Keep Pots And Pans Off The Kitchen Counter With A Creative Jar Lid Hack

Imagine that it's breakfast time, and you've got a hot skillet of sizzling bacon to take off the stove but no room on any heat-safe surface to put it. Do you risk damaging your wood table, or do you shuffle everything around one-handed as you try not to drop the incredibly hot pan? Here's a third option: Make sure you keep some trivets lying around. A trivet is one of those things you always seem to need around meal time but never think to pick up when you're out and about. But with a few metal jar lids, some hot glue, and a fun fabric or two, you can just make your own.

It's a genius way to use old jar lids, because they're typically made from stainless steel, which withstands high heat and is strong enough to support the weight of heavy pots and pans. What's more, placing the lids right side up on the counter creates elevation, keeping hot pots a safe distance from the countertop. Fabric-wrapped jar lids can easily be glued together along their sides to form a wide trivet that protects your counters and tables from hot pots and pans while adding an adorable creative touch to your kitchen. After arranging the lids to your desired shape and size, you could even use felt or cork as a base on the underside to provide extra stability and insulation. Simply trace the whole shape onto the desired backing, cut it out, and glue it on as a whole. 

To begin transforming your metal jar lids into a cute trivet, select your favorite heat-resistant fabrics. Natural fabrics like cotton — which can withstand temperatures upwards of 400 degrees — tend to work well. Cut the fabric into squares slightly bigger than the lids. Using one piece of fabric for each lid, pull the material tightly across the lid's smooth top and fold it over the edge before gathering it at the underside of the lid. Using hot glue or super glue, secure the fabric to the edges around the bottom of the lid. 

For a cute and easy flower shape, you're going to need seven equal-sized lids. Arrange them with one in the center and the other six surrounding it. Secure the shape with more glue where the lids touch. You don't necessarily have to make a flower shape (though they do fit large soup and sauce pots quite nicely.) Make a smaller trivet for your sauce pan using only three lids or make one large enough for your baking sheet by expanding your honeycomb shape even further.

When you're designing your trivet yourself, you can get creative with your fabrics, choosing attractive complementary color combinations and patterns that pop inside your cooking areas. But you could also zhuzh up the table topper with decorative accoutrements. A run of trim, such as bright ribbon or rustic twine, glued along the outer edges does wonders to tie the whole piece together. If you like things done with a little more whimsy, replace trim with colorful pompoms. Another option is to cover the whole trivet with split wood beads, creating a cool natural look. Folks gifted in crochet can even stitch together a cover for each lid!