Ways To Repurpose Those Old Jars and Bottles

For most of us, finishing a jar of jam or a bottle of wine means a rinse in the sink and a plunk in the recycling bin, but there are actually a ton of super creative DIY ways to reuse glass bottles and jars. And better yet, they not only look great, but seeing the fruits of your labor and knowing you didn't let something go to waste can feel hugely satisfying.

I've personally always found that I get the most compliments about things in my home that are a little unique or clearly handmade, and these are also the items I actually like to use the most. I'm also a huge fan of the slightly rustic, extremely homey feel of a house full of creatively repurposed objects. In a world where you can get just about anything and everything store-bought, there's still a special charm to something totally unique that you made yourself.

If you're a person who wants to amp up your home's creative and cozy vibe, or just have a ton of glass jars and bottles lying around and are waiting for a reason to use them, then here are nine tips just may be what you're looking for.

1. Glow Jars

Glow jars are a great DIY accent for parties or even just everyday evening decorations for your home and garden. You can either use glow in the dark fabric paint, or actual glow sticks for a more vibrant (although temporary) glowing effect.

2. Candle Holders

These are super simple, super self-explanatory, and incredibly pretty. Just stick a candle in an old jar, and voila.

3. Overnight Oats

Old jars are the perfect container for making overnight oats or a chia seed breakfast pudding. And bonus, it's totally portable, so you can always grab and go if you're in a rush.

4. Flowers

Uniquely-shaped bottles make great containers for fresh flowers, and often come in colors and sizes that you don't find with store-bought vases. This is one of my absolute favorite uses for old bottles!

5. Spray Paint Them

Founder of the crafting and lifestyle site Lilyshop.com Jessie Jane recommended spray painting your old jars with a good quality spray paint for an incredibly cute home decoration. She especially likes using a gold paint for a gilded look.

6. Air Fresheners

On her website ThistlewoodFarms.com, lifestyle blogger KariAnne Wood provides step-by-step instructions for creating your own natural air fresheners using lemon and rosemary, and said that old jars are a perfect storage container for the ingredients.

7. At-Home Herb Gardens

HGTV contributor Mitch Telkamp said, "Using mason jars (or other recycled jars) for growing herbs is a no-muss, no-fuss solution when transplanting herbs or starting from scratch." You'll just need a few basic supplies and you can enjoy fresh herbs all winter long.

8. Wine Bottle Lights

Wine bottle lights take some definite legwork, but they look amazing once completed and are sure to wow friends and visitors alike.

9. Piggy Banks

This one might seem obvious, but it took me seeing this in someone else's home to actually implement it in my own. You don't even realize how much change you have lying around until you actually have a convenient and aesthetically-pleasing place to put it all.

You don't have to let your jars and bottles pile up in a cabinet or toss them in the trash when you're done with them. Odds are you'll be able to put them to good use, and probably get a lot of compliments from impressed friends along the way.

Images: Windell Oskay/Stefani/Joy/Kim Love/Kurtis Garbutt/Flickr; Pixabay (2); Wikipedia (1)