Repurpose Pickle Jars For Creative Kitchen Containers With Paint And DIY Lids

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If you toss your pickle jars just because the pickles are gone, you're wasting valuable craft supplies. Even if you're recycling these glass vessels, it's a step up in eco-friendliness to give jars a second, more permanent life as storage, decor, or both. This also saves you money on said storage and decor. And did we mention how fun this upcycling can be? Nowadays, kitchen design is all about adding your own personality to make the room more eclectic and joyful. The possibilities with a nice big, sturdy container like a pickle jar are endless, and all of them equal personalized style.

One straightforward option is to turn used pickle jars into fancy — and free — storage for everything from dried goods to tea bags. The first step for any project with these jars is to clean them well. For a purpose like food storage, you'll likely want to leave them clear so you can easily spot what's inside. Wrap lace, twine, and/or ribbon around them, and from that, hang Dollar Tree chalkboard tags for a farmhouse-chic and reusable labeling system. You can also glue strands of pearls around the jars, or paint their lids to better match your kitchen. 

To take storage to new heights of decor — literally — glue candlestick bases to the jars. Use these Dollar Tree candle pedestals, for example. In seconds, you can turn an old jar into what looks like an antique treasure. 

You can use different candlestick pedestals at varying heights, but in the same aesthetic vein, for an instantly striking tableau. This makes for seriously elegant storage for your spices or coffee fixings, but you can also go full decor and fill these with dried flowers in spring, lemons in the summer, or holiday ornaments. You'll have centerpieces you can use again and again and change up for different events in a snap. 

Don't ignore the lid of the jar. Here, you can repurpose vintage drawer pulls or old knobs. One of these GDQLCNXB floral cabinet knobs, for example, would look lovely crowning the jar's lid, and it will stick with LMQ Lash liquid super glue for metal. With a good adhesive, you can get creative, topping the jar's lid with everything from tiny trinket dishes to miniature figurines. 

There's also the option to cover the jar. If you want a certain print with more of a perfection guarantee, choose something like this Jeweluck floral contact paper, or use Mod Podge to spread on decorative napkins. If you have some artistic talents to boast, acrylic paints work on glass — paint your own flowers or use painter's tape to mark off and fill in a striped pattern. 

You'll love upcycling pickle jars for everything from elevated everyday storage to stunning centerpieces. You can even use them to deter insects at outdoor dinner parties: fill them with water, floating herbs and citronella candles, and drop in essential oil that repels bugs, like lemon balm.