Turn An Old Plastic Jug Into A Useful Kitchen Sponge Holder

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The kitchen is the heart of every home. It's a morning gathering spot for coffee and breakfast making, a party hot spot for chit chat and snacks, and it almost always smells like something delicious in there. Unfortunately, it's also one of the hardest rooms to keep tidy since there's a constant flow of people and dishes going in and out the door. Finding little ways to organize this culinary area makes life so much easier. It's even better if you can free up kitchen space while helping save the planet by upcycling would-be landfill materials. One way to do this is by reusing plastic jugs as sponge holders. If you're wondering how to cut down on plastic waste at home, and create a clear countertop, this is a great little hack to try.

The way this project works is super simple and costs almost nothing but your time. Save a milk jug or plastic orange juice container, wash it, cut it in half, and hang it over the sink. It's small, yet effective, and you can decorate it any number of ways to camouflage the fact that your sponge holder was once a piece of recycling. This is one of those transforming organizers to maximize a small kitchen, because you can hang it over the sink, rather than setting it on the countertop where it takes up room where other things could sit. 

Grab a pair of scissors, a marker, and a plastic jug from the recycling bin. You'll also need to pick up a wall hook like the Command Damage-Free Adhesive Wall Hook. Take a look at your local craft or dollar store for add-ons to decorate your finished storage container. Another aspect of this organizer to consider is whether you want it to dry out a sponge while it stores it. A drill would be handy to poke holes in the bottom for drainage. You can also use large glass beads like FANTIAN Decorative Glass Rocks for Vases and Tanks, so the sponge sits on top, and water collects at the bottom. Once you have the items you need, it's time to put them all together.

Use your marker to draw a line around the jug about halfway down from the top. As you draw, make a hook shape on one side. Cut along the line you've drawn and discard the top part of the jug. Decorate the container by spray-painting it a color of your choice, using patterned tissue paper and decoupage glue like Mod Podge to seal it, or add stickers to give it some character. You can also wrap ribbon or strings of beads around the top edge as trim. Add holes or marbles to the bottom for drainage, and hang it on the Command Hook above the sink. This is a simple, cost effective, and eco-friendly way to clear the counter and organize sponges.