            Bring the paint slightly over the rice paper edge. This is one of Donna’s key paint-blending tips: do not be afraid to take the paint onto the paper.

            Mist the sponge periodically to keep the paint damp and easier to blend.

            Repeat the process with the green paint for the grass, blending it gently into the sky area. Go back and forth between the blue and green until the colors look soft and natural.

            Use the blue paint to cover the white paint near the jar threads.

            Step 10: Varnish the Blended Paint

            Let the paint dry for a few minutes, then brush a coat of varnish over the entire jar.

            This protects the paint blending before the dimensional embellishments are added.

            Let the varnish dry for about one hour.

            Step 11: Create the Clay Embellishments

            Press DAS air-dry clay into the molds and scrape away the excess with a palette knife.

            Smooth the clay with a little water, then place the filled mold in the freezer for about 20 minutes. If the clay is thick, leave it in a little longer.

            Freezing makes the clay rigid so it releases cleanly from the mold without breaking delicate details.

            Step 12: Release and Clean Up the Clay

            Remove the clay from the mold as soon as it comes out of the freezer.

            Let it thaw for a few minutes outside of the mold. While it is still partly frozen, smooth the edges and remove any small bits of extra clay. This is a good time to handle the pieces because they are firm enough to keep their detail.

            Step 13: Attach the Damp Clay

            Use Aleene’s Tacky Glue to attach the clay pieces while they are still damp.

            Damp clay can bend and conform to the shape of the jar as it dries. Donna adds grass first, then sunflowers, leaves, and a bee.

            If any glue squeezes out, remove it right away with a clean damp brush. Press the clay edges gently so they connect well to the jar.

            If heavier pieces slip, use a small piece of painter’s tape to hold them in place while they dry.

            Let the clay dry overnight.

            Step 14: Paint the Clay Details

            Paint the grass and leaves with the same green used in the paint blending so everything coordinates.

            Mix light yellow with yellow ochre for the sunflowers, and use Pentart Light Brown for the flower centers. Add yellow ochre near the centers of the petals for shading, then brighten the petal tips with yellow.

            For the bee, paint black and yellow stripes. Paint the wings white, then add a little bluish gray at the lower edge to match the bees in the rice paper.

            Step 15: Dry Brush the Leaves and Grass

            Use pale yellow to dry brush the raised areas of the leaves and grass.

            Dip just the tip of the brush into the paint, wipe most of it off, then skim the brush across the high points. The paint should stay on the raised areas and not fill the cracks or crevices.

            Let the paint dry for about 15 minutes.

            Step 16: Seal Before Antiquing

            Brush varnish over the entire jar to protect the painted clay and prepare the surface for antiquing.

            Let it dry for about one hour.

            Step 17: Antique the Embellishments

            Thin FolkArt Antiquing Medium in Wooden Bucket Brown with a few sprays of water.

            Brush the antique over and around the embellishments, working in sections. Wipe it away immediately with a soft dry cloth.

            The antique settles into the cracks and crevices, helping the molded details stand out and look more dimensional.

            Step 18: Add Shimmer to the Bee Wings

            Brush Dixie Belle Pearlescent Glaze over the bee wings.

            This adds a subtle shimmer that gives the wings a soft, delicate glow.

            Step 19: Apply a Final Coat of Varnish

            Brush a final coat of varnish over the jar to seal the decoupage, paint, antiquing, and embellishments.

            Donna uses a Polyvine varnish brush because it spreads the finish smoothly and helps reduce brush marks.

            Let the varnish dry for about one hour.

            Step 20: Add Gold Wax Highlights

            Apply Redesign Décor Wax in Eternal to the raised clay details.

            Rub a small amount between your finger and thumb first so too much wax does not land in one spot. Lightly catch the high points on the sunflowers, leaves, grass, and bee.

            Let the wax dry for several hours, then buff it with a soft dry cloth for a warm golden shine.

            Wax does not need to be sealed, so this should be the last finishing step.

            A Sweet Handmade Jar for Pet Treats

            This project turns a plain glass jar into a cheerful pet treat container with a bright decoupage image, blended sky and grass, dimensional flowers, and a tiny bee.

            The paint blending is especially helpful because the rice paper does not need to fit perfectly around the jar. By matching the sky and grass colors and dabbing them slightly onto the paper, the finished design looks seamless.

            A special thank-you to Donna from Mason Creations etc. for sharing this adorable pet treat jar project and demonstrating each step so clearly.

            Stay Connected

            Before you go, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. You'll receive 10% off your next order, along with early access to new arrivals, restocks, seasonal projects, and special offers just for subscribers. We love crafting alongside you and can't wait to see what you create next.

            Posted on September 01, 2026
            Older Post  
            Back to Project Ideas Blog
            Newer Post