• 70 designs

Glass Painting Ideas for Wine Glasses, Jars and Bottles

Three designs at a time for the glass in your hand, each with its colours, where it sits below the rim and the tool. Take away any that do not fit the shape.

Glass Painting Ideas for Wine Glasses, Jars and Bottles

Show all 70
  1. Flamingo standing on the stemPink, white, black. Body on the lower bowl, the glass stem painted as its one leg, ripples on the foot.
  2. Honeycomb jar with three beesYellow, black, white. Hexagons round the lower half, three bees above with dashed trails. Liner brush.
  3. Giraffe with the bottle neck as its neckOchre, brown, black. Patches cover the body and the neck of the bottle; the face sits at the very top.

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All 70 designs

Wine glasses 22

  • Barber's-pole stripe up the stem White, red. One diagonal band winds up the stem from foot to bowl; turn the glass as you pull. Liner brush.
  • Bumblebee with a dashed flight path Yellow, black, white. One bee on the bowl; its dashed loop-the-loop trail runs down the stem to the foot.
  • Confetti dots rising from the foot Three brights, gold. Dense dots on the foot and lower bowl, thinning to nothing by mid-bowl. Cotton bud.
  • Dot-flower stems climbing a wine glass White, yellow, green. Stalks rise from the base of the bowl; cotton-bud petals stop two fingers below the rim.
  • Faux stained-glass wedges on the bowl Black outliner, four transparent colours. Outline wedges from stem to mid-bowl, let it set, then flood each cell.
  • Fingerprint hearts round the base Red or pink. Two angled fingerprints make each heart; one row round the base of any glass.
  • Flamingo standing on the stem Pink, white, black. Body on the lower bowl, the glass stem painted as its one leg, ripples on the foot.
  • Gold bubbles rising up a flute Gold. Dense dots at the base of the tall bowl, spaced wider as they rise, none in the top third. Cotton bud.
  • Guest initials, one colour per glass Six colours. Same letter style and the same spot on every bowl, a different colour each. Paint pen.
  • Holly sprig at the base of the bowl Green, red, white. Three leaves and three berries where the bowl meets the stem, the same on every glass.
  • Initial inside a ring of dots One colour plus white. Letter centred low on the glass, a ring of cotton-bud dots round it. Paint pen.
  • Mistletoe tied round the top of the stem Green, white, red. Leaves and white berries hang on the lower bowl; a painted red bow wraps the top of the stem.
  • Monogram under the foot, read from above One colour, gold. Letter painted mirror-image on the underside of the foot, so it reads right looking down.
  • Palm tree with the stem as the trunk Brown, green, yellow. Trunk rings up the stem, fronds fanning over the lower bowl, sand dots on the foot.
  • Peacock feather up the side of a flute Teal, blue, gold, green. Eye of the feather at mid-bowl, quill running down towards the stem. Liner brush.
  • Reindeer face with antlers up the bowl Brown, red, black, white. Red nose low on the bowl, eyes above it, antlers reaching up and stopping short of the rim.
  • Scattered stars, densest at the base Gold or white. Five large stars first, then smaller ones and dots in the gaps, thinning upwards. Paint pen.
  • Sponged snow drift round the base White. Dab a drift round the base with a sponge, fading upwards; a few cotton-bud flakes above it.
  • Sunflower with the stem as its stalk Yellow, brown, green. Flower head on the lower bowl, the glass stem painted green, two leaves on the foot.
  • Tulip with the bowl as the flower Red or pink, green. Petals rise from the base of the bowl, tips well below the rim; green stem, leaf on the foot.
  • Vine and grape clusters round the bowl Purple, green, brown. Vine circles the widest part of the bowl; grapes are cotton-bud dots in triangles.
  • Wedding date lettered round the foot White or gold. Date round the top of the foot, reading from outside; initials low on the bowl. Paint pen.

Jars 23

  • Clear rings left by elastic bands One colour. Stretch elastic bands round the glass, sponge over everything, lift the bands: clear rings remain.
  • Coin jar with a savings scale White, red, black. Vertical scale up one side with amounts marked; the coins fill the jar beside it. Paint pen.
  • Diamond-lattice lantern jar Black outliner, amber, red, green. Lattice over the whole jar, alternate diamonds filled. LED tealight inside.
  • Doily stencil band White. Wrap a paper doily round the glass, sponge through the holes, lift it straight off. Round sponge.
  • Faux sea-glass jar in frosted aqua Aqua, white. Sponge one thin, even coat over the whole outside so light still passes. Round sponge.
  • Fireflies painted on a real jar Yellow, lime, black. Yellow dots with a lime halo scattered over the glass; tiny black wings on five of them.
  • Ghost jar with oval eyes White, black. Sponge the whole jar white; two oval eyes and an O mouth on one side. LED tealight inside.
  • Goldfish on opposite sides of a round jar Orange, white, green. One fish each side, so one shows through behind the other; weed rises from the base.
  • Honeycomb jar with three bees Yellow, black, white. Hexagons round the lower half, three bees above with dashed trails. Liner brush.
  • Lantern jar with a clear star window Any colour. Stick a paper star on the jar, sponge colour all round, peel; an LED tealight shines through the star.
  • Leaf traced from a template taped inside Green or white. Tape a real leaf inside the glass facing out; trace its outline and veins on the outside.
  • Matt jar with the raised lettering sanded back One matt colour. Paint the whole outside; when dry, sand the embossed lettering so the glass shows through.
  • Ombre dip from the base of a jar One colour plus white. Darkest at the base, paler bands upwards, clear glass for the top third. Sponge.
  • Pencil jar with a paint-drip collar Any bright. Load thick paint just under the screw thread and let drips run down; stop each with a fingertip.
  • Pumpkin jar with a clear grin Orange, green. Tape off eyes and a grin, sponge the jar orange, peel; paint the metal band green as the stalk.
  • Running-stitch dashes round the middle One colour. Two rows of short dashes round the glass like stitching, a row of small Xs between them.
  • Santa belt round the middle of a jar Red, black, gold. Sponge the jar red; black band round the middle, gold square buckle at the front.
  • Slanted colour block with a gold edge One matt colour, gold. Tape a slanted line, paint below it, peel, then run a gold paint pen along the edge.
  • Snowy village silhouette round a jar Black, white. Rooftops and one church spire round the base, cotton-bud snow above. Liner brush.
  • Sticker-resist polka dots One colour. Stick round labels on the glass, sponge all over, peel the stickers: clear dots in a colour field.
  • Tape-resist stripes on a straight-sided glass One or two colours. Wrap tape in even bands, sponge between them, peel while the paint is wet for a clean edge.
  • Toadstool jar with the lid as the cap Red, white, brown. Lid painted red with white dots; on the glass, a small arched door and a window low down.
  • Wildflower meadow growing from the base Greens, red, blue, yellow. Stalks of different heights rise from the base all the way round; dot the flower heads.

Bottles 13

  • Blue-and-white vase pattern on a bottle Cobalt on white. White base coat; cobalt vines and dots in bands round the neck, shoulder and base. Liner.
  • Dot mandala on the shoulder of a bottle Four colours, white. Rings of dots spread from one centre point on the shoulder; biggest dots first.
  • Giraffe with the bottle neck as its neck Ochre, brown, black. Patches cover the body and the neck of the bottle; the face sits at the very top.
  • Lighthouse on a tall bottle White, red, black, yellow. Red and white bands up the body, black windows; the neck painted as the lamp room.
  • One spiral from the base to mid-glass One colour. Rest the brush hand and turn the glass instead of moving the brush. Liner brush or paint pen.
  • Pour-and-swirl inside a clear bottle Two or three colours. Pour paint inside, turn until the glass is coated, drain upside down. For display only.
  • Rocket bottle with the neck as the nose cone White, red, grey, blue. Red neck, white body, one round porthole, fins low down either side. Flat brush.
  • Snowman from a squat bottle White, black, orange, red. White all over; face on the shoulder, buttons down the body, the neck a red hat.
  • Table-number bottles with a laurel each side White or gold on green glass. Large numeral centred on the body, one laurel branch either side. Paint pen.
  • Three bud-vase bottles in tints of one colour One colour plus white. Three bottles of different heights, each a flat tint; stand them together on a sill.
  • Waves round a message bottle Blues, white. Waves round the lower third, a tiny boat at the front; roll a paper note and drop it inside.
  • White birch bark round a wine bottle White, black, grey. White all over, then short black ticks and knots dragged on with a card edge. Holds twigs.
  • Wisteria hanging from the shoulder Lilac, violet, green. Flower clusters hang down from the shoulder in tapering dots; leaves round the neck.

Cups and shot glasses 12

  • Animal tracks, a different one on each glass One dark colour. Paw, hoof or bird prints walk round the base of each tumbler, so everyone knows theirs.
  • Bullseye under the base of a shot glass Red, white. Rings painted on the underside of the base, seen through the glass from above.
  • Cat peering over the base of a glass cup Black, white, pink. Head and two paws rise from the base line as if behind a wall; the tail curls round the back.
  • Citrus slices at different heights on a tumbler Yellow, orange, green, white. Slices on the lower two-thirds, some cropped by the base; segments with a liner.
  • Daisy chain round the middle of a tumbler White, yellow, green. Cotton-bud petals round a yellow dot; flowers linked by a green line at mid-height.
  • Fish swimming round the base of a tumbler Orange, blue, white. Small fish nose to tail round the lower third; bubbles rise and stop at mid-glass.
  • Gold-dipped base on a shot glass Gold. Tape a level line a third of the way up, paint below it and under the base, peel while wet.
  • Mountain range round the base of a pint glass Grey, white, blue. Peaks of different heights round the lower third; white snow caps. Flat brush on its corner.
  • Set of four small glasses, one season each Green, yellow, orange, white. A bud, a sun, a leaf and a snowflake, one centred low on each glass. Paint pen.
  • Snowflakes on a glass mug White, pale blue. Flakes of three sizes either side of the handle, none near the rim. Liner brush, cotton bud.
  • Star-sign constellation on a stemless glass White, gold. Dots for the stars joined by fine lines on one side; a few spare stars round the back.
  • Wake-up fill lines up a glass cup White or black. Three short lines up one side lettered 'asleep', 'nearly' and 'awake'. Paint pen.

How it works

Clear glass hides nothing: a design shows from the back as well as the front. These 70 glass painting ideas for wine glasses, jars, bottles, tumblers and shot glasses each give colours, placement and tool. Every one stays below the rim.

Read the full guide

Use the shape of the glass

A stemmed wine glass has three parts, the bowl, the stem and the foot: Flamingo standing on the stem turns the stem into a leg. Glass bottle painting ideas treat the neck the same way: Giraffe with the bottle neck as its neck. Canning jars often have a brand name embossed on the side; Matt jar with the raised lettering sanded back makes a feature of it.

Work with clear glass

Glass is see-through, so tape a paper template inside and trace it on the outside. Faux stained-glass wedges on the bowl copies leaded windows, where lead strips called cames hold the pieces: pipe the black outline, let it set, then flood each cell. Rest your brush hand and turn the glass instead: even simple wine glass painting ideas such as Barber's-pole stripe up the stem depend on it.

  • Lean on a cotton bud: Confetti dots rising from the foot and Gold bubbles rising up a flute are easy wine glass painting ideas made of dots alone.
  • Paint a set in the same spot: Holly sprig at the base of the bowl, repeated on every glass, turns one of the Christmas wine glass painting ideas into a matching set.
  • Put a light inside a jar: Lantern jar with a clear star window, Ghost jar with oval eyes and Diamond-lattice lantern jar are glass jar painting ideas made for an LED tealight.

Questions and answers

What paint do I use on glass?

Choose a paint whose label says it is made for glass. Acrylic enamel dries to a smooth, hard shell and can be oven-baked or air dried, so follow the label for curing and for whether the piece can be washed. Keep paint below the rim and off any surface that touches food or drink.

What can I paint on a tumbler or a shot glass?

Keep to the lower two-thirds of a tumbler: Daisy chain round the middle of a tumbler and Snowflakes on a glass mug are glass cup painting ideas that stop short of the rim. The shot glass painting ideas use the base: Bullseye under the base of a shot glass is painted underneath and seen from above.

Can I paint the inside of a bottle or jar?

Only if it will never hold food or drink again. Pour-and-swirl inside a clear bottle coats the inside and is for display only. For a vase, paint the outside instead.

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