5 Things To Do with Jar Lids

Whether you use them to keep your jams fresh or store knick-knacks, jars are a standby in nearly every home. Little did you know jar lids are good for so much more.

1. Make Safety Reflectors

Is your driveway difficult to maneuver after dark? With some scrap wood and jar lids you can make inexpensive reflectors to guide drivers. Spray the lids with reflective paint, screw them to the sides of the stakes cut from scrap wood, and drive the stakes into the ground. Voilà! No more dinged fenders or flattened flowers!

2. Save Half-Eaten Fruit

Got half a peach, apple, or orange you’d like to save for later? Wrap a jar lid in plastic wrap or wax paper and then set the fruit cut side down on it in the refrigerator.  A bit of lemon juice on the cut surface of the fruit will help prevent discoloration. And why throw out the contents of a partially consumed glass of milk or juice? Just cover it with a lid and refrigerate to keep it fresh. 

3. Create a Spoon Rest

Place a jar lid on the stove or the countertop next to the stove while cooking. After stirring a pot, rest the spoon on the lid, and there’ll be less to clean up later. 

4. Cut Biscuits

Yum, homemade biscuits! Lids with deep rims or canning jar bands (the part with the cut-out center) make impromptu biscuit cutters. Use different-sized lids for Papa, Mama, and Baby biscuits. Dip the bottom edge of the lid in flour to keep it from sticking when you press it into the dough. Avoid lids whose rims are rolled inward; the dough can get stuck inside and be hard to extract. 

5. Saucers for Potted Plants

Lids with a rim are perfect for catching excess water under small potted plants, and unlike your ceramic saucers, if they get encrusted with minerals, you won’t mind throwing them out.  

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