I found these super cute Halloween Character Jar Kits in Target’s Bullseye section for $3 each. They have several other designs like a Frankenstein and a bat, but I loved the pumpkin and black cat the best. Hey, I’m proud I showed restraint and didn’t get one of each! The kits come with everything you need, but as I always suggest with these kits, don’t trust the stickiness of the stickers. I recommend using tacky glue to hold those bits on for good, especially if you live in a humid area. If you’re especially crafty, it would be pretty simple to reverse engineer these puppies and make your own.
I also want to add that the orange paint, even after four coats, just didn’t provide enough coverage, so I used some orange Martha Stewart paint I had on hand to fill in all the thin spots. The black paint provided with the cat kit covered the inside of the jar well.
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Halloween Character Jar Kits
Materials
- Jar Kits (includes Jars, Paint, Foam Brush, Stickers, Chenille Stems)
- Tacky Glue
- Possibly Extra Acrylic Paint
Instructions
Step 1: Remove the labels from the jars and paint the insides of the jars with the paint and foam brushes. Wait an hour, then paint a second coat. Wait for that layer to dry, too. I know, I hate waiting for paint to dry, too. I ended up painting four for both and had to use thicker acrylic paint I had on hand to make it a solid orange. I’m thinking if I had used this paint from the beginning, it would have only needed two coats.
TIP: If you can’t get all the label off or it’s still too sticky, soak the jar in hot, soapy water for about 10 minutes and then scrape it off.
Step 2: Here’s where I knew I’d need that tacky glue. Use it to glue any felt or foam bits together. Clamp with a clothes pin if they won’t stay stuck. Here’s where I’ll usually find some missing bits. With the cat one, it was missing one of the pink glitter triangles for the ears. That’s fine, I just painted them on.
Step 3: Stick the foam pieces to the jars as shown. The foam stickers seem to work fine on the glass jars. The felt pieces are the ones giving the most resistance. That’s what glue is for.
Step 4: Glue or wrap pieces to the lids. Even for wrapped items like the green chenille for the pumpkin, I would glue them on.
That’s pretty much it. Honestly, these kits should be pretty easy and straightforward, but with thin paint, missing pieces, and stubborn felt pieces, these Halloween Character Jar Kits took a long time to make. The plus side is that they turned out super cute! I’d say that’s a win in the end.
Be sure to check out our other Halloween Crafts and follow our Halloween Craft Inspiration board on Pinterest for even more spooky ideas!