Don't Waste Money On A Toothpick Dispenser, Reuse A Kitchen Staple Instead

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The garbage bin might seem like the obvious next stop in the life of a spice jar once it's empty. However, instead of relegating them to forgotten landfills, there's a great way to repurpose empty spice jars in your home. For instance, you can turn them into a toothpick dispenser within a few minutes. Spice jar lids have small holes on them that toothpicks can easily come out of. This way, you won't just give a new life to the jars, but you will also actively reduce the amount of waste your household generates on a regular basis. Bonus advantage: you won't have to spend your hard-earned money on store-bought dispensers.

But before you get to that, clean the jars thoroughly. Try upcycling only glass containers for this purpose, especially if you plan on placing them near your stovetop, as plastic ones can melt from the heat otherwise. Start by peeling off the sticker from the bottle. You can either try acetone nail polish remover to remove stickers from your glass items or rely on dedicated adhesive removers, such as Goo Gone. Once done, give your containers a soapy bath to rid them of any spicy residue. Use small bottle brushes, like Polykarmatic's Mini Straw & Pipe Cleaning Nylon Brushes, to eliminate stuck messes. Finally, set them aside to air dry.

Take one of the jars you cleaned and examine whether it's completely dry. Be sure to choose the right size spice jar since the picks will bend if it's too short. If it is spacious enough, grab your pack of toothpicks and decant them into the container. Tighten the shaker lid on top and your toothpick dispenser will be ready for use. Simply tilt the jar when required and the desired number of toothpicks will make their way to your waiting hands. Don't forget to snap the upper lid in place after using though, or dust will find its way into the jar, dirtying all the picks stored inside.

In case the jar you have doesn't come with a shaker lid, buy one separately to make your life easier. Or, you can drill holes into the top of the lid. But if you go this route, dirt might settle in through the poked holes. And if you want to prettify your generic-looking toothpick dispenser, give it a few coats of paint before you place the picks inside. You can even paint flowers, stars, a flowering landscape, or other designs on it to upgrade its look.