3 Simple & Cheap Ways To Upcycle Glass Jars

I'm addicted to glass jars. Can you relate? Glass jars look pretty, provide a safe storage alternative to plastic, and make it easy to see what you have on hand at a quick glance. One reason I love buying products from Wildly Organic is the beautiful glass jars many of their items come in. These jars are high quality, perfect for many other uses once the product inside is gone. Couldn't we simply recycle the jars? Well, yes. Definitely. But, upcycling or reusing glass jars is a great way to save money. It may also awaken your creativity and give you a fun (but simple) hands-on project for the afternoon. It's better for the planet, too!

3 Simple & Cheap Ways To Upcycle Wildly Organic's Glass Jars

My favorite Wildly Organic jars to reuse are the 14 fluid ounce jars the coconut oil and coconut butter come in as well as the 16 fluid ounce popcorn oil jar. The new coconut syrup bottle is gorgeous and can also be used in a variety of ways — as a bud vase, container for homemade salad dressings, infused oils, and more! These jars are perfect for storing dry goods in the pantry, a small amount of leftovers in the fridge, adding to a lunch box, storing body scrubs, and even using as a vessel for creating infused oils. They also fit well in many drawers and shelves. This means they can be used to organize makeup, pens and pencils, toiletries, art supplies, office supplies, hair accessories, small kitchen gadgets, and more. Today, I'd like to share three fun ways I upcycled Wildy Organic jars to add some extra beauty to my home.

#1 — Create A Simple, Rustic Vase

I don't know about you, but I'm all about the rustic look! Give me some twine (or a beat up piece of wood), and I'm happy. This love of rustic style led me to tie some twine around an old 16-ounce jar to use as a vase. A dot of glue on the back of the jar keeps the twine in place. If you're not a fan of twine, try spray painting the jar with one of the many paints available at your local hardware store. It's so quick and easy to create a simple vase that matches your style and color scheme this way. There's even spray paint specifically designed for glass.

#2 — Make A Decorative Candle Holder

It's incredibly easy to create a stylish candle holder with just about any jar. The one pictured above was made with a 16-ounce jar, but the 14 or 28-ounce coconut oil jars would work well, too. In fact, a variety of sizes would make a pretty display. Fill the jar part way with small rocks (these are available in various colors and sizes at craft stores or take a walk and find some in your yard, a park, or by a river). Then, nestle a small battery-powered candle into the top (you can also use a real votive candle if desired). Lastly, wrap some thin twine around the rim of the jar to add some extra rustic charm (or ribbon, lace, whatever you like). If you use a taller candle, place it into the jar first and pour the rocks around the outside of it. If rocks aren't your thing, try using sand, Epsom salt, or colored rice. Wildly Organic jars are sturdy enough to house homemade candles as well. FYI: Wildly Organic Palm Oil and Craft Oil are great additions to homemade beeswax candles. Here's how to make your own candles!

#3 — Make An Herbal Bath Soak

This herbal bath soak looks pretty on a shelf in the bathroom but also makes a lovely gift. To create your own bath soak, simply mix together Epsom salt with the skin-safe herbs of your choice. I used dried lavender, dried rose petals, and dried calendula flowers. The amount of each ingredient can vary according to your preferences and what you have on hand. When ready to use, fill a small muslin bag with about 1/2 cup of the mixture. Tie the bag to the faucet, allowing water to flow through the bag as the bath fills. Once the bath is full, remove bag from the faucet and let to float in the water. I tied a small wooden measuring spoon to the jar (with twine, of course) to give as a gift. You may find these spoons at your local craft store as well as some department or grocery stores. As you can see, it's easy to upcycle glass jars. Plus, it's good for our pocketbook and gets our creative juices flowing. Besides that, upcycling glass jars can provide us with useful (and beautiful) items for our homes. It's also beneficial to the environment because it keeps extra waste out of landfills. Traditional recycling is great too, but upcycling has many additional benefits we can't ignore.

What are your favorite ways to upcycle to reuse glass jars?