Having an excessive amount of jars from the time your mom sent over cases of tomato sauce, or old jam jars, can leave you with mounds of jars that you don’t know what to do with!

Here are our favourite ways to repurpose my jars to hopefully inspire you to reuse what you have. 

Use for cleaning 

Using a glass jar as a way to store cleaning products is a great way to repurpose your old jars and save money when it comes to cleaning products. In our blog post about spring cleaning tips you will find an easy cleaner recipe. Using a spray nozzle  that attaches to your mason jar is a perfect way to use your homemade cleaner.

Upcycle jars as cups

This is personally my favourite way to repurpose a jar; drink out of it! Whether it be your old salsa jar or your mom’s tomato sauce jar, they can be a great alternative to a cup. It’s a great way to save money when living the university lifestyle also. It is also a great conversation starter and could hopefully influence others to do the same. 

Repurpose jars to store food

Using your old jars as storage containers for dry goods such as rice, flour, sugar, spices and more can be another cheap and sustainable way. Even storing your homemade soups or broths to then store in the fridge or in the freezer. Mason jars have a tight seal and work great for leftovers too. 

Pack lunches in jars

Pack salads or make overnight oats in jars and take them to work! They're super easy to clean, making dishes at the end of the night a breeze.

Making Candles

A great activity to do with jars is to make candles out of them. You can never have enough candles and this way you are using up the jars that take up all of your cabinet space. This is also a renewable craft. Once the candle is done, you can melt the wax down again and reuse the jar for either another candle or something else. Here is a great recipe for making soy candles in a mason jar.

Repurpose jars to propagate plants or as planters

Using old jars is also a great new home for your baby plants. By simply putting potting soil in the jar or some water to help the roots grow, it is a great first home before repotting it into a bigger jar/planter. 

Use at bulk stores

Bringing jars to bulk stores instead of buying bags is a more sustainable and easy way to buy in bulk. Bulk stores such as The Tare Shop require reusable materials to carry your goods in, whether it is bringing your own jars or they are able to supply you some.