Worm Jar

$5 - $10 (based on 2019 prices)

Makes one jar

To begin 2019’s building season, I decided to kickstart the creative juices by crafting two props which I had intended to make for 2018’s witch den, which was part of my office’s annual decorating competition, but ran out of time. In this first version, I fabricated an old marinara jar into an insect-filled container to serve as ingredients for a witch’s brew. Although I used worms, they can easily be replaced with other bugs of your choosing.

• One twenty-four-ounce glass jar
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat brown*
• One large package of rubber fishing worms (thirty worms per package)
• One piece of 8” x 11.5” copy paper with specimen labels printed on it
• One 6” x 6” square of white fabric
• At least four tablespoons of black tea (e.g. Darjeeling, Earl Gary, English Breakfast, etc.)
• At least four tablespoons of dark roasted coffee grounds
• One pan large enough to soak the copy paper and fabric
• One 4 oz. bottle of all-purpose tacky glue*
• One to two feet of twine
  

1. Thoroughly wash and dry the jar. If there is any sticker residue, use rubbing alcohol to remove it (soak a paper towel in the solution, let it sit over the area for a few minutes, and wipe away the remaining glue). After cleaning the jar, roughen its surface with coarse sandpaper to help the paint adhere.

2. Give the jar a grimy appearance by watering down brown paint and brushing it over the exterior surface (you can also use a spray bottle for the application). Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes and then wipe it clean. You may want to experiment with the consistency prior to doing this: the more water you add, the fainter/lighter the wash; the less water you add, the deeper/darker the wash. Continue the process until you reach the level of distress you desire.

3. Complete the aged patina by applying a flecking of black paint. You can do this by either quickly flicking a paintbrush or using an old toothbrush and strumming your finger across the bristles. Since this process flings paint everywhere, it’s best to perform it outside. If you plan to display the prop outdoors for an extended period of time, consider applying a sealer to prevent the weather from damaging the paint.

4. Pour the worms into the jar. Depending on your chosen aesthetic, you can completely pack the container or, as I did, only partially fill it. Likewise, you can elect whether or not to add clusters of dirt, grass, or Spanish moss to the bottom of the jar before filling it.

5. Boil enough water to completely submerge the copy paper and pour it into the pan. Add the tea. The longer you allow the tea to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of tea will produce a richer stain. I found that a combination of English and Irish Breakfast brewed for over ten minutes produces a nice, deep brown. Submerge the paper into the tea mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for eight hours and scattered the loose-leaf tea over the top of the paper to add spots. Remove the paper from the water and allow it to dry. Once the paper has dried, cut out the specimen label, roughen its surface with sandpaper, and glue it to the jar.

6. Boil enough water to completely submerge the fabric and pour it into the pan. Add the coffee. The longer you allow the coffee to brew, the darker the stain will become. Likewise, greater amounts of coffee will produce a richer stain. Submerge the cloth in the coffee mixture and soak it until it reaches the color you desire. I soaked mine for four days and scattered the coffee grounds over the top of the fabric to add spots. Remove the cloth from the water and allow it to dry. Once it has dried, center the fabric on the opening of the jar and glue it in place.

7. Wrap the mouth of the jar with twine and knot the ends. Also, shred the edges of the cloth to create a messy and uneven appearance.

8. To make the fabric look even dirtier, water down brown paint and brush it over the cloth. Akin to step two, you might want to play with the mixture before applying it to the prop.

9. You can enhance the prop’s appearance further by ripping holes in the top of the cloth or gluing worms to the exterior of the jar.

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.