DIY and Crafts

These 4 genius ways to reuse jars will save you a trip to the recycling bin

Article by Your Home and Garden

Don’t chuck away your old jam and peanut butter jars in the recycling bin, give these DIY jar projects a go

Planters

Jars make wonderful planters for small house plants. Simply pick a collection of jars and remove any labels and traces of glue. Pop a few small stones at the bottom for drainage, then add some potting mix and your chosen house plant (succulents and herbs also work well). As there are no drainage holes, take care not to overwater.

Styling tip: three jars of different heights and shapes always look great when displayed in a cluster.

Soap dispenser

This industrial-looking soap dispenser makes a cute, low-cost accessory. Choose a jar with a metal lid (we used a preserving lid) and drill a hole in the lid to fit the tube of a pump dispenser (we reused a pump from an old bottle). Push the tube through the lid and glue the top of the pump to the lid using Liquid Nails; leave to dry. Add liquid soap, screw on the lid and place in the laundry, bathroom or kitchen – or, even better, make three!

Tissue holder

Not keen on bulky tissue boxes? This elegant alternative can be made in minutes. Get a tube of tissues (eg Kleenex Perfect Fit) and a tall preserving jar of the same size. Remove the jar’s lid insert and replace with black cardboard. With a craft knife, cut a cross in the cardboard so the tissues can feed out the top. Carefully remove packaging from around the tissues, pop them in the jar and feed the first tissue through the lid.

Twine dispenser

Make gift-wrapping easy with this twine holder. You will need a mason jar with a daisy cut-out lid. Put twine in the jar and thread it through the lid.

Words by: Vanessa Nouwens. Photography by: Wendy Fenwick.