9 Ways to Spice up Your Life by Repurposing Old Spice Jars
There’s nothing like a deliciously seasoned meal. Pepper, paprika, basil, tumeric, and cinnamon don’t just make your food taste better, they are actually good for your health. So keep a large amount of herbs and spices in your pantry or on your spice rack.
Even once you’ve shaken the last bit of pepper out of your jar, the remaining container still hasn’t outlived its usefulness, according to The Spruce. Spice jars are conveniently sized for organizing small household items and much more. Here are nine creative ways to reuse old spice jars.
Mini Vase or Terrarium
Glass spice jars already look like classy vases, Hunker shares. And even the less aesthetic spice jars, glass or otherwise, can be upstyled using modgepodge, ribbon, fabric, and other decorative embellishments. If the spice jar has a cap with small holes for the spice, that’s a plus as well. You can leave it on and slide the stems through the holes to hold your bouquet in place. Or, remove it and use the whole top to spread your floral arrangement.
A terrarium is another way to display life in an old spice jar. Fill the container with potting soil, moss, and other materials. Then, layer sticks, moss, plants, and other natural flora on top. You can even add little springtail insects that will keep the jarred habitat clean and free of decay.
DIY Candle
To make a candle out of your tin or glass spice jar, you don’t even need to clean it. The leftover spice will give the candle a unique aroma. In fact you can even add additional scents, like cinnamon sticks, to your jar. Pour melted wax into the empty jar and add in any additional aromatics. To save money, use leftover wax from other candles to create your new display.
Office Supply Holder
An old spice jar makes a perfect pen holder. For starters, it’s just the right size to fill with a collection of quick-to-grab writing tools. You can drill slightly larger holes in the lid and use them to keep the pens straight and organized or remove the lid altogether. And, these spice containers can keep other office supplies organized as well. Try them with paper clips or thumbtacks.
Herb Container
Just because your spice jar is empty doesn’t mean it can no longer continue to bear seasonings. Instead of using it to hold dried spices, repurpose the jar as a mini storage unit for fresh herbs. Fill it with clean water and place fresh sprigs of herbs into the water, allowing them to last longer and stay fresher. As a bonus, some herbs that have harder stems can remain in water on the counter, giving your kitchen some green decor as well as flavor.
Travel Toiletries
Are you ever on the go and need a nail clipper, hair pin, bandage, or cotton swab? The Spruce suggests upcycling spice jars as toiletry holders. These small but useful items fit perfectly in used jars. You can place these jars in your overnight luggage, your car, or a medicine cabinet at home to keep toiletries organized and accessible.
Hardware or Craft Storage
If you are handy, you likely have dozens or more tiny nails, screws, bolts, and washers, of various sizes taking up space in a tool box in your house. A small spice jar is a great way to keep these items sorted and organized and allows you to easily find what you are looking for when you need it.
You can also repurpose old spice jars to hold beads, glitter, needles, and other craft supplies. Glass spice jars are transparent, making it easy to spot the exact color or style of item you are looking for when you get crafty.
Food Storage
Although these jars are small, they are the perfect size for holding condiments like sauce, sandwich spreads, or salad dressing. This protects your meals from spilling or getting soggy in your bag and avoids the need to buy non-reusable plastic storage containers. Just make sure you pack spoons or forks as well, to help you take out the dressing or spread the food onto your bread.
