Put a Lid On It - Recycled Canisters for Your Camper

Both attractive and practical.  These cannisters are a winner for our camper!

I'm a practical person by nature but I also like to make the practical cute and fun.  Maybe not that practical, but it is something that I enjoy.  We probably eat more peanut butter in our home than any other staple item, and peanut butter jars can be repurposed to make a small set of canisters for your camper.



Peanut butter jars are the perfect size for us.  Plus, I wanted something plastic that would not break. You could also use mayonnaise containers and coffee containers.  Something small and functional worked best for us.

Peanut butter jars are what I used, but you can use plastic coffee containers as well.

First, you will need to remove your label and wash completely.  To strip off any remaining adhesive, use a product such as Goo Gone Surface Safe Adhesive Remover.  Allow everything to dry.

Goo Gone or Goo Off will take off the adhesive labels.

Next, use spray paint to paint your lids any color of choice.  I had some turquoise paint from a previous project that I decided to use.  Paint in thin even coats until you have painted the lids inside and out.

I paint on plastic garbage bags or grocery sacks.  Let each coat dry fully in between.

If you want to dress up your lids, glue on a knob of your choice with Gorilla Super Glue.  You could use inexpensive ones for cabinets, wooden craft knobs that you paint or even old wooden spools if you have them.  Think about the look you are going for and include those items as part of the decoration.

Finally, add some labels.  I used Chalkboard Contact Paper to make labels.  I simply looked for some label outlines and printed them to be used.  I traced the label pattern onto the back of the contact paper and cut out.

I had some left over chalkboard contact paper strips from my door project, so I used some of this for my labels.

Using a chalkboard pen, I wrote the container contents on the label and applied to the clean peanut butter jar.

Ideas for using repurposed canisters:

• Coffee
• Pancake Mix
• Sugar
• Plastic Utensils - you will need a larger container such as a large mayo jar or coffee container
• Flour
• Sugar Substitute Packets

If you are looking for something unique to put into your newly constructed containers, make up some vanilla sugar.  Take a vanilla bean and split with a knife.  Scrape the inside of the bean and stir into 2 cups of sugar.  Pour into your canister and insert the vanilla bean into the center.  Enjoy your coffee or tea with a bit.  You could also sprinkle this over apples to heat in a skillet for a side at breakfast or for a dessert.

Fill half of your jar with sugar and use one vanilla bean for your flavored sugar.

Split the vanilla bean down the middle and scrape the beans from the middle and mix into your sugar by stirring or shaking the jar.

Place the scraped vanilla bean down into the filled jar to allow the beans to fully infuse the sugar.  Let your mixture sit for a couple of weeks before using.

Having a screw top lid keeps everything intact while traveling.  Plastic won't break.  And dressing up the containers has a nice look that will have a little appeal.  

While we recycle as much as we can at home, I really enjoy re-purposing items too.  Look for ways that you can reuse and re-purpose items for your camper.  It is a way that you can save money and make unique accessories for your space.  This was a project that I did in an afternoon and love the finished product.

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