Reuse Yogurt Jars To Make The Perfect Halloween Storage Containers

The spooky season is upon us, and here's a trick for your treats. Your glass yogurt jars are canvases for cheap and easy Halloween decorations you can DIY. A few dabs of clay and a lick of black paint transforms a jar into a mini cauldron storage container. Affix an adhesive striker to the base, fill it with wooden matches, and you'll have adorable storage to complement jack o' lanterns. 

If you have one yogurt jar, you probably have plenty more waiting for reuse. Gather up an array of paint colors and paint pens if you have them, and use a few more jars to complete a party's-worth of Halloween themed storage cups. Ghostify one; make Frankenstein's monster from another. And no Halloween decor collection is complete without a jack-o'-lantern, so add pumpkin stickers to them, too. These containers are useful for countless other things, as well. Set a tealight candle inside one or stuff the others with suckers and licorice whips. Fill them with fall flowers or condiments for food at a party. They can even make a bathroom cuter for seasonal storage of things like cotton swabs or toothbrushes.

Most of the quintessentially "Halloween" painted designs for these jars are pretty easy to visualize, but to create a black cauldron, purchase black paint, clay, match striker stickers, and glue. You'll make clay ring handles for each side and for four "feet" for the bottom. Glue these to the jar pre-painting. You can use bakeable polymer clay or save a few bucks by opting for air-dry clay. As for glue, grab some E6000 — a glue you should keep in your home; this stuff is ideal for holding two different materials together.

Fire burn and cauldron bubble! Gather your supplies to whip up your witchy match holder. Remove the label from the jar first. If it gives you trouble, try this foolproof way to remove sticky labels. Clean the glass well with soap and water to remove any residue.

Make your cauldron's clay feet and handles before painting the jar. Four feet for the base can be as simple as little balls of clay, or you can form them into small cylindrical or square-sided legs. For the handle, roll a small ball of clay into a snake, and coil it into a ring. Another small ball formed into a flat square can serve as what looks like the handles' hinges. Stick each piece to the jar exactly in the spot where you'll be gluing it later so that it takes the shape of where it will be attached. Carefully un-stick the clay pieces, and let them dry or bake them according to the clay's directions.

When the clay accessories are ready, affix them to the base and sides with E6000 or another strong glue. Before painting, it's not a bad idea to let the glue dry and cure. Since both the clay and the glass have smooth surfaces, it may take up to 24 hours for the glue to cure. Spray or brush on a coat or two of black paint. Once it's dry, place a striker sticker on the base, and equip the cauldron with a handy supply of matches for quick candle and bonfire lighting.