#herbal storage

[hedgewitchgarden]

How to Clean and Upcycle Bottles, Jars, & Other Empty Containers

Put that stockpile of empty containers back in action with these tips for cleaning and upcycling glass, metal, and plastic containers!

If you’re anything like me, you don’t like to waste. When you enjoy herbal preparations as part of your daily routine, you are bound to wind up with a stockpile of perfectly good containers that can still be used. But how can you make sure they are cleaned well enough to reuse, and how can you continue to put them to use time and time again? Here are some tips and tricks to help you keep those bottles in circulation.

How to Clean and Reuse Glass Bottles and Metal Containers

The following method is primarily used to clean:

Glass bottles with a dropper top (tincture bottles)

Glass bottles with a mister top

Glass bottles with a screw on cap

Glass bottles with a treatment pump

Essential oil bottles with reducer top

Roll-on bottles

Cork top bottles

Metal tins

PREPARE YOUR CONTAINERS

We all know about the importance of labeling homemade remedies and ingredients, so when reusing bottles, you’ll want to be sure to take the old labels off to eliminate any confusion.

Peel the label off by hand, if possible. If it doesn’t come off as one or two pieces, you’ll want to soak the bottle in warm water to loosen them up.

Begin by rinsing each bottle out and then filling it with warm water and placing the lid back on. PRO TIP: Soaking the bottles with the lids on will prevent bits of paper and glue remnants from making their way into the bottle. Filling them with water will prevent them from bobbing around.

Place them into a pot filled with warm water and let sit for about five minutes. Some may take longer than others.

Rub your thumb and/or fingernail on the label and it will begin to roll off.

If there is some glue left over, no need to re-soak—we have another life hack to share for that! This one from DIY Natural works brilliantly and calls for simple ingredients: baking soda, coconut oil, and sweet orange essential oil (though I also like lemon oil for this purpose!).

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[nouveaulullaby]

Witchcraft on a Budget & Other Tips #2

I’ve always had a weird habit of hoarding storage jars and now that I’m a witch it’s actually come in handy! Being a witch can mean needing supplies, but where do you keep them? Those apothecary shelves you see on Instagram are gorgeous but when you’re starting out you want to spend your money on things you actually need. Read below on some good starts :)

1. Start with what you already have! This is something you’re gonna hear from me a LOT. Like I mentioned before, I have a bad habit of hoarding stuff in general so whenever I feel tempted to go buy whatever shiny thing has caught my attention I try to take a step back first. I need more storage? Do I have anything that I’m not currently using? For example, my altar is a repurposed shoe rack! This gives me a steady table top and two shelves below it. 

2. Herb jars! If you use a lot of herbs in your work there’s no real need to take them out of their original containers outside of aesthetics. 

3. Jelly and jam jars! My favorite jelly comes in a pretty good sized jar. It’s short but wide and it perfect for my star anise or anything else that might be a little chunky. Labels peel off easily if you run them under hot water, or even just soak them for a bit. Any residue can be wiped off with soapy water or rubbing alcohol. Soaking in soapy water can also help with smells (like a salsa jar!) If it still smells, try vinegar and baking soda. 

4. Altoid tins! These are good for witches still in the broom closet as well. I plan on using one of these to make an mini purse or travel altar as well (post to come on that in the future!)

5. Mason jars! These are jars intended for canning and long term preservation, so they make sense to hold your precious witchy items. They can come in different sizes to suit your different needs and I’ve seen some differently colored ones too. I use them for my sun and moon water since I don’t have any bottles and they hold a lot so I don’t have to constantly get more. Other than this use though I don’t use mason jars very often. I find them to be a little bulky for my space, and you have to have the ring and flat part of the lid or else you can’t seal them. You can always buy more of these if you lose any, but I’d rather get a different container.

6. Old candles! I love getting candles with lids for two reasons: They keep cat hair and dust out in between use, and they make for great containers! When you’re done burning out a candle, you can easily clean out the glass (especially if it was a soy wax candle). I wouldn’t use these for anything you would be ingesting, as there’s a chance the fragrance may linger inside and you don’t want to risk cross contamination. I know it’s obvious, but I’ll say it anyway: candles and their fragrances aren’t edible so please don’t risk it!

7. Craft stores are a great resource too! Not only for storage but a lot of other witchy supplies too if you think outside the box. I grabbed these great jars from Michael's and use them for the herbs from my garden that I didn’t already have herb containers for. A lot of craft stores have coupons you can get from their receipts and loyalty rewards programs that really help you save money.

I use a mix of all these different methods and really enjoy the mismatched look it gives off (maybe it’s because I’m sort of eclectic in my witchcraft). Free labels can be printed off of the internet (I like and use these) and washi tape can be used to distinguish and decorate your containers. I hope you found this helpful! Please share if you did, as well as any photos of your own storage! If you have any tips for your fellow witches please don’t be afraid to reblog and add to this :)