Upcycle Old Jar Lids Into A Charming Kitchen Countertop Essential

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If you've found yourself with an ever-growing collection of loose lids from your favorite jams, pickles, or salsas, don't toss them just yet. With some fabric, cork, and a few basic craft supplies, you can transform them into a surprisingly cute flower-shaped trivet. Creator Evrim Taşer Yılmaz uses seven identical jar lids to create a functional design with a farmhouse-meets-shabby-chic look that's almost unrecognizable from its humble origins in the refrigerator.

The project combines layers of gingham fabric and cork with painted edges, jute, and decorative beads, so there's plenty of room to personalize the finished design. Swap the gingham for a fabric that complements your kitchen aesthetic or choose different trim to use up the scraps in your craft room and create a look that's all your own.

Yılmaz doesn't specify the type of adhesive she uses for gluing the fabric down to the metal jar lids, but Mod Podge or Elmer's Glue-All can both work for the project. If you use Elmer's, stick with Glue-All rather than School Glue or Clear Glue.

Yılmaz starts by sponging white acrylic paint around the outer edge of each lid, which gives the surface a textured finish. She then brushes adhesive onto the top and adds the gingham fabric, folding the excess around the edges and securing it with hot glue. Next, she traces a lid onto a thin sheet of cork, cuts out seven circles, and glues one over the fabric on each lid. A piece of jute wrapped around the narrow edge of each cork circle adds another decorative detail.

Once the individual pieces are finished, Yılmaz hot glues the seven lids together to form a flower. She traces the entire shape onto another piece of cork, cuts it out, and attaches it to the opposite side. As a finishing touch, she adds small beads between the "petals" and finishes the outer edge with thicker rope.

You don't have to limit your project to protecting your table from hot cookware, either. Since the design already incorporates cork, try adapting the idea into a miniature diy cork board for notes, photos, or reminders. If you go this route, use cork that's at least 5.5 millimeters thick or add a fiberboard backing to create adequate thickness for pushpins. You could also use the flower-shaped jar lids as wall decor and even create multiple flowers in coordinating fabrics and colors.