Comments on: 10 MORE Ways to Reuse Glass Jars

By: Snugbug

Snugbug — Tue, 17 May 2011 20:52:00 +0000

My best friend and I love using glass jars to drink out of- here’s a link to her blog post about it with pictures to see how we made them into sippy cups. Only difference is that when I use them I turn the glass straw around to prevent it to coming out of the lid http://goddesshobbies.blogspot.com/2011/05/down-with-sippy-cups.html

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:20:00 +0000

Toy snakes, eyeballs, frogs, plastic babies, for Halloween.

By: Susan Betke

Susan Betke — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:18:00 +0000

What is IN the jars in that last picture? Great post…

By: Nshedlock

Nshedlock — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:59:00 +0000

I make bath salts in large batches and put it in jars decorated with bits of leftover material, ribbon, or yarn. These make great gifts. If I have broken glass I mix it with a small amount of quick concrete mix and make garden stepping stones. They sparkle when the sun hits the glass.

By: Afra M.

Afra M. — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 20:13:09 +0000

I love these ideas…. We love jars in our family… i store bottles and jars in my kitchen and when when I’m out of space i put them in boxes and send them to my Mum.
i use them mainly to store dried beans, spices, nuts.. but i never thought of using them outside the kitchen.
My children nanny puts plastic flowers and fills the jar with water to impress the kids.
My Mum use narrow nicked bottles for tomato sauce and the jars for her homemade pickles and spices.

By: Tiffany

Tiffany — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:24:15 +0000

Linda, I use canning jars for freezing. I do not own a microwave so I have no idea about their safety in that regard.

By: linda

linda — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:22:15 +0000

No one ever throws away a glass jar in my house, they automatically put it by the sink to be washed. I have been leery of freezing or microwaving them though. Is it safe to freeze any old glass jar, or should you use the “canning jars?” Do you have to bring the jars up to room temp. before microwaving them? I use them for arts & crafts, glitter frosted candle jars, and every thing else. I also love them just for being jars. The ones on my shelves that are not in use yet are picked up periodically and admired for the lovely jar that they are.

By: Ian Moise

Ian Moise — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 00:43:53 +0000

Hi Tiffany,

Thanks for this article on how to reuse glass jars. It is DIY articles like this that can really make a difference! At ReUseConnection, we are all about reuse and I love running across these how tos.

If you have more reuse examples (or if you’ve written more articles on them), I would love to hear about them and post to our FB page which will provide a global platform for idea exchange on reuse – e.g. how do we reuse CDs in Finland, or bicycle tires in Lesotho? If you like our concept, you can find us on FB at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ReUseConnection/253021991560.

When we go live, we hope to add an eHow section for our re-use solutions. It would be great if we can collaborate on some level.

Thanks again for the article and the great examples.

Warmest wishes,
Ian Moise
imoise@reuseconnection.com
@ianmoise

By: Wendy2shoes

Wendy2shoes — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 02:56:03 +0000

Mason jars are wonderful for sprouting seeds and beans. I use the jars with a piece of screen and a mason ring to rinse, dump and sprout.
I hate (!) miracle whip, but my mom used to save the jars because they took mason rings, and she used them for canning.
Some jam and spaghetti sauce jars sold these days, do fit the rings and discs.
I keep my beans, nuts, rice etc in liter & 1/2 masons, with white plastic “storage lids” sold usually with other canning supplies.
Great way to store bulk purchases.

By: Rob

Rob — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:58:27 +0000

I use smaller 1/2 pint jelly jars and 1 pint jelly jars in my lunch at work- great for holding soups, or a bit of leftover casserole in, people have finally accepted that I am anti-bag.

By: Amber

Amber — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:29:20 +0000

I keep the glass jars from the food i buy and put in things like rice, granola, seeds, herbs, etc. so they don’t taste like plastic. I hate when my food tastes like the plastic it came in. Plus, if it tastes like plastic, it probably has plastic in it. Ew. ;)

By: Jules @ Lovely Las Vegas

Jules @ Lovely Las Vegas — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 02:00:27 +0000

Great article! I like using them as an ecclectic grouping of flower vases, for storing left over food, and filling with water to dip my watercolour brushes in. Along with a few of your recommendations, too.

By: Tabitha

Tabitha — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 00:32:23 +0000

She’s right. She IS a witch. And she does make candles and spells and spells with candles…
I just love her.

Jars are neat too.

By: Mrs. B

Mrs. B — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:33:14 +0000

Olive oil works well to get the glue off. I scrape as much off as I can then liberally put olive oil on the glue. Let it set for awhile and take a plastic scraper to get it off. Wash as usual.

By: Kimmy d

Kimmy d — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:31:45 +0000

I’m so glad I read this! I LOVE jars! I have collected them since i was a kid. I use them for spices and dried herbs, beans and seeds, drinking glasses, tinctures and oil infusions, flower arrangements, and leftover storage. I also make “voodoo jars” except mine are real- I’m a witch, so I make little spell jars and candles in pretty jars.

By: molly

molly — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:22:59 +0000

oh, man, those voodoo jars ROCK! (around here, we mostly use glass jars for leftovers, and science experiments, and bugs, and flowers. not all at the same time.)

By: Shelly Hughes

Shelly Hughes — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:27:47 +0000

Tiffany,
Thanks for sharing all of these great tips for glass jars! I have been squirreling away glass jars since I was in college when I used them to make an herb collection for making tea, salves, and shampoo. I recently covered a jar with felt and fabric, and my 3 year old daughter and I decorated it with ribbon and buttons. She uses it as her crayon holder. I looked at your other sites and appreciate all that you share! I’m getting excited about those green smoothies…
Thanks so much!
Shelly

By: Tracey McBride

Tracey McBride — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:37:37 +0000

Hi Tiffany!

I am always inspired by your blog!! I too am a glass jar junkie and, like you, I love to buy them at thrift shops and yard sales. You probably already do this, but another way we use the larger jars is for freezing home made foods such as marinara sauce, veggie chile’, stew, soup stock and the like. These work beautifully as long as you leave a good inch of space at the top for expansion and contraction. We try to avoid plastic when we can so these are an excellent solution. I wanted to say I love all your ideas! Especially liked the idea of using them for serving healthy after school snacks to your children~~such a clever idea! I would never have thought to use them for that. I bet your kids just love to see what you come up with next!!

Thank you so much for all the useful information you present here. It’s so valuable and such an inspiration.

Warmly,
Tracey

By: MaryAnne

MaryAnne — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:36:20 +0000

I get excited and can’t type sorry hope you can decifer my notes above. Another one that I found useful was to cut out letters, both upper and lower case Out of cardboard boxes, such as cereal boxes. Also punctuation marks if you want to do sentences. You will need many, many letters. While cooking dinner or whenever you need a teeny time doing something, grab out the letters so the child can spell out spelling words, or the idea of the day or whatever. This reinforces the spelling using visual and kinetic teaching and if you have them say and spell each word out loud to you it is also audio. Beside it is fun like a puzzle.

By: MaryAnne

MaryAnne — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:28:29 +0000

I use jars for many thing. I start new plants from cuttings in jars with water. I tie string around the top and hange them from a rod in my window. I have used the really large pickle jars to cure my own pickles; pickling the old way as in a crock. I also use them to cover tender plants during a frost. You have to be sure to remove them as soon as the threat is over or you will be having cook baby plants instead ( I also use old milk jugs for this)
I get messy drawers and use them to sort into “piles” so I can then take the items to the right place. I also put my loose change in them. Office sufflies such as paper clips, thumbtacks ets can be stored and easily seen in smaller jars. Place candles injars for safer emergency candles. Emergency vases,
Wrap a wide ribbon around them if you want them a bit mor fancy.

Small ones for paint pots or basta beads for little ones.
Sorting games for little ones.
Storing little playing pieces for games in smaller ones works well also.
Color salt. Store in jars. Lit kids use salt to make sand art in other jars.
Color sugar and store in jars for decorating.
Dry your own lemon peel and orange peel and store for cooking .
and more