Reusing items can be a fantastic way to save money. One of my favorite items to reuse is empty peanut butter jars. Really any jar similar to a peanut butter jar.
1. Coin Bank – cut a slit into the middle of the lid and you have simple coin bank. Decorate it yourself or allow your kids to decorate it for fun custom looks.
2. Simple hanging lanterns – This is a super inexpensive way to add some mood lighting outdoors or in. Punch a small hole just under the neck of the jar and another directly across if you want to hang it. Place a battery operated tealight, pumpkin light, or small strand of battery operated mini lights inside the jar. Glue lace or ribbon around the opening of the jar. If you’re hanging the jar use thin twine or raffia and thread through the holes. You can use it as is or if you want you can add things to the inside of the jar like wired ribbon to give it more color.
3. Storage – clean, empty peanut butter jars work well for organizing. Store things like beads, buttons, nails, small toys, crafts supplies, and more. You can even decorate the lids and label the jars.
4. Bug Catching jars – I have 3 boys and they just love catching fireflies, potato bugs, grasshoppers, and other insects. Have a few of these on hand for the summer.
5. Mixing Solutions – If you want to mix some paint, mix a cleaning product, or make your own laundry detergent peanut butter jars work great. You can simply throw them away when done and no need to buy special bottles.
6. Crafts – There could be a hundred crafts to do with peanut butter jars: sand art, miniature dioramas, holiday things like jack-o-laterns or snowmen heads, and lots more.
7. Science Experiments – Just search the internet. In just one search I found egg drop experiments, a cool little experiment called “swimming raisins“, and other common ones like growing crystals, salt water evaporation, and more.
8. Timeout jars (or Calm down jars) – I’ve seen these all over the internet. Simply put water, food coloring, and fine glitter (not too big or it will only take a few seconds for it to settle) in the jar. When you’re child needs to calm down shake it up, have them sit or lay down until the glitter settles on the bottom.
9. Find-it jars for travel – Really you can use and clear container. I ended up using a clear liquid dish soap bottle when I did my how-to post for BMW of Belair, But peanut butter jars work awesome for this. Visit my guest post to see how and what you need for your own find-it jar.
10. Back up storage – Have you ever lost the lid to your coffee jar, maybe the bag of flour from the grocery trip broke open and your flour canister isn’t going to fit the whole bag, perhaps one of your bottle of floor cleaner has a leak, poor it into an empty peanut butter jar. Just be sure to label it and store it away from children. Don’t reuse it for anything other than cleaning products after.