Great ways to re-use your bottles, cans and jars

Many of the foods we purchase come in tin cans, glass jars or bottles. Most people would throw them away after the contents is used, or use the jars for some home made jams etc. But they have so much more potential than meets the eye.

My Grandmother’s house was always covered in empty jars and bottles that she had repurposed, many of which were decorative but others were really helpful. So I thought I would put together some tips on different ways to re-use them.

Old Mustard Jars

If you are running low on mustard and scraping the barrel with remaining sauce, it might be time to purchase a new one and turn the last of your mustard into a vinaigrette. Just add a teaspoon of vinegar, white, red, balsamic, whatever you prefer. You can also add salt, pepper, herbs or garlic if you like. Give it a good shake (with the lid on) and fill the rest of the jar with oil. Now you have a brand new condiment in your old jar – no waste there!

Milk cartons as storage/scoops

Milk cartons make perfect scoops or storage containers once you are finished with them. Simply rinse the bottle out (to avoid an unwanted smells) and cut it into the shape you desire. Here are some examples:

Use top of bottle to seal bags 

We did a life hack on this little while ago and we still can’t believe how easy this is! No more rubber bands or tying knots, all you need to do is cut the top off an old plastic bottle, unscrew the lid and feed the packet through, fold the packet over and screw the lid back on. You can find more detailed instructions here.

Cookie/biscuit cutters

The circular rim of cans makes a perfect cookie cutter shape. Once you are finished with the contents wash the can out and next time you are making biscuits or cookies use the lid of the can to cut them out of the dough.

Vases

A simple, cheap and beautiful vase can be made from left over cans and bottles. If you are using a glass bottle try pouring paint inside the bottle and twirling it around to spread it evenly then leave it upside down to dry. This will give a gorgeous glossy looks to the glass and will complement any flower, it can even be a stand alone statement piece for your shelf. You could add some twine to cans, spray paint them or just leave them silver for a rustic look.

Candles 

Caps from lids make great tea light candles! They are the perfect size and better yet all you need for this is some wax and cotton string for a wick. If you want the wick to stand up straight just coat it in some wax and let it dry before you use it. You can purchase wax for candles from craft stores or better yet, if you have a bigger candle that is starting to look a little sad you could melt that down to re-use it.

How do you re-use left over bottles and cans for?