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new uses for old canisters

14 years ago

What other uses can I use my old canisters? I recently remodeled my kitchen and received a new set of canisters that goes better with the new kitchen. I love my "old" canisters and wondered what else or where else I could use them.

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Comments (10)

jannie
14 years ago
Conventional canisters hold sugar, coffee, flour, sugar. How about dry cereal, beans, macaroni in the old ones?
mvastian
14 years ago
Laundry room comes to mind...

Maria
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Talley, good luck with the canister decision. I had an adorable inherited cookie jar that I loved, but we stopped eating cookies, and I was deeply conflicted about keeping it-couldn't think of anything else to store there (still had the canisters at that point). However, the lid fell off while I was cleaning it one day, and sadly broke in many pieces. So that was that, away it went-and I was spared a little guilt along the way since it was very precious to the person who gave it to me as well. And as an aside, my Martha Stewart P-Touch died this morning. Remember? : ) Purchased in 2003? We will try to repair it (we think there is a short in the wiring since it flashes the words P-Touch then completely stops working but after a lot of re-plugging in and fiddling with the adaptor cord, it might start again, maybe but increasingly not), but if not, will replace it. We used it just yesterday and it was hard to keep the power on but we made five nice labels for our car files. Fifteen years of flawless label making, such a godsend! Any recommendations? Thanks!
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I'll chime in as a fan of contemporary myself, and a not-so-much fan of country. Your kitchen definitely has a country look to it for reasons already posted. The natural color oak cabs unfortunately don't fall into any description of contemporary, but I would expect touching the cabs to be off the table. If you need canisters for practical reasons (e.g. storage), then consider stainless steel. I got a nice set from Costco for not much money, and Crate & Barrel also have nice ones. Your family room has a contemporary look to it (with the exception of the table lamp). If you look at the elements there in comparison to your kitchen, what you see are solid colors, clean lines, and a lack of nicknacks. Look at the window treatments in particular. Solid color valence, and solid color drapes. Also look at the artwork over the fireplace. Dramatic dark frame that matches the color of the fireplace below, complementary colors in the matting, and a repeating dark brown mat towards the inside. So ask yourself, "how do I bring these design themes to my kitchen?" Well, replace the window treatment with a solid color. I would recommend a dramatic color that matches some other elements in the room such as your counters. Vertical pleating such as you have now is more country. No pleating (like your window valence in the family room) or horizontal pleating (like in roman shades) are more contemporary. Although roman shades always have a summer beach house feel for me, but that's probably just me. For the stuff on top of the cabinets, you should replace them with repeating items in solid or repeating colors. For example you could use a dozen clear/colored art glass plates that again match the counters. The key here is to use multiples of the same item in the same or similar colors, whereas currently you have a mix of disparate items (plate, jug, basket, bottle, etc). Anyway you get the idea - repeating elements, repeating colors, simple lines, no clutter. Those things say "contemporary" to me. Good luck and I hope that helps a little.
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I have 2 of the ones Remodelfla showed. I keep them on the counter filled with pretzels and peanuts in the shell. Have my mom's old aluminum canisters in the pantry for extra flour and sugar and a 2 gallon Anchor-Hocking jar for bread flour. Anchor Hocking Montana jar The decorative canisters on the counter are Pfaltzgraff Sedona. They seal great, but I hate the lip ... it makes scooping messy. Pantry storage:
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claire_de_luna
14 years ago
I use mine for storage of medicines; individual portions of nuts, M&M's, crackers, etc. for lunches; freshly washed green food bags. In the past I've used them for receipts, coupons, small electronics, dog food/treats. You just have to figure out what the greatest need is, in a way that you will actually use them in the location you want.
Karen_sl
14 years ago
Under the kitchen sink for those dishwasher thingys...cascade or whatever they are. Dog treats too!
The small ones in the bathroom for cotton balls.
Karen L
User
14 years ago
What do they look like? Are they decorative? In a color that could work in another room possibly? Or will you need to use them behind doors?
I bought a set of three of the glass ones to use in the master bath. Wasn't sure what I was going to put in them until I got home. One holds cotton balls, one cotton swabs and one facial tissures. If you buy the kind that fold into each other and pulls the next one up when you take the top one you won't have reach down in for them.
{{!gwi}}
mustangs81
14 years ago
Claire--I like the coupon repository idea.

Like Clair, I am a fan of repurposing things. My old canisters are now in the laundry room labeled to identify detergents and additives. I even used an empty detergent box for a planter. I painted the tops of Voss water bottle then filled them with different detergent liquids.
talley_sue_nyc
14 years ago
You know, Mustangs, I just realized I could use vinyl letters for my white Bee House canisters, to keep them straight. (that's what you used, right?)

I have contemplated labeling them with a P-touch, but it's sort of small.
mustangs81
14 years ago
Talley_Sue, I had them made at the car decal booth at the flea market. But, I have used letters from the sheet of letters that you get from Staples type stores for all of my laundry sorting bins and other items.
User
14 years ago
Mustangs, I so love your laundry room and drool everytime I see a picture of it.
elizable
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I have nice pottery canisterS. Very heavy with heavy lids. One top is broken, but I have 4 from flour size to tea. I’m trying to figure out how to repurpose them - or give away one by one. It looks like I only have three. I’m trying to post picture, but not having success

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