23 Easy Ways to Upcycle Glass Jars For All Ages

Whether it’s a wine bottle, a jam jar, jar of baby food, an old pickle container or the ever-popular mason jar – there are so many creative ways to upcycle glass jars. Each week I seemed to have more old jars and I was getting fed up with just throwing them in the recycling bin. So I started getting creative instead and now I have plenty of great ideas for these old glass bottles!

One great way to save money is to make use of things you already have in your home. Long ago people would use things up instead of shopping for new things all the time. Adopting this in your home can help you save money and reduce waste. These handy upcycles and uses for empty jars are easy ways to save money and reduce your environmental impact and let’s be honest we all need to do more in our efforts to be sustainable.

Jars from foods you buy at the local supermarket store can all be reused in many creative and beautiful ways and I am going to share just how you can upcycle a glass jar and turn it into something new.

Which Jars Make Great Upcycles?

There are lots of glass jars that we use each week, over the course of a few weeks you will probably end up with glass jars in all different shapes and sizes that are empty. My favourite glass jars include Nutella jars, Yankee candle jars, peanut butter jars, baby food jars, coffee jars and sauce jars. They are multipurpose and can be used again and again.

Glass jars are used because glass is natural, sustainable, and recyclable. We are seeing more goods using glass over plastic because it is better for the environment and for us. Glass can be washed in the dishwasher and doesn’t lose its shape or anything. The only downside to glass is that it is easier to break or smash so we do need to be more careful when using it.

When at the grocery store look for jars that are big or have a slightly different design as these add interest to the jar and are easy to upcycle in fun ways. Make sure that you wash out the jar thoroughly with hot water and leave it to dry naturally, it is a good idea to store them with the lids off so they don’t become smelly!

What can I do with old glass jars?

So many things! The list is pretty endless when it comes to upcycling old glass jars! They can be used for storage, as a girl, my dad had rows upon rows of glass jars that stored his different screws and washers in. These days creatives are making all sorts of saleable goods by using glass jars, with many buying the jars at thrift stores like Poundland. If you save your glass jars you could make even more profit plus it is better to recycle than buying new ones.

Creative Ideas to Upcycle Glass Jars

There are so many ways to use upcycled jars, I have put together an almighty round-up of all the awesome ways you can breathe new life into these jars with a little bit of creative flair. Some of these ideas are for children and others for adults, it depends on your abilities. Likewise, some of the mentioned upcycle require little effort but some will require additional items and a steady hand!

• Jam jars make great food storage or kitchen storage that is airtight to keep out insects. The large jars work really for dry goods and make the perfect farmhouse kitchen canisters.
• Large jars work well as a practical storage container in a craft room, my nan would keep all her spare and interesting buttons in a large jar.
• You can use them as drinking glasses – lots of fancy cocktail bars serve drinks in glass jars or even tin cans so you will be right on trend mixing up cocktails and dishing them out at your next BBQ in glass jars! This is an inexpensive way of having enough glasses if you are hosting a party of any sort.
• Place a new candle wick in a jar and melt the remains of candles pouring into the jar until you have a new candle. This is also a good use for small bits of crayon that are not useful anymore. This trick is perfect for stashing candles for emergencies and reducing waste.
• If you are planning a garden party or wedding reception then glass jars can easily become the perfect vases for a centrepiece or table decoration. Group different sized jars together for maximum effect. You can use garden foliage and greenery in a beautiful way that is also free.
• Staying with the wedding theme, leave a pen and paper next to a large jar and ask guests to share a wish for your future life. They can then pop the wish into your jar for you to read at a later date.
• Another popular way to use a glass jar is as a plant pot, they are great for starting seedlings off before transferring them to another pot when they have grown bigger.
• An empty glass jar looks great on a dressing table storing makeup brushes (or balls of cotton wool if you haven’t switched to reusable yet).
• A great gift idea is to fill a jar full of someone’s favourite sweets – this is truly personalised and you can make a great label from your craft supplies.
• If you have kids that often complain of being bored make them a bored jar or better still get them to make one! Fill it with ideas and activities that they can do when they are bored. You can read my nine free boredom jar ideas here.
• It is easy to turn a jar into a soap dispenser all you need is the pump dispenser and Amazon sell ones that fit old gin bottles etc.
• Old alcohol and an empty wine bottle look really pretty upcycled with solar lights or fairy lights that are battery operated. Kim has a great post on this here and you can see just how pretty it looks.
• Old bottles have even been turned into light fittings – although this project would be best suited to someone who knows what they are doing and probably not a first attempt. However, if you are handy I have noticed that upcycled spirit bottles and wine bottles sell really well on Etsy or at flea markets where people are searching for something unique.
• Baby food jars are the perfect way to store spices. You can easily make your own spice rack and label the small jars and have them in a kitchen cupboard for easy access.
• If your kids or you enjoy painting then a glass jar makes a brilliant paint pot or fill it with water and use it for cleaning your brushes, same for using mod podge glue for any craft projects.

• A recycled jar can be used for homemade cleaning products. Mix up your own room spray using essential oils and a base and just use as spray bottles.
• Glass is microwave safe so kids can easily make a quick food treat in a glass jar. There are lots of recipes for yummy desserts like this Easy Vegan Biscoff cake in a jar which has a great tutorial.
• Succulents are bang on trend, especially with teenagers and the aesthetic look! Succulent planters look great in a simple mason jar and sat on a shelf. They take minimal looking after to which makes them ideal houseplants. If you are green-fingered they make great gifts, you could do a few and arrange them in a different size jar and place them on a tray for decoration.
• Science experiments can even be carried out in jars – take a look at this awesome tutorial on making a firework in a jar from Clipboard Claire.
• An upcycled mason jar can also be used to make a bird feeder or butterfly feeder, this is a great activity for children to do. Follow this full tutorial DIY Bird Freeder then once it is hanging in the garden you can observe what new visitors it brings during the different seasons.
• Upcycled glass jars are a gardener’s friend, they are ideal for string holders, we love this vintage-inspired holder.
• If you are looking to teach your kids about money, glass jars make ideal money pots as shared in this post 5 ways to teach children about money.
• Calming jars are a great sensory resource for children with autism and other sensory issues. Making a calming jar with glycerin and glitter has been shown to be effective in helping children calm down and regulate their emotions.

We are all looking for ways to make more money right now so if you find that you are making or using the glass jars in a way that is receiving compliments from others consider whether you can sell the product. Facebook marketplace is great or now that craft fairs are restarting you could get a stall and sell that way. If they become really popular Etsy is a great selling platform for unique craft products.

We hope that we have inspired you to get creative with your leftover jars – there are so many uses for them. If you really can’t use them do consider selling them on or giving them away via Facebook marketplace or similar as others maybe want them for their outdoor party or wedding reception. Church fairs or community events often want them as they make a beautiful addition to many events.

Let us know in the comments if you have found any other ways to upcycle glass jars.