How To Re-Purpose Old Jars

 I've been wanting to reorganize my linen closet for a long time. Since we didn't have a lot of storage containers we've been using a large picnic basket that has housed all of our first aid supplies, cold, vitamins, prescription medicines, pain relievers, etc. It was a pain (no pun intended) to dig through everything when we wanted to find something specific. I had looked into the cost of buying some shoe box size totes with lids (with a gift card) to separate things by categories such as cold/flu products, first aid supplies, travel sized products, etc, but then realized I actually had a bunch of them. Unfortunately, they were being used for craft supplies....then my memory kicked in and I remembered I had seen somewhere on Pinterest about using old jars for craft supplies and I started saving any glass jar that we used. (While cleaning the jars, I realized that we eat way too many pickles!)

This project was so simple and you probably have everything you need to do the same thing in your house right now. (It also made me sort through all our craft supplies and I threw out a bunch of random craft supplies that were either dried up or not needed...extra perk!)

Here's what you need:

As many glass jars as you would need for your craft supplies or other storage need

A razor blade and Goo-Gone

Spray Paint

I also chose to add an embellisment of some random farm animals I found lying around and was tired of stepping on. If you choose to do something similar, you could find anything from little figurines to old knobs, etc. You will also need some super glue or gorilla glue to apply them. (hot glue would probably work well too.)

Step 1:

Get your old jar and take the label off. I found the easiest way to do this was to soak it for a few minutes in water then take a razor and peel off the label. Spray some Goo-Gone on the remaining sticky stuff, let sit for a few minutes and wash off with a scrubby sponge or scouring pad. Easy Peasy!

Step 2: 

If you are planning on adding a decoration to the top of your lids, grab them and your glue of choice. We went with gorilla glue because it's all we had on hand. Make sure your lid is nice and clean, then apply a little glue to your decoration and position it on the lid. We allowed ours to dry overnight to make sure it was really set.

Step 3: 

Once your glue is dry, take them outside or to a well ventilated area and spray paint with your color of choice. One coat was sufficient to cover these lids easily. Let dry, preferably overnight. You don't want to rush the drying process and end up finger prints on your cute lids.

Step 4:

 Fill your adorable jars with anything you want. These would be great to organize anything from craft supplies to Q-tips. They would also be a super cute display for a candy bar at a birthday party or baby shower. The possibilities are endless. 

I hope I've inspired you to reuse something that would normally be thrown away. Let me know if you find a neat project for your old jars. I'd love to see what you come up with!