Painted Kindness Reward Jar

Quick and Easy Painted Rewards Jar

I’m always looking for ways to reward my kids for kind behavior so I made this simple rewards jar with Glass Paint Markers.

Disclosure: This craft project is sponsored by DecoArt and their Glass Paint Pens.

I’ve always loved a glass paint project. Years ago I hacked my own rainbow glass wall using DecoArt’s glass paint and I’ve been hooked ever since. These paint markers allow for more precision than the glass paint and I loved experimenting with them for this kindness jar.

First stop for all of these projects is the thrift store. I was expecting to pick up a glass platter or a bowl or something where I could paint the underside to maintain food safeness. But when I saw this simple glass container, the idea of an incentive jar came to me. One thing I know about kids is that positive reinforcement is ALWAYS preferable to negative reinforcement. In other words, noticing when they do something WELL will go a lot further than punishing them for the times when they screw up. Obviously both happen in our house all the time, but I’d much rather set up a reward system than a penalty system.

Step 1. Print out a graphic to trace

I played around with various graphics in PicMonkey and settled on this simple design. I printed it out a few different times until I got the size that worked best for the jar I had.

Step 2. Tape the design inside the jar

Using painters tape, I centered the printed label inside the jar. This was easier said than done given the concavity of the jar, but take your time and try to get the label as flat against the glass as possible.

Step 3. Trace Over the label with glass paint marker

The paint pens work like any other paint pen, but follow the directions for best adhesion to your glass. Note that these are not food safe so make sure you’re always painting on the side of the glass that won’t come in contact with food. Clean the surface first and then slowly trace over the label. 

Step 4. Bake

When you’re finished, let the glass paint to cure for 8 hours and then bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes in a non preheated oven. If you follow the directions, your glass paint should be dishwasher safe!! (I.e. PERFECT for personalizing plain big box store dishware.)

Our Kind Cash jar is displayed in the kitchen and every time someone notices a member of the family doing something kind… they can speak up and we’ll add coins to the jar. I’m not very particular about how much we add… sometimes it’s 25¢, sometimes it’s a dollar… kind of depends on what I have in my purse and how exciting the kind deed was!

The best part is encouraging the kids to share times when THEY notice their siblings being kind. The goal is certainly to increase their kind behavior but it’s also to make them more aware of times in which they’re being kind to each other! Make sure you check out DecoArt’s site for the full selection of these glass paint markers.