7 Simply Genius Ways To Reuse Old Mason Jar Lids In Your Yard And Garden

Repurposing household items is good for both the environment and your budget, plus it can be a lot of fun to find creative ways to use things. There are plenty of fun home DIYs for reusing jar lids, but what about your yard and garden? From classics like bird feeders and wind chimes to more creative uses for your lids, there are a lot of interesting options to choose from! Before getting started, there are a few general tips for getting your mason jar lids ready to be used outdoors.

To start, make sure that any decorative supplies you have are safe to use outdoors. Use outdoor paint and seal it to keep it looking nice and prevent it from peeling. There's a chance that anything you use could end up coming off the lid, or the lid itself could be blown out of your yard. Try to limit your supplies to things that are eco-friendly, biodegradable, or otherwise marked as safe for the outdoors. This is especially important if you're using them to make a bird feeder or other craft that animals will regularly be interacting with, since you don't want them accidentally eating something and getting sick.

Similarly, you should be careful not to leave any sharp edges on your lids. Some hacks may involve cutting the lid, so ensure to smooth the edge out to dull it. You can fold it over and press it flat or use a tool to file or sand the edge slightly. It's important to be careful to keep yourself and any birds or other critters who come into your garden safe.

If you want to create a bird-friendly garden, consider using your mason jar lids as a mold for suet blocks to hang outside. Start with a base of a bird safe fat or gelatin, then mix in bird seed, nuts, and dried fruits. Set the lids on a baking tray, pour the mix into them, and refrigerate until the feed is solid. Now you can hang the whole setup or pop the suet out of the lid and hang it outside in a tree. Meanwhile, the lid can be rinsed and reused to make more or repurposed for another craft.

Small pollinators sometimes struggle to get water from larger bird baths, but your mason jar lids can make a great water station for them. You can add water to the lid with a few small pebbles for the pollinators to stand on, but if you have the entire jar, then there's another option. Poke a few small holes in the lid, fill the jar with water or sugar water, and put the lid on tightly. Flip the jar over and set it on a pair of boards or flat rocks, so that pollinators can reach the holes to drink from.

Turning your lids into plant labels is easy and cute. You can paint the name of the plant on the front, decorate the edges, and attach a stick or garden stake to it. If you want to make it more secure, drill a hole through one edge for the stick to fit through, then glue it in place. The inside of the lid can be used to record care requirements or other notes about the plant. Another option is to put the writing on laminated paper and glue it to the lid so it can be swapped out later.

If you want an easy DIY bird feeder but don't want to make suet, you can also use your Mason jar lids to make hummingbird feeders. Add holes to the center of the lid or replace the lid with a sheet of thin plastic and add holes to that instead. If you use plastic, make sure it fits securely in the outer ring so it doesn't fall into the sugar water. Fill the jar with sugar water, put the lid on tightly, and hang it outside. Decorate the outside with bright colors like red to attract more hummingbirds!

If you have a charming fairy garden in your yard, any old Mason jar lids you have will make lovely decor for it. Turn a jar into a fairy house and add moss and fauz mushrooms to the lid to make a charming roof. Or you can bury only the lid slightly, so the rim is even with the ground, then add rocks and water for a mini fairy pond. Add dowel rods and moss or yarn for a miniature tree, or glue figurines to the top to give them a firm base. The only limit is your creativity!

If you have a few partial lids, you can easily turn them into wind chimes for your porch or garden. The simplest version of this is to simply hang the lids from a stick or other object and let them sway in the wind, but there are many ways to make it your own. Decorate the lids with paint, glue on other decor like ribbons or pressed flowers, or hang other objects alongside the lids to create a wider variety of sounds. You could use shells, bells, metal pipes, or any object that you think is fun!

If you need some easy outdoor lights for your garden or patio, your Mason jar lids make convenient and easy candle holders. To avoid a breeze knocking a candle over, tea lights are a safer option. Decorate your lids with paint, fabric, paper, or any other supplies you think will look cute, then place them in strategic spots in your patio. You can even hang them with a bit of twine or wire, or add a decorative covering or shade over the lid to create mini lanterns.