15 Useful Ways To Repurpose Salt And Pepper Shakers

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Salt and pepper are two condiments you can't do without. So, chances are you have them in cute shakers to add them to your mouth-watering dishes or frozen meals easily. It won't be an issue if you have one or two sets around your home. But what do you do when you find a few more while deep cleaning your attic or sweeping through your grandparents' belongings? Or, perhaps, you have a thing for them and can't help but purchase a new set whenever you spy a unique design. Whatever the reason, instead of throwing away the extras and banishing them to the landfills, repurpose them in useful ways around your house.

For instance, you can paint your salt and pepper shakers to hide their true nature. Add a few decorative elements, like ribbons and artificial flowers, and you'll have crafted beautiful vases or storage containers. Similarly, you can use your wacky sets to hold down important documents in your home office. You can even use one to earmark the pages of the recipe you're cooking so you don't accidentally add ladyfingers and beef to your English trifle like Rachel Green from "Friends." Ready to put your discarded shakers to good use? Here are 15 ways you can repurpose them.

Want to enjoy a Hallmark-esque Christmas but lack the white background for it? Create your own winterscapes using your old transparent salt and pepper shakers. Start by cleaning and wiping them dry. When they look shiny, fill them up with some artificial snow, like Beistle's White Sparkling Snow Decor. Add miniature trees, Santa, snowmen, reindeer, or other decor items to the shakers before closing their lids. You could even place some battery-operated fairy lights inside for a magical glow. Embellish the lid with stickers, pearls, snowflakes, and more to cover the holes and bring ethereal winter wonderland magic to your home.

If you like displaying cut or artificial flowers around your house, turn your old salt and pepper shakers into stained flower vases. You'll need some craft glue (or watered-down Mod Podge) and a few bottles of food coloring. Combine the two items in a plastic cup, ensuring the solution isn't too thick. Now, pour it into a shaker and swirl it around to cover it completely. Then, put it upside-down over the cup to get rid of the extra solution and bake it in your oven to let the color take hold. Decorate it with twine, pearls, or ribbon of your choice.

As a craft lover, you probably use glitter, beads, dried flowers, paperclips, and other small items constantly. However, it can be difficult to store them neatly. Fortunately, savvy DIYers can reuse their salt and pepper shakers to keep these items separate. Simply wash and dry your shakers before filling them with your smart craft supplies. Besides, the tiny openings will make it easier to use glitter for your projects without getting your hands dirty. You could even paint the holders to help them match your craft room's aesthetic. Just don't forget to label them.

If you don't live in a place where it snows all winter long, you'll have to bid your dreams of building adorable snowmen goodbye. Or so you think. Use your old salt and pepper shakers to decorate your mantel with tiny snowmen. Cover them in a white chalk paint for the base and use some black paint to draw the eyes and mouth. You'll need some orange paint for the carrot-like nose. After you have the basics down, decorate your snowmen with tiny hats, scarves made of scrap pieces of fabric, and forgotten buttons.

Tired of staring at your basic doors? Jazz them up on a budget with personalized decorative tassels. You need a few of your old salt and pepper shakers, depending on the number of doors you want to upgrade. You'll also need some ribbon, yarn, or lace for the tassel portion of the craft. However, before you begin, ensure there are holes on both ends of your shakers, or you'll have difficulty tying them all together. Feed some leftover twine through the holes and tie the tassel on one end. Embellish the other end with some beads or pearls before tying it to your door's handles.

A pincushion is a handy tool for sewers and quilters. But instead of spending money on cute ones, why not craft one of your own? You'll need some old fabric, a piece of scrap cloth to cover it, and the holey part of your salt and pepper shakers (the more holes, the more needles it can handle, so choose wisely). Gather the fabric into a tightly rolled ball and stuff it inside the scrap cloth. Tie off the ends using a rubber band or some twine. Now, attach the top part of your shaker and start adding needles to your pincushion.

Lanterns are a great way to infuse some warmth into your home. That being said, if you'd rather not spend a lot of money on them, repurpose your old salt and pepper shakers. Just give them a thick coat of paint and decorate them using decor items, such as stones and beads. You can also use some ribbon plus artificial flowers and greenery to beautify them. Once you're happy with the decor, insert a battery-operated candle, like GenSwin's Flameless Ivory Taper Candles, in each shaker. Cover the "flame" with a plastic or glass covering, and you're done.

Looking for an inexpensive way to display your most recent Polaroid shots? Grab your old salt and pepper shakers and give them a clean. Now, wrap some wire around their mouth. Use needle-nose pliers to fashion them into the desired shape. Leave some extra wire on top and create a slot-like opening to easily slide in your photographs. Voilà! Your photo holder is ready. In case your shakers are too old or look shabby, give them a coat of chalk paint in your preferred shade to boost their aesthetic appeal. Similarly, color the wire to make your DIY photo holders look high-end.

A beautiful centerpiece adds visual interest while elevating your table. To DIY one without spending too much time or money, paint your old salt and pepper shakers in a color of your choosing. You'll also need an old cutting board to act as the base for your centerpiece. Draw designs over it or use some decals to decorate it. Think outside the box and use artificial insects, like butterflies, and tiny flowers to prettify your centerpiece. Position a wooden box on the board's back and fill your camouflaged shakers with green sprigs before displaying it.

Although flowers and chocolates are the most common items in a bouquet, you can create a few tiny ones using mismatched buttons. Just grab some floral wire, a few buttons you have on hand, and your salt and pepper shakers. Fold a wire in half and slide a button, or use a few buttons for a unique look, inside. When you're done, apply some floral tape and twist the two ends together to fashion your flowers' stems. Follow a color scheme or go with the flow to DIY a customized button bouquet for your home.

Going to a housewarming party but realize you don't have a gift on hand? Instead of half-heartedly pulling out a top-shelf wine bottle from your fridge or rack, get your old salt and pepper shaker set and put your DIY hat on. Clean, paint, and bake them to get your base ready. Then, use fancy tissue paper and creatively use decoupage in your home to make your shakers look fancy. As a final touch, apply some Mod Podge on top of your decoupaged containers and sprinkle a little glitter on top while it's wet. Put them in an expensive-looking box, and you'll be set.

In case bunnies are your favorite animal or you're just looking for inexpensive ways to incorporate them into your spring and Easter decor, grab your old wooden salt and pepper shakers and get to work. Start by painting your bunny in a shade of your choice or one that matches the rest of your decor. Craft its ears by wrapping floral wire in colored jute. Attach the ears and grab your marker to draw its eyes. Now, add little decorative touches, like a cute bow, beads, painted-on blush, and tiny flowers, to make your bunnies stand out.

Bottle brush Christmas trees look cute in theory, but can be real menaces in reality. So, instead of putting them upright every few minutes or finding them behind your sofa while deep cleaning in the spring, get them a sturdy base. Don't worry — it's not too effort-intensive. All you have to do is remove the top from your old salt and pepper shakers, paint them in a color of your choice, decorate them if you want, screw off the trees' bases, and glue them in place.

If you'd like to try your hand at propagation but don't want to spend money on tiny vases, repurpose your old salt and pepper shakers. You just need to pick ones that are transparent so you can keep an eye on the water level inside the containers, ensuring you're never caught off guard. Once you remove the lids of the shakers, clean them thoroughly before adding water to your propagation vases and placing your plant cuttings inside.

Out of all the ways you can repurpose your old or extra set of salt and pepper shakers, this one requires the least amount of effort. This is because you just need to set a shaker on top of your papers, and you'll have an instant paperweight. If you're worried about the aesthetics and don't want an old diner-style shaker looking back at you each time you lift your head from the computer, jazz them up with a little paint, decorative elements, and glitter. Or, better yet, pick a shaker with a wacky design for a quirky look.