I am one of those people who use salt and pepper on everything; actually, I use kosher salt on everything. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a salt shaker that allows kosher salt to come through the holes. This is a problem for me as I get tired of having to reach for a huge box of salt in a cabinet that is far taller than I am! In addition, needing shakers that did not require refilling all the time is just a huge bonus.
I decided to set out and make my own salt and pepper shakers, so naturally I headed to Hobby Lobby. Now of course, I wanted to do this without spending much money. Depending on the supplies you have on hand, what you will need for this project can cost you anywhere from five dollars to fifteen dollars.
Luckily, I had everything I needed, other than the 6 oz. mason jars, which run $2.49 each at Hobby Lobby, unless they are not 40 percent off.
Items needed for this simple DIY:
• Two 6 oz. mason jars
• Any color acrylic paint or chalk paint
• Paintbrush
• Rough sandpaper (if desired)
• Mod Podge
• Hammer and nail or drill and sharp point drill bit
• Waterproof sealer
• Letter stickers
First, you will need to tape off the tops of the mason jars right down to where the top meets the lower rim; after taping off the top of the rim place a “S” and a “P” sticker on the glass in the location of choice. Make sure the sticker is adhered very well to the glass to not allow any paint to seep underneath the sticker.
Once all of that is ready to go, apply two coats of paint on the glass jars, allowing complete drying time between both coats.
After the paint has completely dried, peel off the stickers slowly. If acrylic paint was the paint of choice, make sure to peel a little slower, as the edges of the paint might slightly peel up. This should not be too big of an issue; once the stickers are peeled back, run your fingers around the edges of the lettering to lay it back down.
Depending if you want a polished look or a more rustic look this is where the sandpaper comes in. If you follow my articles then you ought to know I like to rough mine up a bit, allowing some of the glass to show through the design. Using rough sandpaper, slightly distress the jars where the lettering/design is raised; lightly wash all the dust off and dry them afterwards.
Finally, spray two coats of waterproof sealer on the outside of the jars, this will allow them to be washed and prevent the paint from chipping off later down the road. Once again, allow complete drying time. After completely dried, take the tape off the rim off the glass.
When punching/drilling holes into your top, you can make them as large or as small as needed. A hammer and nail will work great if there is not access to a drill and bit. The drill and drill bit are faster and allowed me to make the holes larger for kosher salt. If using a hammer and nail simply place the nail in the desired spot and hammer a hole through the top. Make sure to think about the spacing of the holes, depending on how fast you want the flow of salt.
The new salt and pepper shakers are now completed and ready for salt and pepper!
With Christmas time quickly approaching, these can make great gifts. Personally, I prefer the chalk paint to acrylic paint, but both turned out great. Now I will not be constantly refilling or having to stretch above my oven multiple times a day to reach the salt.
Let your imagination run wild with these. Half of the jar could be covered in twine, you could use metallic gold or silver paint for Christmas time shakers, an ombre paint effect would work great: the possibilities are endless.
By the way, kosher salt, pepper and a little bit of olive oil in a high temperature oven make any fresh vegetable taste fabulous.
Enjoy!
April Sherrill is a staff writer for the Hamilton County Herald. Contact her at april@dailydata.com.