Being a parent is a wondrous journey that is initially marked by the earth-rocking realization that you have successfully created a miniature, entirely vulnerable human being that you are solely responsible for. Once that revelation wanes and you become accustomed to your all-encompassing role, heart-swelling experiences such as witnessing your child achieve major developmental milestones and seeing the world through their eyes continually creep up on you and steal your heart. Could it be that these regular events are part of the grand cosmic plan to ensure that mothers and fathers won’t spiral out of control when faced 17,879 pounds of goo-caked laundry, inexplicably random crying that pierces any hope of enjoying even one solid hour of REM sleep and a mountain of empty baby food jars that even your municipal recycling service loathes?
Unless you make your own pureed fruit and veggie blends — which for many is out of the question, given already challenging work and parenting schedules — there are probably hundreds of empty glass jars cluttering your countertops and spilling out of your recycling bins in a random week. Out of eco-desperation, you might be inclined to slip about 50 or so into a friend’s bin when he or she is not looking (better yet, when he or she is not even home) or pray that someone on Craigslist or Freecycle will swoop in to save the day, but there’s a better, far more creative way to liberate your household from the clutter. Yes, it will involve a little DIY magic, but before you know it, you may find yourself reinventing so many glass baby food jars in such unexpected and clever ways that you’ll be buying double the amount of pureed meals just to fuel your habit! (Psst… bananas are especially good!)
Unless you make your own pureed fruit and veggie blends — which for many is out of the question, given already challenging work and parenting schedules — there are probably hundreds of empty glass jars cluttering your countertops and spilling out of your recycling bins in a random week. Out of eco-desperation, you might be inclined to slip about 50 or so into a friend’s bin when he or she is not looking (better yet, when he or she is not even home) or pray that someone on Craigslist or Freecycle will swoop in to save the day, but there’s a better, far more creative way to liberate your household from the clutter. Yes, it will involve a little DIY magic, but before you know it, you may find yourself reinventing so many glass baby food jars in such unexpected and clever ways that you’ll be buying double the amount of pureed meals just to fuel your habit! (Psst… bananas are especially good!)
An affordable and practical storage system
Step one: Screw or nail baby jar lids onto the underside of shelves, making sure that you space them far enough apart to easily grab the matching glass base. Step two: Fill your empty glass jars with whatever bits and pieces you want to organize. Step three: Thread the glass bases onto corresponding lids. Step four: proudly admire your handy-dandy space-saving storage system offering a clear view of all the goodies inside. Crafters, chefs and garage dwellers will rejoice equally, whether you corral hardware finds, buttons, beads or spices. Conversely, you can avoid the screws and nails altogether by creating a magnetic storage system or a scaled-down shelving unit that easily accommodates 28 jars.Miniature sewing kit with built-in pin cushion lid
Why would you make such a thing? Because ladies love tiny versions of household staples, that’s why. This far more durable container (compared to throwaway travel versions) easily accommodates buttons, a pack of needles, several colors of mini thread spools and a pair of tiny scissors. Besides being a great gift or party favor for the crafting set, you might scatter a few of these babies throughout the house so you’ll have an easily accessible go-to sewing kit whenever buttons leap off at random or seams split without forewarning.
