6 Ways to Use Glass Jars
If you are like me, you have collected more than your share of glass jars. You have purchased food and do not want to throw them away, even in the recycle bin.
There are some that become our favorite jars, because they are not an ordinary shape or color. One of my all-time favorites is a large round(ish) jar that had mixed olives that I bought at World Market. I still use it today to make refrigerator pickles.
Jars can be used obviously for food storage, but there are so many other uses for these versatile containers.
Here are just a few ideas that I regularly use, outside of the kitchen:
- Artist jar to hold pencils, markers or artist brushes
- Sewing kit with needles, a few spools of thread, a handful of buttons and small pair of scissors
- Coin jar
- Vase for flowers; can tie raffia or ribbon around the threaded neck of jar for decoration
- Candle jar; add a couple of inches of sand or gravel rock in bottom of jar and place votive candle or tea-light on top of sand
- Drinking glasses
- And many more
The possibilities are endless for using glass jars of any size. It simply takes a bit of thought and creativity.
Can you think of other uses?
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© Copyright 2015 - Coral Levang. All Rights Reserved
Adapted from original written and published 10/14/14 on Bubblews, but removed by author.
reuse | recycle | repurpose | glassjars
Image Credit » https://pixabay.com/en/hyacinth-flower-flowers-747279/ by Pezibear
Comments
JohnRoberts wrote on July 20, 2015, 1:32 PM
A jar can hold a collection of colorful sea shells or rocks for decorative purposes.
CoralLevang wrote on July 20, 2015, 1:40 PM
Why, yes, it can. And beautifully so!
PriscillaKing wrote on July 20, 2015, 2:15 PM
Food storage! Some glass jars are hard to clean, but if they're well cleaned I think they're safer than plastic containers.
CoralLevang wrote on July 20, 2015, 2:57 PM
PriscillaKing I think that is what most will use them for, yes.
1DWDavisRSL wrote on July 20, 2015, 3:34 PM
My uncle built a unit for his workshop where he nailed tops of jars to the bottom of a wooden shelf, filled the jars with nails, screws, bolts, washers, and such, and then screwed the filled jars onto their lids. When he went looking for a certain sized screw or nail he could see exactly what he was looking for.
2Kasman wrote on July 20, 2015, 4:39 PM
Other uses? Sure. Here's one you won't ever have come across before. There is an aquarium fish known as the White Cloud Mountain Minnow. The classic way to breed this fish is to place a pair (they're only about an inch long) in a glass jar and place it on a south-facing windowsill last thing at night before you go to bed. At sunrise the next morning the pair will spawn and lay many eggs - it works 90% of the time!
Kasman wrote on July 20, 2015, 4:41 PM
I remember my dad doing that! He passed that tip on to me and I also used it to organise all those fiddly little things any good Man Cave needs.
1MegL wrote on July 20, 2015, 5:32 PM
I love glass jars too and yes, it does not seem right to recycle them without first having used them for something else. I keep all my small jars for a friend who makes jam and chutney in the autumn. A few years ago, I tried my hand at glass painting, so I have a few jars around with coloured paint on, holding coins or brushes and of course, my husband uses some for cleaning paintbrushes with turps. One big one is holding rough salt that is used if the garden path is icy in winter.
paigea wrote on July 20, 2015, 8:30 PM
I used to make Cookie mix in a jar as gifts. It had all the ingredients except butter to make m an m oatmeal cookies. Looked pretty.
Sailorchronos wrote on July 20, 2015, 8:59 PM
We have jars in which we keep extra change, paper clips, and things like that. If we had a large enough vanity table I'd want to have a jar or vase filled with colourful rocks and shells.
wolfgirl569 wrote on July 20, 2015, 10:22 PM
I keep all kinds of things in them. From my beads to my jingle bells
Paulie wrote on July 20, 2015, 11:02 PM
When I was a kid, i remember putting all of my marbles in a big glass jar.
Ruby3881 wrote on July 21, 2015, 12:55 AM
I used to have so many jars for things like this! I really need to start saving them again and reusing them. To this end, I recently started playing with a crochet jar cozy pattern. I need to get white cotton yarn to do it with, as I love it in white but worry my acrylic might heat up too much. I also need to tweak the pattern, or maybe try using a larger hook...
DWDavisRSL wrote on July 21, 2015, 8:01 AM
We have long since donated our aquariums to the marine science program at camp but now I want to get another one just do I can try this and have somewhere to put all the babies when they hatch.
CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:18 AM
This is fascinating. And you are right. Never heard of it!
CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:20 AM
I remember for awhile that every man in the neighborhood had one of these in their garage using baby food jars, both the small and the taller types. Some were on a homemade spinning pinwheel type thing, also made from scrap) and attached to the end of the work bench. LOL
1CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:22 AM
I use a plastic food container for the salt. I am always afraid I would drop and break the glass.
CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:23 AM
LOL &AbbyG Yes, I have had those little fails before, as well. Dribbling is not the look that we are going for! LOL
CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:24 AM
I have seen those. I used to do the same with a bean soup, layering the beans and dried veggies and herbs.
CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:26 AM
They are so pretty with those collections, Sailorchronos . I love shells, too.
1CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:26 AM
wolfgirl569 Ooooohhhh...you just gave me an idea. I'll write later.
CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:27 AM
Paulie I "lost my marbles" years ago. To think that all I needed was a glass jar?
1CoralLevang wrote on July 21, 2015, 9:28 AM
What is the purpose of the jar cozy? I am familiar with a tea cozy.
wolfgirl569 wrote on July 21, 2015, 10:30 AM
Glad to help lol
Kasman wrote on July 21, 2015, 1:11 PM
The White Cloud isn't a seasonal breeder but best results will be obtained if you try this method in springtime. They fry are very tiny but not too difficult to rear if you go about it the right way.
1CoralLevang wrote on July 22, 2015, 2:34 AM
&AbbyG I think they make a product to help with that. I dunno...it depends.
ROFLMAO I crack myself up here.
Ruby3881 wrote on July 22, 2015, 10:50 PM
Often it's just hide the fact that you're using a repurposed jar for something (like a pen cup.) But the idea I was working with was to create a sort of open pattern that would filter the candle light in a pretty way. I'd seen something like it on Pinterest, and was experimenting with a stitch pattern I like. It came out nice, but I found it was a bit too close. I'm going to get white cotton, and try with a larger hook.
CoralLevang wrote on July 23, 2015, 12:41 AM
I don't know how to crochet much more that simple scarves.
Ruby3881 wrote on July 23, 2015, 12:53 AM
Have you ever made anything where you joined your chain, and made a tube? The jar cozies are just a tube. You can do them in all single or double crochet, or find a pattern stitch that you like