Reusing Glass Jars

A lot of the items I get at the grocery store come in glass jars, whether it be jams and jellies or mayonnaise, pickles, sauces etc.

But what to do with those?

Up until about a year ago I used to just throw them in the trash without even realizing how useful they are around the house, and not just in the kitchen.

I rinse them out, then wash them in really hot water, scrubbing with a brush to remove the labels and the sticky residue. Once they're washed really well, I think throw them in the dishwasher for another good wash.

I use them for foliage and flowers from the yard

for silverware and napkins etc

Candle holders, lots of them. This bottom picture is not mine, but I have been collecting and storing a bunch of them because this is exactly what I plan to do in my backyard this summer. How pretty is that?

Now with that said, like I stated above, I've just started reusing my jars so I'm always on the lookout for more great ideas and in my quest to do so, here are some great tips:

I'm going to reorganize my pantry and store most of my dry goods in the jars, not only will it save space but I love the fact that they're see through and I can find what I'm looking far much faster.


Summer is going to be here in a few months and I love the look of iced tea or lemonade served in jars. Perfect for a back yard get together.


Bathroom storage, definitely, and I have the perfect jar for all my knitted dishcloths, can't wait to try it out.

The possibilities are endless and I'm glad that I'm reusing and making do with what I have instead of going to spend money on other storage.

Now tell me, do you use glass jars for storage? Do you have any tips or ideas to share with me and the rest of my readers? I would love to hear them.