The Creative Way To Upcycle Old Kitchen Coffee Jars (That You Haven't Thought Of Yet)

Sometimes jars are so cute it can be hard to let them go, and why should you? Upcycling is always a good idea, and though we may be familiar with reusing yogurt jars and salvaging the last bits of sweetness in jam jars before turning them into new storage containers, sometimes we forget about one of the most underrated jars to upcycle in the kitchen: instant coffee jars. 

Coffee jars are in a league of their own when it comes to upcycling for one very important reason: the airtight lids that are meant to keep coffee fresh. Once the instant coffee is gone, those same lids can be used to keep other dried goods fresh (think spices or loose leaf teas). If you really want to get meta, you can reuse your coffee jar to store more coffee, either beans, fresh grounds, or more instant.

To prepare your instant coffee jars for storing other kitchen essentials, simply wash the labels off with warm water and soap, sterilize the bottles and let them dry. Fill them with whatever dried goods need a home and label the jars either using a permanent marker or by printing off labels.

The airtight lids on coffee jars can also be used to your advantage for shaking up some instant iced coffee or storing other beverages. It's a leakproof makeshift travel mug that can be carried without risk of spillage. If you really want to get creative, consider using a drill to create a hole for a straw in the lid, although the lidded jar won't be airtight anymore. The bigger instant coffee jars are also perfect for gifting pre-prepared recipe mixes like cookie ingredients or hot cocoa mix, again, because the lid keeps everything inside nice and fresh. 

Apart from food storage, nothing beats repurposing these adorable little jars for housing plant cuttings, or as a minimalist vase for one or two flowers. Coffee jars can be filled with fairy lights and placed on walkways, or hung from trees to create a cozy atmosphere outside your home on summer evenings. As if that weren't enough, the lids of instant coffee jars are ideal for sprouting seeds, while the jars can be used for storing seeds for your garden until you are ready to use them, with the airtight seal protecting them from moisture.