Don't Throw Away That Plastic Coffee Lid: Turn It Into A Cute Storage Bin For Tiny Items

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Most people instinctively toss their plastic coffee lids into their recycling bins or trash cans when the grounds run out. However, if you have an interest in crafting — or you're simply tired of watching your garbage pile up week after week — hold onto that empty container. There are quite a few ways you can reuse it around the house. You could, for instance, try this easy DIY to transform an empty coffee container into a birdhouse or use a coffee can to organize dry baking ingredients. You'll want to hold onto the lid, too, which you can use for another project. With the help of a few basic crafting supplies and beginner-friendly weaving, your old coffee can lid can be transformed into a storage container for small items.

For this project, you'll need a pack of GoodCook Everyday 12-Inch Bamboo Skewers, which form the walls of the container. Get, too, a couple of spools of yarn or twine in white and khaki to weave through the sticks, giving the container structure and color. A ball of Red Heart Super Saver Yarn costs less than $4 and comes in both colors. Of course, you'll need a coffee can lid, which will serve as the base of the woven container. Make sure to clean off any coffee residue and set it aside to dry completely. If you're not a coffee drinker, you can also use a circular lid from an old Tupperware or takeaway food container. Tools-wise, all you need are some sharp scissors, a hot glue gun, and some glue sticks.

The first step in making this small woven container is placing the lid upside down on a flat work surface — the rim of the lid should face upward. Dab a bit of hot glue on one end of a skewer and attach it outside the lid's rim, pointing up vertically. One by one, attach more skewers to the rim, leaving about ¼-inch to ½-inch of space in between each skewer, until you meet back at the first one. If you find spacing tricky, wrap a strip of corrugated cardboard around the rim and slot the skewers (with a dot of glue) into the holes in the cardboard.

The next step involves some beginner-friendly weaving. Secure one end of your yarn — or twine, if you're using that instead — to the rim of the lid with a dab of hot glue. You can also start by tying the string to your first skewer. Then loop the yarn between each skewer, alternating between the back and the front as you work. Another way to put it is that you should only be able to see the yarn on every other skewer. This is called a plain or tabby weave.

Once you've mastered the skill, you can try other weaving projects, like giving plain glass jars a cute woven basket look. Stop weaving when you reach the wall height you prefer and tie off the loose end of the yarn. If the skewers stick out above the yarn, cut them shorter with sharp scissors and lightly sand the splintered ends. To finish the container, braid multiple lengths of twine together and glue the thick strands to to the rim for a neat finish.

Once you've mastered the basics, you can always upgrade your coffee lid storage by switching out the skewers for clothespins or craft sticks. If you have some tin snips on hand, you could even wrap a piece of Wurjhsong Vinyl Coated ¼-Inch Galvanized Wire Mesh around the coffee can lid and then weave the yarn through the squares. It's just one of many ways to repurpose chicken wire into stunning DIY decor for your home. Stitch some rustic ToBeIT Colored Wooden Beads or glittery fairycore charms onto the yarn for whimsical, nature-inspired look.

You could also switch the beachy white and khaki yarn for multicolored yarn. Primary colors would make quite the statement. Finally, spiff up the inside of your container by gluing a circle of fabric attached to some cardboard to the base. If you want to go the extra mile and add an even more decorative flair, get some ½-inch-wide Muxgoa Unfinished Wood Cubes to attach to the bottom as feet.

It can be hard to find places for the tiniest everyday items, like rubber bands, paper clips, jewelry, hair accessories, and — most notoriously — keys. Keys rank high on the list of most lost items in U.S. households. That's where this coffee lid storage DIY comes in handy. Pop this woven container on your entryway console as a catchall for all the things you dump out of your bag or pockets when arriving home from work. You could even place this container on your craft room worktable to use as a cute mini trash can.