Cover Old Glass Jars With Clothespins To Turn Them Into Adorable Countertop Storage

Solve your countertop clutter problems by repurposing a few of the items that make up the clutter itself. If you have any old glass jars from pickles, baby food, or old crafts that didn't pan out, you can turn them into cute and functional storage spots. All you need are some wooden clothespins and glue. Optionally, grab any other decorative art supplies you have, such as twine, paint, or pretty paper. The finished craft will use a glass jar as the base for storage, with clothespins glued vertically to the outside to give it a sort of wood veneer.

You can combine this design idea with clever mason jar organization hacks perfect for your countertop. The glass jars can even be used to hold dry food items if you still still have the lid. Clothespins may seem like an odd way to decorate countertop storage, but they have a number of pros working for them — they're easy to buy in bulk, relatively inexpensive, and are made of wood. The wood material allows a wide range of customization options for this idea since the pins can be woodburned, decoupaged, or painted, but it also looks nice as is. You can use either modern clothespins that are held together with wire or vintage ones that are a single piece of wood. If you don't have glass jars to use for this DIY, you can apply the same technique on bottles and cans, or even make a simple base out of cardboard.

Start by washing your glass jars and removing the label so the clothespins can adhere properly. If the residue left behind bothers you, the key to removing sticker residue from your glass jar might just be one peanut butter smear away. If you're using modern clothespins, separate the two halves. While you can use them as a whole piece, they'll fit more neatly and cover more space in halves. For vintage clothespins, you can saw the flat halves off to use separately or leave them whole. If you're not splitting the pins, the jar will likely be visible between them, so you may want to paint your jar or use some colored paper or fabric to cover the jar instead. You can decorate the clothespins before you attach them to the jar or after. 

Next, add a line of glue to the back of each clothespin half and press it firmly onto the jar. Repeat the process with all the pins, lining them up as closely and evenly as possible. Once they're all been glued to the jar, you can use a rubber band or some string to hold them in place while the glue dries. Finish it off with any additional decorative touches, such as adding twine to the lid or bottom of the jar, tying a ribbon around the middle, or adding beads to it. For vintage clothespins that weren't split, you'll have to use twine to hold them together, forming a sort of garland. Then simply wrap the glass jar with the pins, adding hot glue where necessary. Now your jars are good to go. If you have any leftover clothespins, you can craft a clothespin candle holder following similar steps.