Reusing your lids....Great ideas...

This is a hot topic and there are so many ways to use them and not have to throw them out. I will be taking some of the ones I have been saving in the next few weeks I will try some of these ideas. You see canning is not always about what you put in the jar. I spend a few days on the WWW and found some great things..I think in the next few weeks I may just make some of these things so we have proof they are as charming as they sound. Great ideas all around.

I did link where there  was one with more information than I could give you. Make sure thy are clean. 

Make a magnet

Cover your workspace with newspaper.
Shake the primer & spray the lid. allow the primer to dry for a full day
The primer will allow the paint to stick to the surface of your lid

Flip the lid over and glue the magnet to the back of the lid
Flip & paint the canning lid with arts and crafts paint
Creative ideas include painting a silhouette, painting stripes, painting dots, drawing faces.
Decorate with glued jewels or sprinkles of glitter
Dry for & hang on refrigerator.
Also look at this cute idea canning lids frame magnets using the lids and the rim  from Pebbles in my pocket blog

Use them as Christmas Ornaments/make them into gift tags for your canning and gifts

Place the canning lid on a workbench over the piece of scrap wood
Center the nail towards the top of your canning lid
Hammer the nail to create the hole for your ornament/tag
You can personalize it by printing a family picture. Or a picture of your child as a gift for the teacher... decide on decorative paper or choose a design from a magazine
* Go back to this step in the first idea of make a magnet if you would like to paint the lid to have a frame around the picture with solid color.
Place the canning lid on top of the desired element and trace a circle with a pencil
Cut out the circle with scissors
Align the picture on the top of the canning lid
Remove the picture and paint a thin layer of mod podge on the top of the canning lid and the bottom of the picture. Press the picture on to the lid and allow the canning lid to dry for two hours
String the decorative ribbon through your ornament and tie the ribbon in a bow

Here is a great link to a site that made some cute decorated lids...great job great website Beauty for Ashes

Use them in the garden 

Nail them to stick, paint as wanted and use for garden markers

You can hang them from a string around your garden. Shiny things, like these lids, scare birds away.

Games for Kids

You can use them for educational games. Glue capital letters on some and the small letters on others, have the children match them up, or do the same with adult animals and babies. Things that go together, you get the idea.

Also you can make them into a matching game 

Take two of each lids and put identical pictures or letters on them and mix them up and have your children match them. You can also do the adult animal and baby and have them match them

Cross stitch

If you are someone who does cross stitch -- take a size able piece of the Aida count fabric you like best and draw circles with the size of the outside of the lid. Go to any craft store and find a book with small items that you can needle craft to that size ring and then glue the finished work onto the lid and make it full of whatever you like, candy, small toys, bath beads, etc. Whatever fits in the jar. Tie a ribbon and attach a card -- instant gift and you can always have one ready on short notice. These are so fun to do.  The used lids are a perfect fit for the cloth and dress up any jar as an all occasion gift.

Mobiles and Wind chimes 

String them on different lengths of sturdy string or thin wire. You can use old driftwood give it some character that was just something i thought of....get creative I know it sounds good but we are not all that creative I will try and let you get a little laugh out of my creations... Try spray painting them (lids and rims) all different colors and make rainbow wind chimes.

Donate them to your local girl scout troop

Coasters for drinks

How about a coaster for drinks on a wooden table. take these instructions I saw in a magazine so let me link you to it  and apply it to the lids..It is really great you take some lace and spray the lace so the pattern comes out on the coaster then just cut some cork for the bottom...this is one I will do....In the latest Martha Stewart Magazine she has an article about Lace Tiles Coasters I know we can take this and do it on Lids...I will now have to do it and put up instructions she has no link to this article...Gee thanx Marta duhhh

Pop art curtain

Instead of buying a beaded curtain for your teenager's bedroom, why not make your own out of a couple hundred canning lids? Sprayed half our canning lids black and the other gold, string them together and hang them from the door casing. Use a small nail and hammer to punch a hole in the top and bottom of each disc so they could be easily tied together using 3 inches of jewelry wire.

Make First Place ribbons.... I like this idea allot

For party prizes, spray a handful of canning lids "Blue Ribbon" blue, then attach two strips of 6" blue ribbon to the back. Black dimensional paint or a permanent black felt markers can be used to write "First Place" on the front of the disc. These ribbons make terrific party prizes for three legged relays, hot potato tosses, and other party games.

Mixes in a jar

Put together the dry mix for a family favorite recipe (cookie, cake, baked beans, etc.).  Fill the jars with the dry mix seal with the used canning lid and ring.

OR

The used lids work well for sealing mason jars filled with dry pasta, sugar, flower, noodles, etc. You don't need a vacuum seal, just enough of a seal to keep the dust and evils out.

Primitive Pin Cushions
I searched everywhere for instructions but you can see a picture of them on this blog Crystal Creek here. there is a picture when you scroll down but no instructions but for those who are crafty a picture is sometimes all we need.......So cute and I quilt so this is a good Christmas present idea...yuppers ....I'm going to ask my quilt group to make some instructions for anyone who wants them....