I have a collection of Tostitos Queso Dip glass jars that I’ve been saving for quite some time. In fact, I love to use them for storage so much that I moved them all the way from Oregon to Texas. Today is the day that I’m going to repurpose those glass jars into something spectacular.
What I like about those jars
- They are wide mouth so it’s easy to get supplies in and out of them
- The 15 and 23-ounce sizes are fantastic for storing dried herbs and spices
- They stack well in the cupboard
- They clean up nicely, wouldn’t you say?
In this post, you’ll learn how to repurpose glass jars into something spectacular for your pantry storage. After all, why have a boring cupboard?
Remove the Labels
These particular jars have plastic labels that are very easy to remove. The problem is they leave a sticky residue on the jar. I did a bit of research online and after seeing about 50 different ways to remove jar goop I decided on this simple idea from Mother Nature Network.
It requires 2 ingredients and 30 minutes of patience to get your jars gleaming and sticker free.
- Mix together equal amounts of baking soda and cooking oil. A teaspoon of each will cover the label area of 4 jars.
- Using your finger, liberally rub the mixture all over the sticky parts of the glass jar.
- Leave it on for 30 minutes. It will not dry.
- Run a sink of hot water and dish soap, then wet the jar, and
- Rub it with an abrasive scrubber or piece of steel wool.
Wash the jars really well with soap and water. The soap help to remove the excess oil left on the jar and after drying time they will gleam. I found that is technique worked fantastic on the glue residue from the plastic labels but only okay on the paper labels. That required a bit more “elbow grease” to get the job done.
Scuff up the lids
For all these years I’ve stored my jars with the original lids. They are useful but not very cute, you know what I mean? I happened to have a can of spray paint in the craft room and today I’m finally giving them an upgrade.
Take a piece of steel wool, sandpaper, or an abrasive scrubber, and scuff up the lids on all sides. You want to give the spray paint something to adhere to. I found that it was easier to get a grip on them if I left the top on the jar. It gives you more gripping space.
Once scuffed, give each lid a wipe down with a damp cloth and set them aside to dry.
It’s All in the Box
I learned many years ago (after ruining a piece of furniture that I loved) that the best way to spray paint small items was to place them inside a box. This really cuts down on overspray. Place the lids inside the box and spray them in short bursts. They will require 2 coats for the tops and another coating to clean up any missed area on the sides.
I always seem to have one small side of the lid that does not get enough coverage. After everything is dry, cut out a piece of newspaper and place it over the jar, and under the lid.
Now you can touch up the last area and the newspaper will give your jar protection while you spray.
Supplies for this project:
- Glass jars with lids
- Abrasive scrubber, sandpaper, or steel wool
- Spray paint in the color of your choice
- A box to catch overspray
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
Where did I get those cute labels? Why Amazon of course…
Awesome newspaper hint..thanks.
I just repurposed a glass spice jar into a vase. They make perfect hostess gifts! I love the newspaper trick – definitely using that!!
Would you use them for canning?
Hi Margaret, they are not safe for canning, only for pantry storage.
Great post! I have few very cute jam jars,that I wolud like to use again, but I had no idea how to remove the labels. Your tips came right on time . Thanks for sharing 🙂
I know how to clean the jars & paint the lids, but I would love to see picture ideas of jars reused, such as the little tiny jelly jars in your picture.
I use old jars ,screwing the lid to the underside of a shelf and then fill them with odd nails and screws in my workshop .I then twist them up for storing and down for using the screws .It uses space that we don’t normally use
How do you keep the paint from getting on the jars when you paint them in the box?
Take the lids off and set them in a box to spray. You can put the lids back on the jars, over the piece of newspaper, to spray another coat of paint and get any spots that may have been missed while in the box.
I know this article is not new, but as people are still reading it, I’m sure, I thought I would add my two-cents worth. I had a salsa jar with a glued plastic label that went all the way around the jar. When I pulled the label off, it left a gluey residue completely all the way around the jar too and I despaired of EVER getting that mess clean so I could repurpose the jar. I had just read a comment on another frugality blog which said that plain old baking soda alone and a little water does an amazing job of cleaning glue residue off of glass, so I gave it a try, figuring I was probably going to have to throw the jar out. To my amazement, using very little baking soda and a scrubby brush, that jar was clean as a whistle in just a minute with very little effort at all. Not one single bit of glue residue left! I was surprised as heck but estastic and will use that simple method from now on. Plain baking soda which I sprinkled directly on the glue, a little warm water, and a scrub brush did the best job I’ve ever seen removing glue from a label. Try it! ? Kudos to all those out there trying not just to save a little money but to be thoughtful, ecology-minded consumers and good citizens who care for our earth in as many ways as possible, including NEVER littering, carrying a bag and picking up trash while out for a walk, eliminating single-use plastics, and reusing, repurposing, and recycling…. God bless you all.
Lemon essential can help remove those labels as well. Add a few drops to your baking soda/oil mixture.
I have always used isopropyl alcohol (the less water content, the better – I keep 90% around the house for first aid and cleaning electronics) to dissolve common adhesives. When I go to the hospital and get an IV, I always ask the nurse to saturate the tape with alcohol for a few seconds before removing it. It does very well on jar labels, too. I just saturate the label and let it soak for a few moments, but I don’t let it dry (lower water content equals faster evaporation). Most labels come off with no scouring or residue.
Peanut butter works great for adhesive remover
much appreciate the great tips!
Lovely ideas! Can spray paint be used on jars used to store food? Is it food-safe ?
Thought this article was going to give ideas on how to repurpose not how to paint the jars and clean them.
Nice project.
I did something similar using wood. A lathe or a dedicated jig are necessary.
I don’t have a dishwasher. I have to throw pickle jars and smelly candle jars away, that I wanted to keep in the recycling bin. I can soak them for weeks with the jar full of extra soapy water, and the lid will still have a smell. Everybody’s talking about removing labels, that’s the easy part. How do you get the smell out quickly without using a dishwasher ?
I never leave comments. Being stuck inside, is making me want to reach out I guess.
I only hand-wash, too, and I up-cycle all kinds of jars.
I have had luck deodorizing pickle and/or condiment jars with either (not together) hot white vinegar (fill jar & let steep until cool )(btw save vinegar for the next jar) OR baking soda (coat/bury) lid. I keep my past-date fridge-deodorizing baking soda for this. I use a small zip lock bag of baking soda, bury the cap in i and just leave it there for a while – days if need be)(again, reuse, reuse, reuse that kit). For stubborn smells I peel out the rubber gasket (which is a PITA), but then the cap will not be water-tight when closed. I do this when re-purposing the caps into ornaments, too.
For scented candles, I usually use Goo Gone to remove the last coating of wax, then soapy wash.. That usually get the fragrance out.. When that’s not enough, I pack the jar with used baking soda and let that draw out the fragrance.
Now, If anyone knows how to get the smell out of pre-chopped garlic jars – – I am open to new ideas!
PS – if using the hot vinegar technique, after filling the jar and snugging on the lid, turn the jar upside-down so the vinegar can work on the stinky lid gasket.
I have found that if I leave smelly jars, recently cleaned, open in fresh air on my kitchen countertop the smell will evaporate. But the best non smelling jars are the jam jars. Or plastic small juice bottles, I use these also.
Thank you for the tip, Laura!
The lids are not on the jars when they’re being spray painted in the box.
I use bleach and water to get the smell out. Let it soak for about 1/2 hour. It also gets tomato stains out of plastic storage containers
Thank you for the tip Karyl!
God bless
Another good way to remove labels, (especially the paper ones with a ton of adhesive) is simple lighter fluid. Scuff the paper with sandpaper, brush it on, 30 seconds later, you can scrape it off with any scraper or a razor blade, then wipe off the rest with a little more fluid on a paper towel. Anything left will evaporate, but you could rinse it off if you wanted.
Fortunately, some manufacturers are starting to use water-based or no-residue adhesives, which are way easier. We need to bug them until they all do it!