FRESH LOOK: ANTICIPATING SUMMER WITH AQUA & TEXTURE

There’s something about the anticipation of summer that not only energizes me but also calms me. Summer days mean a less hectic schedule, more family time and more time for creativity. Yay Summer!

In order to announce the fact that summer is coming, I changed out the accent color on my hutch.

It’s only been a few months since I painted my hutch, covering up the original pine with a pretty coat of Maison Blanche Vanille. Since it was spring, I added cheerful yellow accents. And although yellow can be a summer color, it was time for some coastal accents. Since I didn’t have any aqua accent pieces, I created some using jars.


A few years ago I created some faux cranberry glass using this method and the tutorial has been very popular. I love creating colored glass – you can instantly change up your décor with items you have on hand.

To color your jars, mix 2 tablespoons gloss Mod Podge, 1-2 teaspoons water and a few drops of food coloring. Pour the mixture into a clean jar and swirl it around until the inside of the jar is coated. Let the excess drip out. You’ll want to wipe the rims of your jars every now and then so that there isn’t a thick layer drying around the rim. The opaque mixture becomes more transparent as it dries. You’ll also notice that my jars are various shades of blue. For the lightest jar, I used 4 drops of blue food coloring and 2 drops of green. For the darkest jar, I probably doubled that.


I found some other aqua and blue pieces to add to mix. Some pretty glass bits, a metal pitcher with nice patina, some mod Cera Stone harlequin mugs and a small dish that I filled with shells and coral.

Because it’s not summer until you break out the shells and coral!

I love this pitcher. The rough texture and aged patina always add the perfect touch no matter what room I put it in.

The retro Cera Stone mugs were a thrift store find. You can read about my thrift store victory here. 

I also added my little shell jar with the rusty lid. If you want to learn how to rust a jar lid almost instantly, I share the tutorial here.

I love how it turned out but after I took these photos, I tweaked a few more things. Are you like that? Once you start fiddling, you just can’t stop.

I'll probably fiddle with it even more tomorrow…

Are you excited for summer? Or are you just settling into spring? 

Thanks for visiting.

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