Don't Toss Pistachio Shells — Reuse Them With Glass Jars For An Impressive DIY

After you've enjoyed a delicious snack, you may be wondering what to do with the pistachio shells. Instead of tossing them out or composting them, why not try repurposing them into beautiful decor? When the shells are separated, they're shaped a bit like flower petals. And when arranged carefully and glued into place, they can form impressive-looking flowers. You can attach them to any surface, but gluing them to the outside of a glass jar results in an elegant and sweet piece of decor, perfect as a vase or storage container. This makes it an excellent way to reuse old pasta sauce jars, pickle jars, mason jars, or any other glass jars or bottles you have lying around.

You'll need your glass jars, an assortment of pistachio shells, and a strong glue to attach the two. The more pistachio shells you have, the bigger your flowers can be and the more of them you can make. However, a simple flower can be made with only two shells, split into halves. If you have fewer, you can use them to make other designs, so don't worry about having leftovers. In addition to the basic supplies, you may want to grab some paint or spray paint for both the jar and pistachio shells. You can leave them plain if you prefer the rather rustic natural color of pistachio shells, but painting them will make your flowers more colorful. Other decorative items like ribbons, twine, and fabric may be nice to have on hand as finishing touches.

Give your glass jar a quick wash before starting. It'll be difficult to wash the jar after the pistachio shells are glued to it, so get rid of any smudges now. If your jar previously had a label, this guide can help you remove sticker residue from glass so that it doesn't distract from your lovely pistachio art. Next, prep the shells. If the pistachios were eaten, the shells should already be in halves, but make sure they're fully separated. There are a number of ways you can arrange them, but something to keep in mind is that pistachio shells with their hollow side facing up will look like petals facing you. Flipping them over will make it look like you're seeing the petals from behind. You can use this to play with perspective, or keep it simple by arranging the pistachio shells in rings with the hollow side up to form a flower seen from above.

Carefully glue each pistachio shell onto the glass jar. Once they're firmly in place, you can add a layer of paint to make them pop. You could also paint them before gluing them on, if you'd prefer. If the vase seems a little empty, use paint or paper to add stems, branches, leaves, or even pollinators around your flowers. Extra pistachio shells can even be turned into falling petals. Add a ribbon or twine to the top to make it extra cute, or combine it with another DIY to make a beautiful countertop organizer.