Our favorite ways to upcycle Tree Hugger Containers jars

Many of us learned as early as Pre-K the mantra “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.” Beyond refusing what you don’t need and reducing your own personal consumption of landfill-designated materials, there’s the issue of reuse. Nowadays, there are thousands of Pinterest boards with ideas to reuse, or “upcycle” mundane packaging in new and exciting ways. Whatever clunky container or packaging you have lying around the house, someone out there has found a clever way to reuse it.Tree Hugger Containers (Tree HC) jars were designed with sustainability in mind, and there are endless ways to reuse them in your everyday life, for function or fun. Here are a few of our favorite things to do with (clean) empty jars:

Keep spices (or other bulk items!)

More shoppers today are transitioning to buying in bulk, for sustainability and/or affordability. Next time you’ve run out of a pantry staple, skip the plastic container and head to a local grocer who sells in bulk. You’d be surprised at all the things you can buy for your own container. We think Tree Hugger jars are the perfect size to store spices like dill, anise, cloves, or nutmeg! 

Plant a succulent friend 

Upcycling containers for plants has become a popular trend. Take a succulent, or other shallow-root plant, and pot in a Tree HC  jar three-quarters full of potting soil. (Pro-tip: throw some rocks in the bottom to ensure there is drainage.) And look at that, you have a new little plant friend for your window or office!

Store special stuff for travel 

Whether you take medication daily or you like to travel with at least 12 pairs of earrings at any given time, most of us know how much of a pain it can be to travel with small items. Tree HC jars can act as your durable storage companion for trips. Grandma’s fragile earrings coming to the wedding with you? Wrap in cloth and store safely in the jar. Don’t want to bring all your medication or formula on a flight? Store what you need to bring in a sealed jar (and label it, to be safe.) Even if a Tree HC jar never leaves your dresser at home, they make a perfect container for life’s delicate necessities. 

Make a twinkly light (or several!)

Get yourself a small string of LED battery-operated lights and make a fairy light for a little magical ambience in your space. You can find them online or in craft or dollar stores, especially around the holidays. Make several and use them in your living room, in your bedroom, or even make them with little ones for some fairy-lit blanket forts!

Turn them into holiday gifts

Speaking of the holidays, they will be here before we all know it. And in this economy, many of us could use some ideas for DIY gifts to lessen the price tag on this shopping season. Transform a Tree HC jar into a gift by filling one with bath salts (DIY recipe here), hot cocoa mix (another recipe here), or a custom bird seed mix to attract more birds to their yard. Really, the gifting-possibilities are endless! If you’re feeling extra in the Holiday Spirit this year, turn a jar into a snowglobe, or for the upcoming Halloween season, a fun spooky globe (like here, and here.)

These options are only a fraction of what you can with your Tree HC jars! If you want to show off your creative Tree HC upcycle, tag us on Instagram!