GET OFF MY NUTS!! For this weeks sunDIY I decorated a boring £1 plastic/glass jar I had bought a while ago. I thought this jar would be perfect to keep snacks in like biscuits or teabags in! However as it was looking so dull it didn't look very nice in our kitchen and it made snacks look ugly! I decided to decorate it in a festive autumnal/wintery way as I have just returned from India and I am really to fully embrace the Christmas spirit! I thought it was really important that the content of the jar linked to the decoration, and to fit with the festive theme I thought nuts and berries etc would be the perfect filling🌰🍂 I wanted the jar to be cute so I thought it would work effectively to have a cute animal on the larger surface area- the main bit of the glass, and to keep the lid decoration simple as it was an awkward shape to paint onto and to get the paintbrush into. I decided on squirrels as they just work really well with the content of the jar and the context of the autumnal theme. I decided warm hues of oranges, yellows, and browns would create a really nice autumnal atmosphere for the jar. With this in mind I decorated the plastic lid of the jar with yellow leaves and a single acorn... just to lure the squirrels🐹 I used acrylic paint to create the illustrations as it is the thickest paint I own, the first layers came out thin and looked watery because the plastic/glass was a really hard surface to paint on as it was so smooth and slippery. however after allowing the first few layers and appropriate amount of time to dry (this is why prep is essential - I painted my first layers, in white, a few days before just to ensure they were fully dry before I added the colour layers). A specific plastic or glass paint would have been more appropriate and this showed up my lack of knowledge in paints! Definitely an area I plan to investigate into more as it makes a big difference to the final result and professional aesthetic and practicality of the product! However luckily for me the layers of acrylic worked well and I managed to achieve the colours, thickness and general aesthetic that I wanted for the jar! My flatmates gave it their seal of approval and it now sits pride of place on our kitchen table. I learnt from this project that in the case of festive products, with a combination of food and cute fluffy animals, you cannot go wrong! 🍁🐹🌟🌰🍂🍁