Recycling The Plastic Container

The final product!

This craft is so easy a caveman could do it! Where have I heard that before.....?


I've been saving large plastic containers that previously held pretzel sticks, nuts and animal crackers. These are nice sized covered jars and it seems a shame to just toss them away. I saw something in a home craft magazine that was a variation of this using glass canning jars which have a two part lid. In that craft, the jars were used to hold a home sewing kit and the lid was covered in much the same way as I will explain below but padded so that the lid did double duty as a pin cushion. Pretty clever!

Start with a container like this.

I didn't have any canning jars available so I'm using the aforementioned plastic containers. 


Supplies: 

• Any plastic container with a screw-on lid
• 10" fabric square (approximately, for one jar lid)
• Tacky glue sold in craft stores
• 1/2 yard of ribbon for sides and bow (measure width to size of jar lid)
• Other decorations are optional

Directions:

• Remove the lid and on the reverse side of a small piece of fabric, trace a circle using the lid as a template. Cut fabric 1/4 inch larger and make slit marks from the cut edge to the pencil line all the way around about every 1/2 inch.

• Using tacky craft glue, apply a thick line of glue all the way around.
• Position the fabric over the plastic lid and  press slit sides to the plastic lid. (This will take a few minutes, keep working the fabric glue and re-stick if it still pops up) Note: the glue will dry clear so don't worry if it's a bit messy looking.
• Cut a length of coordinating ribbon (satin o grosgrain work well) and adhere to the side of the lid. Make sure the ribbon is wide enough to cover sides.
• When dry, make a small bow and glue that to the front of lid. Use other decorations (buttons, sequins, rhinestones) if you want to enhance further.
• When you decide what the contents will be, make a label on your computer in similar colors for the side of the plastic jar.