Don't Toss Old Milk Jugs When You Could Reuse Them For Houseplants Like This

Before you throw out that empty milk jug, take a look at your houseplants. If their soil is dry, that spent milk jug just might be able to help. The milk jug is one of the most versatile materials to up-cycle because its uses are endless. You can take a milk jug and create a funnel in a pinch or give young plants a head start by transforming the jug into a mini-greenhouse. So, rather than letting your used milk jugs fill your recycling bin, try turning them into a watering can for your indoor plants, instead.

Turning a milk jug into a watering can is a no-brainer. The jugs already have a handle for easy carrying and the cap of the plastic container is malleable, so you can easily puncture several holes into it to provide an exit point for water flow. With this DIY hack, you'll never have to pull a plain, old cup out of your cabinet to water your houseplants again. This project is sustainable, kid-friendly, and supports the health of your plants — your trash just may become your treasure.

To repurpose your empty milk jugs, begin by selecting the size of the jug you want. For watering smaller houseplants, choosing a half gallon jug may be enough. Meanwhile, for larger statement houseplants, a gallon size milk jug might make more sense. Clean out your chosen jug with soap and water. Rinse thoroughly to remove all the soap and to flush out any remaining milk that you don't want getting on your plants. Twist off the cap and grab a tool to puncture holes into it. What you use to puncture the lid will depend on the strength of water flow you prefer to water your houseplants with. 

For a heavy stream, create larger holes using a thick nail and hammer. For a finer stream, use needles or pins to create the holes. Exercise caution when carrying out this step, especially if children are involved in the process. When the holes are in place, fill your milk jug with water. Then, screw the lid back on to secure the bottle shut. Your milk jug watering can is now ready to go! Feel free to personalize the jug by drawing designs on the container with permanent markers or paint.

While you may think that transforming your used milk jug into a watering can isn't that big of a deal, you'd be missing the opportunity to celebrate some of the craft's advantages. Research shows that every year, humans create over 350 million metric tons of plastic waste. All of a sudden, upcycling your milk jug feels like an environmental power move you can feel good about. 

Additionally, this craft is family friendly. If you have little ones at home, doing this simple project with them  can be an encouraging way to spark a joy for plant care that they may not experience, otherwise. Allowing young children to decorate the container is the cherry on top, showing them not only how to be DIY-savvy, but giving you the chance to spend quality time with them.

Lastly, the make-shift watering can gives you control over how much water you're giving your houseplants. If you tend to use a cup to water your indoor plants, you may be familiar with how quickly an overpour of water can drown your plants. Not to mention, watering from a cup can make a mess of things. The holes in the milk jug ensure that you can water your plants slowly and with more precision.