there is nothing better than having a glass jar with a lid on hand. i have used mine for so many different things from making candles, storing my kids’ homemade playdoh + slime, food storage, and bathroom organization. the list goes on and on. the bath salt tubes have been very fun for me to upcycle. as a herbalist, you can imagine i have a lot of plants and these tubes have been vital in my propagation progress. i also use the tubes for other things like holding blended spices, granola + snacks, and party favors for my children’s birthday parties.
i always start by removing the label from the jars and tubes. my personal favorite label remover is un-do. i order it from amazon and it really does the work for you. it even has an attachment that scrubs and peels the label itself. once the label is removed and the little pieces of paper are rinsed off, i run the jars and tubes through the dishwasher. the metal caps on the 12-ounce jars should be boiled or hand washed. (if you run them through the dishwasher they tend to rust.) the cork-like tops on the tubes have had no trouble in the dishwasher yet and i feel like it cleans the porous, hard to reach areas better than I could hand washing them.
when everything is clean and dry, i get to work on creating neat, fun, and usable household items. as you see I have used the tubes mainly for propagating plants. it’s such a fun way to watch the plant grow new roots from a cutting. my children are enthralled by this process. i like to give them notebooks for when they add a plant, so they can keep track of the growth process and note what changes day by day. here are some fun ways to diy your own creations with earth + herbs jars and tubes.
12- ounce jars:
- storing childrens messy toys/ slime + playdoh – the glass jars make a great airtight seal for any type of slime or playdoh to keep it fresh. i also like to keep small toys such as legos or puzzle pieces. throw a label on it and store them neatly on a shelf.
- leftovers or lunch storage containers – these make great choices over regular bpa plastic containers. over time those containers tend to leak toxins into the food stored in them. so this is a safer + clean way to keep your food fresh.
- homemade candles – the 12-ounce jars are the perfect size for homemade candles. pick out either a cotton wick or wood wick and add 10-11 ounces of melted beeswax (the best way to melt the beeswax is in a double boiler since you are less likely to burn the wax). once the wax has slightly cooled add 4-8 drops of your favorite essential oils + pour into the jar. If you really want to impress, you can always add fresh or dried flower petals + herbs. these also make great holiday gifts.
- bathroom organization – place q-tips, cotton swabs, + other bathroom essentials in the jar and place them on a shelf or stack in the cabinet. these make neat, aesthetically pleasing decorations, especially if you add cute chalkboard or clear labels.
1.5-ounce tubes:
- spice + seed storage – these little containers are perfect for storing homemade spices or keeping seeds, granola, + candies. the stylish, modern look doesn’t hurt either.
- birthday goodies/gifts – i have often used these for party gift bag goodies. i put m&m’s, slime, + other items in the tubes. these have always been a great hit. (after, the parents can use them for their own diy projects.)
- propagation station – this (if you can tell) is my favorite thing to use the tubes for. there are so many options on how you can set these up. tying twine around the top of the tube and continuing the twine around the next 2-4 tubes. you can always add a little but of hot glue to keep the twine in place. you can also build a small station for them to stand up on. mine was built out of scrap wood I had from my raise bed gardens. if you are unfamiliar with how propagation works, you take the cuttings from another plant and place the stem into the water to encourage root growth. once the roots have established themselves you can place the plant in a small pot with soil.
