Fun Ways To Repurpose Vases Around The House

Vases have been used as décor since ancient Egyptian times and are essential if you enjoy displaying fresh flowers around your home, but most of the time, people end up with more than they actually need. Deliveries of floral arrangements that already come pre-styled in vases, trips to the vintage or thrift store, and gifts from family and friends can leave you with a cabinet full of glass and nowhere to use it. Luckily, however, vases are typically pretty simple in shape and style, so they can easily be repurposed around the home if you're on the hunt for a use that's more creative than simply styling your vases as décor.

With a bit of a change in perspective, these simple containers can be transformed from their original purpose into something more functional in just about every space. The variety of colors, textures, and shapes is also fantastic if you're looking to inject more interest into an area on a budget. And if you're one of the few people who has yet to amass a collection of miscellaneous vases in one of their kitchen cabinets, they're some of the easiest pieces to find at the thrift store. Who knows — you might even need to purchase a couple more to display flowers after trying out a few of these ideas in your home.

It's not uncommon to transfer your cotton balls, cotton pads, and cotton swabs into a glass container to make displaying them a bit more aesthetically pleasing, but who said you needed to spend money on a brand-new container for this purpose? A simple vase is the perfect substitute for this task, and the large variety of options ensures that you'll be able to find something that perfectly aligns with your bathroom's color scheme and overall look. Just make sure the mouth of the vase is wide enough to be functional — you don't want to pack it full of cotton balls without having a way to remove them.

Our furry friends are one of the most special parts of our lives, so it is fitting that their treat containers look just as luxurious as the rest of our home. Buying these expensive containers to transfer over your pet's treats, however, can feel a bit ridiculous, especially if they're just going back into the cabinet. To save some money, consider substituting this container for a vase. If you're worried about the treats going stale or releasing a smell, you can pop on a glass storage container lid with the same diameter, or invest in something like these Silicone Stretch Lids from Amazon.

While it might not seem all that significant in the short term, holding on to your loose change is one of the easiest ways to save a bit of money over time. Keep a vase by where you normally drop your keys and wallet when you walk in the door, then drop in any coins left in the bottom of your purse, your pockets, or your wallet from your transactions throughout the day. This method won't make you a millionaire overnight, but it can help you utilize those small amounts of currency that would've otherwise gone to waste or ended up in your laundry.

There are plenty of things you can use to ensure your pens are easily accessible on your desk — mugs, cups, organizers — but many people don't consider using a vase. If you have one available that's relatively short with an open mouth, it can be a great option, especially if you're on the hunt for something that can store more than a handful of pens at a time. Couple it with a few others to store highlighters, pencils, or markers, and you can also create an eclectic and functional display that brings some interest to your desk.

Cooking can be stressful, especially if you're juggling multiple pans and ensuring individual components of your dish don't burn. Having kitchen utensils like your whisk, spatula, and ladle accessible when you're cooking, however, can help ensure that you're not scrambling to find them in the middle of preparing your meal, making your experience a bit less nerve-wracking. There are specifically designed utensil holders available to buy, but, at the end of the day, a vase can do the job just as well, with more options when it comes to the style, and likely for less money. 

Pillar candles are an elegant and minimalistic décor piece, but, if you want to light them, they typically need to be on a stand or in some kind of container for safety reasons. A vase can be the perfect option for this. Go for something clear and simple if you want to allow the candle to shine, or try out an option with colored or textured glass if you want to play with the kind of light the flame emits. Just make sure the flame isn't too close to the vase itself — high heat and glass could result in an unexpected break.

Many spaces can benefit from an added dose of cozy, secondary light, but sometimes, a candle isn't the best option. If you want a similar look to a candle in a vase without the risk of an open flame, try out some battery-operated string lights. Simply place a strand in your vase, and you'll have what's essentially a DIY lamp in a matter of seconds. Consider filling some vases with lights to create a fun tablescape for a special occasion, or make this a more permanent fixture in any space where you need an extra dose of warmth.

When you think of a terrarium, you likely imagine a jar with a closed-off lid that collects humidity and mimics the water cycle, but succulents require a different type of terrarium so they're not bogged down with excess moisture. Instead of trapping water, succulent terrariums function more like a typical plant pot and are open to the air, meaning you could easily repurpose a vase if you were looking to create your own. Layer some rocks for drainage and a few scoops of succulent-specific soil, then arrange your succulents and any accessories you'd like in the vase to create your very own mini garden. 

If you have kids who are frequently doing creative school projects or you enjoy experimenting with different crafts, you know that storing supplies can get frustrating. Digging through your drawer only to have to sort through a mix of pipe cleaners, pom-poms, buttons, gemstones, beads, yarn balls, and just about everything else you'd find in a Hobby Lobby isn't exactly the organizational dream, but a bit of consolidation into some vases can present a solution to your problem. After dividing everything, you'll be left with an accessible and simple organizational system that you'll no longer want to hide away in a messy drawer.

Having a candy dish in the entryway or on the table is a fun way to present guests — and yourself — with a sweet treat, but if you're not in the mood to buy a brand-new container just to hold candy, consider using a vase. A shorter, more squat vase is best if your goal is to mimic the look of a traditional candy jar, but something taller can also work as a sugary centerpiece, especially if you're displaying seasonal candies like candy corn or peppermints. Because the top is open, however, it's best to choose a candy that's pre-wrapped to add a bit of protection.

Brands that sell coffee pods like Keurig and Nescafé have made the coffee-making process leaps and bounds easier, but, unfortunately, storing a plethora of tiny pods is much more difficult than just putting a canister back into the cabinet. If you're looking for an easy display method that allows you to see what you have, however, consider using a vase. A delicate glass piece full of colorful pods will look much more polished than an open box sitting on the counter, and you'll be able to ensure a couple of each of your favorite flavors are accessible at one time.