Back when our growing kids were constantly threatening to eat us out of house and home, I focused most of my efforts on the “reuse” aspect of “reduce, reuse, and recycle” when it came to disposable food containers. Lucky for me, that skill has served me well over time!
I’ve discovered all sorts of ways to repurpose different types of containers. As I’ve reflected on the containers I’ve found most useful, I thought, “Why not write a post about them?” So I did!
Below, you’ll find a list of my top 9 containers to repurpose around the house, along with suggestions for ways to use them. (You may also find my tips on removing stickers helpful if you prefer to remove labels from containers before reusing them!)
Look for the video at the end of this post to see step-by-step instructions in action!
9 Versatile Containers You Can Reuse Around the House
1. Parmesan Cheese Shakers
While the container itself is useful enough, it’s the lid on the Parmesan cheese container that earns it a place on this list! An old Parmesan cheese shaker is perfect for storing anything you might want to distribute by shaking or sprinkling, such as cornstarch, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, baking soda, etc.
The other side of the lid usually has a larger opening that can also come in handy. You can use it to dispense kids’ snacks—or your own snacks, for that matter. (Did you know that the lid from a Parmesan cheese shaker can fit onto a regular mouth mason jar? It’s true!)
2. Baby Wipes Boxes
Baby wipes boxes are an extremely versatile container to have on hand, and I use one to store my reusable fabric softener sheets. The box keeps them nice and tidy and the lid helps seal in the scent so they don’t need to be refreshed quite as often.
The one drawback I’ve found with these containers is that their labels can be downright impossible to remove. So if the label bothers you, I’d recommend covering it up with some scrapbook paper or washi tape rather than trying to remove it.
3. Large Yogurt Containers
Whether they were originally filled with yogurt, sour cream, cottage cheese, or something else, plastic tubs are great for repurposing! I use them to freeze a variety of veggies and fruits, but my favorite way to use them is to gift homemade ice cream to friends and family. I usually take the time to remove the ink print from the outside of the container first to make it look a bit nicer.
To remove the ink, just pour some rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover onto a cotton ball and wipe the printed areas. You may need to use a few cotton balls to get all the ink off, but pretty soon you’ll have a clean container! Wash it with soapy water and it’ll be ready to use.
4. Ice Cream Pails
I find it virtually impossible to throw these versatile plastic buckets away! They’re handy for corralling collections of items like seasonal cookie cutters and small toys. You can also fill them with soapy water when tackling cleaning jobs around the house.
But I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention that these buckets have proven highly useful as vomit receptacles. When my kids were much younger and much more vomit-prone, I would bring one along on every car ride and I kept one under my kids’ beds for those unpredictable late-night episodes. These pails saved me a lot of unfortunate cleanup during those years!
5. Gum/Mint Containers
There are so many great uses for gum and mint containers. Gum containers are a bit bigger, so they’re great for storing craft supplies, snacks, or even loose change.
Smaller mint containers are handy for corralling paper clips, emergency sewing supplies, or notoriously easy-to-lose hair accessories like bobby pins! The possibilities are practically endless.
6. Tin Cans
No decent list of repurposed containers could exclude the good old tin can! You can use them as pencil holders, small vases for flowers, watering cans for your houseplants, or you can make one of those old-school “telephones” by threading a length of string or yarn through the bottom of two cans.
More Ideas You'll Love
If you intend for your can to be out on a desk or table somewhere, you can upcycle a can by dressing up the outside with paint, fabric, washi tape, or scrapbook paper.
7. Plastic Milk Jugs
Plastic milk jugs always come in handy as a watering can in a pinch, but my favorite way to repurpose them is as a giant ice pack. Just fill a milk jug with water until it is nearly full, but not quite. (The extra space will accommodate the expansion of the water as it freezes.)
Screw the cap on and throw the milk jug in the freezer until it’s frozen solid. The milk jug “ice pack” is great for camping, picnics, and more! I often use one for trips to Costco, since the closest Costco to us is 30 minutes away. So I bring a cooler and my milk jug “ice pack” to keep the cold/frozen foods cold until we get back home.
8. Stackable Tackle Box Jars
I love finding new uses for ordinary things you can find in any grocery store. :-) I found these stackable tackle box jars in the camping and fishing aisle quite by accident, and I just love them! They are great for storing small amounts of things in your purse or car, like ointment, pills, or lotion.
9. Juice Bottles
Empty juice bottles are my container of choice for storing my homemade liquid laundry detergent. They’re the perfect size, and it’s nice to be able to reuse such a big container instead of just throwing it out. You can learn how to make my homemade liquid laundry detergent here.
Click here to see these tips in action!
More Repurposing Tips & Tricks
What’s your favorite way to reuse containers?
NEW! Can you guess the 5-letter word related to today’s post?
More Ideas You'll Love
So my hubby uses the crystal light drinks to watch his sugar intake and those plase tic containers are really reusable! I make homemade chicken stock for my dogs food and when it cools I put it in those containers and freeze them. They are also great for small snacks to take in the car for kids. We use them as a piggy bank to save coins and also I have used them to put cotton bals and qtips as well as jewelry when we go camping or in our RV…. so many uses for these!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My adult children call me a pack rat because I never throw containers away. I keep them all because I see different things I can do with them. Why buy high priced Tupperware when you can buy a vegetable tray and re-purpose it. The same with the Lunchable trays. I use them for snack trays and paint when crafting. Of course, all the glass jars and bottles I use for canning small things, like salsa, or green chilies. The possibilities are endless. (You can reuse they lids from the small jars once or twice). And I do. Then after 2 uses, I use them for mixing all my cleaning products that are Homemade. They make great gifts like bath sales, body butters, and room fresheners. I LOVE RE-PURPOSING.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Vinegar jugs are sturdier than a lot of other plastic containers out there (along with the juice jugs mentioned, but we don’t drink juice). I reuse them for storing Jillee’s homemade windshield washer fluid, glass cleaner, etc. Hurricane preparedness includes filling as many as I can with filtered drinking water. Afterwards I use the leftovers for watering plants, since I’m not a fan of leaving drinking water sitting around in plastic containers.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jillee, An old Girl Scout trick for cleaning little or big hands when camping or at the park, back yard birthday parties, etc…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.1 gallon plastic milk container, 1 golf tee, old panty hose, bar of soap. Take a screw driver and punch a hole about an inch above the bottom of the container. Make it only big enough where the golf tee will plug the hole. Take one leg of the panty hose and stick a bar of soap in the foot of the panty hose. This works best with a used bar of soap so it isn’t so heavy. Tie the other end of the panty hose to the gallon container handle. Fill the milk gallon with water and Wa- La . Line up the kids and pull the golf tee out and wet hands, immediately replug the milk container. Now scrub hands with the bar of soap. Pull the golf tee again to rinse. This is wonderful for picnics in the park, camping, etc…..
I have 2 sisters who were G.S. Leaders back in the 70″ and 80″s.
Jillee your welcome to pass this on to your readers.
We are campers and will definitely use this great idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We still do this when camping!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I reuse Koolaid containers (the premixed with sugar kind) for storage/collection, like change, buttons, whatever needs a place to collect. You can also reuse as a koolaid container by mixing sugar and a koolaid packet for those who “cant measure it right” (I live with my 76 y/o father whose excuse for not making things himself is he can never get it right VERY frustrating, and my 21 y/o son who can be lazy at home)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I reuse squeezable mayo bottles for salad dressing, pancake syrup, and hamburger sauce. I also reuse Costco sized nut and Jelly Belly containers for a wide assortment of items from food to toys.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I recently used a round “car cup” gum container for salad dressing container in my office lunch. I was able to tuck it inside my filled salad bowl container, in case it leaked (but it didn’t) and pour the dressing on just before eating so the salad was still crisp. The lid unscrews to easily wash. I liked it so much, I added a second one with croutons the next day!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love those things I use then for so many things…my favorite is to put a dose of meds I need to take with me. The container even doubles as a cup to drink from, as I take those meds.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Back in my sailing days, we used to take gallon bleach bottles, cut the bottoms off then make a u-shaped cut up towards the handle, round off the corners and you have a large, sturdy scoop to bail out your boat. Today I use 1/2 gallon scoops for large loose items like bags of pine shavings, etc. To limit the amount of scouring powder that comes pouring out of the 6 holes on top of the standard cleanser container we used to cover all but 2 holes with masking tape. Now I repurpose a tall glass olive jar by drilling 2 holes in the lid and use that for cleanser, better, a plastic container that you don’t have to worry about dropping. But I like the look of the glass container! We refill the 1/2 gallon ( sorry 56oz!) juice bottles with water and keep them in the car for long trips and a dozen in the basement full for those days when the power is lost due to storms and the well pump is off . . .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I keep sewing needles in mechanical pencil lead containers.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Very smart!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My best hack for a car sick kiddo is actually an OxyClean bucket – you can fit a gallon ziplock in it & fold the top over the bucket for easy cleanup. We live an hour from groceries, so this solution was PERFECT. You contain the nasty from the sick, put in a new clean on (bucket itself is still perfectly clean), ready to go if they get sick again.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Such a clever idea!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Jill…do you have a suggestion for re-use for those liquid Coffemate containers? Right now my large ones are holding water for my plants (3). The smaller ones? Any ideas?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use mine for sugar, flour (to dust my counter top when baking), yeast that comes in bags, etc. I love those containers. I put a strip of clear tape on them to write the contents on.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would use them for pantry staples that you use often – sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking soda etc. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use both sizes for small dry cereal, pasta, dried beans,rice, and pet treats.
I use one as a homemade “sharps” container like they have in hospitals and doctor’s offices. I put broken needles, pins,nails, toothpicks and anything else small and sharp that you could stick yourself on, or someone else, when emptying the trash. I have one in my craft room, the kitchen and the garage.
I also use one to put sparkling decorator’s sugar in. Much easier to sprinkle it on baked goods than to spoon it out of the bag it comes in. I have one with instant tea in it for a quick glass of ice tea.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Those round pill containers that stack are great for filling with spices to take on vacation or camping! I also keep some empty cleaned gallon water or milk containers handy in case of an emergency that can be filled up with clean water at a moment’s notice in case of an emergency.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.We are campers and love the idea of the spice tower of spices using the round pill containers we get from the dollar store.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love reusing altoids containers (the regular and the mini). I put my knitting stitch markers in the regular size. I make my own homemade lip gloss and put it in the mini. Perfect.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My face toner bottle does not have a lid with a little syuirter hole, so too much come sout. I saved a face cream jar with a pump top. I put my toner in the jar. Now, I can pump out as much as i need.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Jillee! I’ve been reading your posts for quite a while now and really enjoying them! I have been R & R & R ever since we lived in Idaho back in 1978. I’ve found so many containers to reuse. How about this one…You know the rectangle container that Nesquik comes in? It’s exactly the right size for 8 hot dogs. I drilled holes in another one and it’s perfect to store mushrooms in the fridge. Any small container that will make it thru the dishwasher, I’ve drilled tiny holes in and it’s great for more fragile veggies. I’ve been reusing some containers ( like the baby wipes one) that I got when our daughter was little 41 years ago! Keep up the good work and the best to you and yours. Lee
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Brilliant! Thanks Lee!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.These are great ideas, I love reusing, when applicable. Love the grated shaker top idea…..Going to use it with a glass container. I take cute small jars, clean and reuse for spices, and other items…..I do not like plastic, regardless,I prefer glass, or metal for most storage. I reuse a milk jug for a travel vomit container. I cut off the top, an area big enough to use, and keep the handle…..very useful….and also I keep my coffee grinds in this, and put in garden when full….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great tips Jillee. I re-use yogurt containers by filling them with water and freezing them, then adding as many or as few as needed for various sized coolers. An added bonus is that you can fill the containers with drinking water so you’ll also have water on hand!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I save the plastic lids off the small ice cream containers….I keep one on my nightstand to cover the glass of water I keep on my nightstand (I love my cats, but prefer not to share my drinking water!). I use the lids as drink coasters (perfect for outdoors!) and use when I want a handful or two of nuts or snack to munch on..but it really doesn’t rate dirting up a bowl. The small lids fit nicely in the top rack of the dishwasher…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use the larger plastic coffee containers to hold salt for icy sidewalks. One brand even has indentations on the side to make the “cans” easier to hold and shake out the salt or dip into with a smaller scoop and disperse the salt that way.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes, great idea
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My grandmother always had plants growing in large tin cans….she would cover them in in foil to make them prettier but I think there are many more options now to jazz them up….easy to nail holes in the bottom for drainage.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great ideas. We use the Parmesan containers for stuff like baking soda and salt. They are very easy to measure with the flip top lids. I actually have reused a mint container like you’ve shown for one of your face powder hacks and also the tic tack container for Bobby pins. I also if they are in good condition will save my Altoid tins. They are great for organizing straight pins, paper clips etc. My uses them sometimes for birthdays and the holidays if she’s giving a little money for part of a gift.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Milk jugs are great for starting seeds in the spring. Cut the top 1/3 partly off so you can either cover the seeds for more humidity or heat, or open for more sun and air. I have a friend, in Michigan, that puts hers outside in April!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I use pill bottles to keep loose change. I have 1 or Canadian change and 1 for US coins. I also re-use cat litter containers to keep dry cat food; as a wash bucket; leftover topsoil etc…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Save the zippered bags your new comforters come in. Perfect for storage for blankets/ change of season clothing, the uses are endless. The bags are strong, clear (to see what’s inside) and the handles make them easy to carry!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I agree, they are so useful. All sorts of things come in a variety of sizes of zippered plastic bags. I sort my quilting fabric and projects in them…they stay clean and dust free. As a bonus most of them have a pocket on the front where the label or product info was inserted. Often they are blank on the backside so I can turn it around and write what project is in the bag. Or I insert the quilt pattern in the pocket so it’s easy to identify.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I purchased the 8-pack of creamer from Costco. (These plastic containers hold about 11 ounces of creamer.). The plastic label cuts off easily, so you can decorate it or leave it blank. The top has a flip top, or you can just unscrew it. I think it’s a great size for powdered items, snacks, or even non-food items.
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