I have to admit that I have been quite slow to jump on the "reuse" bandwagon when it comes to food packaging. Childhood cafeteria memories of sheepishly eating leftover spaghetti out of yogurt containers while friends showed off enviable prepackaged goods like "lunchables" and "snack-size Doritos" left their mark. However, time has healed many insecurities, and I've come to appreciate many thrifty ideals gleaned from my granola-nut parents. So much so, that I'm now guilty of selecting food goods based on the decorative weight of their containers for future uses. Glass jars clearly take the cake. Here are some new and old reasons to save a few...
• 1 & 2 Candle-filled jars outdoors make magical floating chandeliers. For a helpful how-to for achieving this look, check out Martha Stewart's instructions. They also make beautiful, simple center pieces for casual al fresco dining.
• 3 & 4 Suspended and filled with a bit of bait, they also make creatively stylish fly catchers, as demonstrated in Michele and Brad's recent house tour. For instructions on how to create your own fly trap, click here.
• 5 This idea is not new, but it never fails to win my heart. There are so many gorgeous options for flower containers found right in the pantry that I don't think I will ever buy a clear vase again.
• 6 Backyard BBQs don't have to mean mountains of disposable plastic cups. Jars are hardy, stylish alternatives.
• 7 & 8 Time capsules for vacation memories! We love this idea from Sherry of This Young House. Inspired by a mason jar collection in a Pottery Barn catalog, she decided to display her vacation memories by filling and labeling jars with mementos from places she and her husband visit.
• 9 I decided to disband our "junk drawer" a long time ago because no drawer organizer, however clever, could seem to keep it from becoming a chaotic jumble of keys, pens, batteries, etc. So I love Martha Stewart's idea of stashing small items like this sewing kit together in clear, not to mention cute, containers. For a how-to, check out her site's instructions. I could see this being a perfect solution for a craft room shelf where various craft supplies are grouped by type and jarred candy shop style.
• 10 Antique mason jars are often pretty enough to display on their own too.
And in case you missed these other creative uses for recycled jars, check out Danielle's post on a DIY stained glass window and Susie's post on jars-turned-picture frames.
(Images: 1, 9: Martha Stewart, 2: Atlanta Bartlett, 3: Apartment Therapy House Tour, 4: Hotel Azucar, 5: Leah Moss, 6: My Home Ideas, 7,8: This Young House, 10: Country Living)
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Love reusing jars.
But I always view the people drinking out of them as looking particularly granola-douchey.
msjessiemeghan: i don't think out of jars myself but have friends who do. it's a pretty handy way to get around. in china most older people drink hot green tea out of jars every single day. i think your last statement is more your problem than theirs...
You are probably right. The people I have been exposed to that do that...seems more like an appearances thing at backyard BBQ's... just sayin'
Drinking from jars pre-dates granola douchery. It's very common in the South.
I think msjessie was probably referring to idiotic plaid-vested hipsters drinking out of jars to look "working-class."
I like these ideas. Another idea a friend had is to make your own snow globes. You just attach things to the underside of the lid, fill with water and sparkles or whatever, close tightly, and turn upside down.
Recently I used a lidded jar of water to display a collection of beach glass, since I think beach glass looks way nicer wet.
This probably goes without saying, but I use leftover jars to store food I buy in bulk. I've got a couple HUGE old Kraft mayonnaise jars from my mom where I keep flour and sugar. I save glass jars and plastic containers (shout out to the yogurt containers!) and haven't had to buy Gladware or any of that for quite some time.
My friends and I would use our old jars as "tupperwares" to carry soups and stews to work for lunch.
clampers: my mom uses her jars for flour and sugar, too!
My favorite thing to do with one of those slightly-more-than-pint-sized jars: pour in a whole can of 7-Up. Stir in 3 oz of gin---I use Tanqueray (that keeps it from being ... what was it called ... granola-douchey). Add a lot of ice, and a long straw. Wrap it in a poor-boy napkin (that's a paper towel. Don't tell me that's "douchey" too!)
I use a mason jar for my toothbrush. I just put in glass pebbles to keep the toothbrush stand up. Added bonus is it makes it look more attractive. : )
"granola-douchey" - that's awesome. msjessiemeghan, I'll agree with you, except I think of it as being more of a hillbilly thing. I remember the small hardware store I worked at had the mason jars with the handles, I little country for me but still handy.
I use my empty jars for storing my make-up and larger ones for bulk items, especially rice (since they're not in recloseable bags) and it makes it look a bit more attractive. I'm sure most of us grew up with our parents and grandparents reusing them for soups and dry goods. The only ones that are sort of a pain are the pickle jars, the smell continues to linger.
I use them (and yoghurt containers, etc.) for storing bulk foods and leftovers too. I refuse to buy any more tupperware. Love the toothbrush holder with pebbles. Love the beach glass in water idea too! Would look especially lovely in a sunny window.
Okay, so I've thought about re-using mason jars.ball jars for candle holders, but became nervous after my girlfriend had some votives in a few ball jars on her window sill and one burst/shattered from the heat!
How do you know if the glass is heat/candle resistant??
Thanks!
i use them for storing bulk foods too. they hold all of my dried grains, like green lentils, red lentils, quinoa, flax seed meal etc. they are not on display but look nice. i also use them to hold my toothbrush. the generic holders get gross after awhile and a jar stays clean just using a dishwasher.
Glass with candles are a great way to decorate at Halloween. I save candle stubs all year, then stick them inside probably a good 20-25 jars of all sizes, then display them on the front porch of the house. It's both a spooky yet romantic (and way cheap) way to light the house for trick or treaters. And yes, cjs, they occasionally crack but only if the candle inside them is too big and generates too much heat.
PS At the risk of sounding pedantic, no one should throw away glass -- it should be recycled.
cjs1024 - If you fill the bottom of the jar with sand and use tea lights (not larger pillar candles) you shouldn't have a problem.
As pretty as some of the suggestions are, and I support re-use, I do not like clutter.
I think used containers of all kinds are mostly better off in the recycling bin.
whenever i buy a candle in a pretty glass jar or conttainer, i let it burn all the way down (when it's time is up) and while the wax is still warm, wipe it out with paper towels, give it a good wash and run through the dishwasher, and then i have pretty printed glass vases, make-up brush holders, etc.
Jars are great until you drop one. Then, they lose their vintage charm and Tupperware looks great again! LOL!
NEW ? uses... I see nothing new, sorry. Maybe I just "know" too much.
Nowadays I store screws and nails in them at my shelf in the garage.
Besides I think there's nothing wrong with drinking from old jars - we did that when I was a kid.
Yeah, I don't see any "new" ideas, but the first picture (of the patio) gorgeous!
My grandma used the plastic containers with a small handle on the side that come with margarine or butter as drinking cups too. I never thought that was wrong, just a curious country way of doing things.
For instance, she'd pre-cook crabs in huge used and clean 'crisco' tubs by pouring hot water over them. I never forget that, because 1) she didn't use crisco to cook... and 2) she had a perfectly good kitchen in the house. I was six, and I've never cooked crabs, so, maybe I'm missing the whole key point there. jejeje it's a great memory anyway, I was very happy there.
cyb and sophia papaya- I meant new as in "new life" for old jars, but being young (as I, like many of our readers, am) some of these ideas (the vacation jar, fly catcher) were new to me in the sense you meant too. I thought they were all worth mentioning as this is a place for sharing ideas whether they be old classics or cutting edge.
If you have an osterizer, your mason jars also do wonderful double duty as blender cups. The collar on your standard osterizer mates perfectly. I grind my coffee this way and then just use the lid to seal my coffee's freshness in tight. Great for smoothies or blended drinks to take on the go too.
Who needs a magic bullet anyway? :)
I blogged about this a while ago. Like the fly catcher idea, if only I had flies (shucks).
http://everydayobject.blogspot.com/2008/03/empty-jars.html
Maybe add terrarium to the list?
JARs RULE!