Comments on: The 9 Most Useful Containers To Keep And Reuse

By: Christy Morrill

Christy Morrill — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 13:17:11 +0000

The big ice cream containers are also great for if you have a garden – bringing ripe vegetables inside. My parents make peanut clusters every year for the holidays. We started sending a batch to one of my brothers family every year because they love them. Now both of my out of the area brothers get a batch shipped from my parents.

By: Mary Knight

Mary Knight — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 23:44:37 +0000

The senior meals and Meals on Wheels always come with two small containers, plastic, with a plastic lid, holding about 1/3 cup. There are kind of like the ketchup containers at a fast food place, but much sturdier and larger. Absolutely indispensable for storing leftovers. After I slide a tomato I put the remaining tomato in one of these. Saves space in the fridge, no large bowls or tupperware needed.

By: Wendy Hunter

Wendy Hunter — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 15:24:18 +0000

This is a fun, pretty thing to make with large coffee cans. I saved up several of them and in the winter I fill them with coloured water (food colouring) and either freeze them in the freezer or outside. (I’m in Canada; it gets cold!) When the main part is solid, I add a little more water and when it’s almost set, I wedge in a little cup, which I later remove. These coloured blocks of ice look pretty along the walkway to my front door, each with a little candle in it to light the way for our guests.

By: Wendy Hunter

Wendy Hunter — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 15:09:45 +0000

In reply to Joanne Medsker. We still do this when camping!

By: Wendy Hunter

Wendy Hunter — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 15:08:30 +0000

Protein powder containers are perfect for storing ingredients that I usually purchase in larger quantities. Brown sugar, white sugar, chocolate chips, bran, specialty flours, raisins, premixed pancake ingredients….

By: Kara Reid

Kara Reid — Sat, 30 Oct 2021 11:35:24 +0000

I use the lil Gatorade bottles for summer bc my hubby works outside & it’s alot cheaper to buy the big powdered Gatorade & mix up a gallon of it at home & just refill his bottles every night then they work good in the top of dishwasher when he gets home for quick cleaning. I usually freeze them after filling for the majority of em maybe leave 1-3 in fridge but that way they stay cold all day long & he stays hydrated in the heat. We repurpose lots of containers & I hate to throw em away.

By: Chrissie

Chrissie — Fri, 26 Feb 2021 16:15:14 +0000

In reply to Chrissie.

I like your ideas, Jillee, thanks! One recycled item I especially like to use is glass pimento jars. I use fabric dyes in small amounts in my airbrush to paint life-like flowers I create from cold porcelain. The small pimento jars are perfect to mix the dyes up in, store them, and I can put a label on them to put my color mix ‘formula’ on so I can duplicate it if I run out. They are better than baby food jars, they reseal easily. Love all your tips and hints,

I use old squeeze mustard containers with the small hole to squeeze out, to refill with ketchup. They are perfect for picnics, as they’re small and easy to pack. They are also great to put smaller amounts of salad dressing in. If they end up getting warm, I’m not tossing a full bottle of dressing away.

Cornstarch tubs are wonderful for packing cookies in and they are food safe. Years ago I found a pattern for turning tubs with plastic lids into ‘snowmen’ or ‘Santa’ punching holes around the top and crocheting the head…Amazing gift containers for family and friends, neighbors. (I use a lot of cornstarch in my flowers, lol, but any plastic topped container, think Pringles, baking powder, cocoa powder) would work also.

Peanut butter jars are perfect for leftovers in the fridge. You can see what’s inside, so nothing gets forgotten about.

Old baked bean cans are the right size for making your own Boston Brown Bread…I use a safety cutter to take off the lid, and they can be used many times over.

If you need a cookie cutter, tuna cans with the bottom cut out also, will work nicely in a pinch. You can also use it to form patties or sausage, to get them all the same size and shape.

I was able to get some food services 2.5 gallon detergent bottles for a commercial dishwasher. I brought them home and filled them with water, I keep them under the stairs and I have plenty of water for flushing the toilet when our power goes out…in rural Maine, it’s several times per year.

I use leftover winter Window Kit plastic scraps to make shrink wrappings for homemade gifts.

I save individual juice bottles to store ‘aquafaba’ (the juice from canned chick peas) to freeze for later use. Aquafaba can be used like egg whites in many recipes. We don’t always use the aquafaba as the same time as the chickpeas.

I use the cups from individual puddings, applesauce, fruit, with some craft materials to make ‘baskets’ for holding flowers for May baskets or small flower arrangements that I sell in my Facebook store. Covers from shampoo, spray paint, laundry soap and more can also be turned into a basket…you’d be amazed. :)

Laundry soap bottles, buckets, many other containers can be punched about every half inch around the top, and crocheted or sewn on tops added to make a tote for wet swimming wear and sand toys, or to hold your sewing or knitting, etc.

Tin cans can be stuffed with fiber fill or other materials, covered in cloth and used for pincushions. I have one that looks like a ‘throne’ my mom made back in the early 1960’s. The can cover wasn’t completely cut off, letting you fold it up and giving a sturdy back to the throne…

Well, that’s enough for now, lol. I am grateful for your hints and tips, Jillee. Thank you for sharing them with all of us. Blessings and health to you and yours. (from a fan that believes in recycling!)