The Ultimate Guide to Repurposing Oui Yogurt Jars (and 48+ Clever Ideas to Reuse Them)
Have you ever found yourself swimming in a sea of Oui Yogurt glass jars, not wanting to toss them out but unsure what to do with them? Join the club! I'm on a mission to find the most creative and practical ways to repurpose these charming containers.
Get ready to unleash your creativity and transform those empty Oui jars into functional household items, stylish decor pieces, and unique gifts. There are so many possibilities, and I'm here to guide you through the process. I'll be adding some detailed posts on some of the ideas below, so follow me on Instagram to keep up to date.
Why Upcycle Oui Yogurt Jars
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Oui is seriously tasty yogurt!
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These are a great alternative to buying Weck or mini Mason jars. I love my Weck jars, but they're pricey.
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These jars hold 6 fluid oz or 3/4 cup, so they're a perfect single serving size.
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Their unique shape makes a great canvas for all sorts of upcycling projects.
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The jars make great gift containers for ideas below like jam, simmer pots, & flowers.
How to Remove a Oui Jar's Label & Adhesive
Lots of people struggle to get the adhesive off of Oui Yogurt jars. The labels don’t scrub off like paper style labels after soaking. My favorite method of removing the label ensures that the adhesive comes off with the label, so it’s faster and cleaner.
Heated Dishwasher Cycle
This is my favorite method because it is so simple and combines cleaning the jar with label removal. (Yay!) I use the heated wash and dry cycles in my dishwasher. As soon as it beeps signaling the cycle is complete, I open and take one jar out, closing the dishwasher door so the heat stays in. Working quickly, I pull the label off by a corner making sure not to lift up but pulling the label back against itself. The adhesive will be very warm and should lift off the glass with the label.
Vegetable Oil
This is my second favorite method because it's cheap, easy, and nontoxic!
After removing the label, apply a generous amount of vegetable oil to the remaining adhesive. Let sit for 15 minutes. The adhesive should wipe off with a paper towel. Wash thoroughly.
Hot Water
This method should be done in a sink taking care not to get the hot water on your hands. Heat water in a kettle. Take the kettle off the heat just before it fully boils, let it cool for 10 minutes, and then carefully pour the hot water in the Oui jar, filling it just above the top of the label. Don’t use boiling water and don’t fill to the top, or the water can spill and burn you. Wait 2 minutes, and using heat proof gloves or hot pads, pour the water out. Working quickly, peel the label off. Let the jar cool completely.
Chemical Removers
Products like Goo Gone or WD40 can remove adhesive. Make sure to use these in a well ventilated area. Wearing protective gloves will keep your hands chemical free. Make sure to rinse and then wash thoroughly. (I don't use this method, because I often use my jars for food items, but I've seen many people say they do it this way.)
Use a razor blade scraper to remove the adhesive left on the rim from the foil cover.
Put a Lid on It! 4 Great Lids for your Oui jars
Bamboo Lids
These are so pretty and look great in the kitchen. I use these.
Plastic Lids
The plastic lids are perfect for keeping food fresh in the fridge or to keep paint, etc. from drying out. The come in many different colors, too. I use these.
Stainless Steel L
These lids are great for the kitchen or office and can go in the dishwasher. I use these.
Weck Lids
Bonus Idea! Decorative Foil Lids
4" square foil sheets are the perfect size and come in an array of colors making them an easy option for any holiday. Keep them in place with a colored elastic hair band or elastic cord.
How to Paint your Oui Jars
Tinted jars
Mod Podge + food coloring = tinted jars
This method gives great see through color that tints the jar on the inside. I use approximately 2 teaspoons of Mod Podge with enough drops of food coloring to get the color I want. Here's a great tutorial.
Opaque jars
Mod Podge + acrylic craft paint = opaque jars
This method gives an opaque color for when you don't want to see what is inside or if you need a white or cream color. I use approximately 2 teaspoons of Mod Podge plus enough craft paint to get the color I want. Follow the tutorial above but substitute acrylic paint for the food coloring.
Opaque metallic jars
Chalk paint + metallic Rub & Buff = opaque metallic jars
This method makes great metallic looking jars that can be used for vases or the Christmas bells below where I link to a video tutorial.
Glass spray paint
There are a few brands of spray paint made especially for glass that can give a frosted look or a beach glass look both of which are very pretty and elegant.
48+ Clever Ideas to Reuse Your Oui Yogurt Jars
So now that your Oui Yogurt jars are finally clean and adhesive free, what will you do with them? I have a few ideas! This 🎁 will show next to ideas that make great gifts.
Oui jars for entertaining
1. Jarcuterie
2. Mini appetizers like mini shrimp & grits are perfect for Oui Yogurt jars. Here's the recipe I use for mine.
3. Charcuterie boards - use for dip jars, bread sticks, celery, or to hold extra picks or cutlery
4. Wine & punch glasses for a crowd
5. One of the funniest ideas I've seen was a friend in Maryland who had Easter egg hunts for all the kids, but also "hid" mini Bloody Marys for the adults to hunt. Slice the celery thin, and tie to the rim using pastel ribbon or raffia, and seal with a lid.
Oui jars for your garden
6. Plant succulents in your Oui jars. I found mine for $2 each at my local home improvement store. These would be a great elementary school child project to make gifts for their teachers, aides, or school staff. 🎁
7. Make a mini herb garden. Pro tip! Many of the potted herbs are actually 2 or 3 plants making them the ideal size for a Oui jar.
8. Use the jars as seed starters.
9. Use Oui jars for root propagation with water and hormone powder
10. Force paperwhite bulbs (or other types)
Oui jars for Halloween
11. Make Halloween votives! Aren't these adorable?? A person in one of the best Facebook groups around, the Aldi Aisle of Shame group 😂 (iykyk), posted her skeleton, jack o'lantern, and Frankenstein votives which were brilliant. I knew I had to make some for myself because I love Halloween decor so much. 🎁
12. Serve snacks for Halloween with a foil top. Use orange foil with black hair bands to hold it on.
Oui jars for the kitchen
13. Organize your spice cabinet using my free download of 48 printable spice labels and your choice of lids. You can get the pdf here. Make a custom spice blend as a part of a housewarming or hostess gift. 🎁
14. Use for your coffee bar sugar, sweetener, and creamer. A Oui jar's shape makes it perfect to froth milk.
15. Bacon fat & saved oils like strained oil from frying shallots (seriously delicious!)
16. Make compound butter, or whipped brown butter for gifts. There is an easy recipe for whipped brown butter here. 🎁
17. Use jars to grow store bought green onions in water, so you always have them fresh
18. Make pickles in your Oui jars. 🎁
19. You can make jam or preserves to keep in the refrigerator or freezer. 🎁
20. Oui jars are great prep bowls for cooking and baking. They can hold your eggs, spices, and more. Although I have some small prep bowls already, it's convenient to have extras when I am doing a lot of baking and cooking
like during the holidays.
21. Make overnight oats in your Oui jars and use a plastic lid to keep it fresh.
22. Condiment jars for dipping like French toast sticks in syrup
Oui jars for Christmas
23. Faux antique Christmas bells made from Oui jars, black chalk paint, and antique gold Rub & Buff are all over the internet. Here is a how to video. 🎁
24. Simmer pots are really popular, and nothing could be a more simple and gorgeous gift than gifting them in a Oui jar finished with foil on the lid and holiday ribbon. Dried orange slices, cranberries, sage or pine leaves, and cinnamon sticks look so pretty in the jars. 🎁
25. Christmas arrangements look so sweet in a little jar. These could be individual ones with name cards, or a thoughtful addition to a nightstand or powder room.
26. Homemade cocoa makes a delicious gift. My favorite is Stella Parks' recipe - 3 kinds of chocolate, toasted sugar, etc - decadent & so good! Make several to keep for last minute gifts. I'm working on a post with tips on making it, and some variations. Find the recipe here. 🎁
27. Homemade eggnog, and before you say no way am I drinking that 😂, I am going to try a recipe I saw on America's Test kitchen. I had no idea that real eggnog is just liquidy custard - yes! As in pudding! And often with liquor! I had no idea. I'll post with a review when I make it.
28. Gold Christmas vases made like the bells above 🎁
29. Make Christmas votives like these pretty ones.
Oui jars for desserts
30. Use My Baking Addiction's genius cupcake hack to make easy & beautiful layered cake desserts. Tip - for Oui jars, cut the cupcakes into 3 layers putting the top (widest) layer at the bottom, and the bottom layer (narrowest) at the top. Another hack that makes it convenient - I make frosting in batches and freeze 1/2 recipes, so it's always ready for decorating (and eating.) My favorite is Stella Parks' Swiss buttercream because it's not too sweet.
31. Trifles are perfect for these with smaller fruits like raspberries or blueberries.
32. No bake cheesecakes would be so easy for a make ahead dessert for any type of party. Attach a smaller fork to the rim with raffia or a coordinating color band.
Oui jars for Thanksgiving
33. Thanksgiving arrangements 🎁
34. Thanksgiving desserts like pumpkin ganache with caramel
Oui jars for home decor
35. Mini floral arrangements can be dramatic like this from a florist in Beaufort, SC that my SIL brought me. It's just a Oui jar with a square of brown Kraft Paper and a rubber band to hold it in place. The simple treatment really lets the stunning flowers shine. 🎁
36. Faux mini arrangements 🎁
37. Faux sea glass containers using the tinted painting techniques above with various blues and greens
38. Handmade candles - https://www.ouibyyoplait.com/crafts/cricut-candles 🎁
39. Candle holders - https://www.ouibyyoplait.com/crafts/candle-holders
Oui jars for the bathroom
40. Eye makeup remover pads
41. Cotton pads
42. Qtips
43. Homemade scrubs & lotions 🎁
44. Hair ties
45. Makeup
Oui jars for the office & more
46. Office supplies - paper clips, rubber bands
47. Kids - crayons, markers, etc
48. Paint jars & water for crafts
49. Oui jars are the perfect size and weight (no tipping over!) for cleaning and soaking trim paint brushes.
50. If you really 😂 don't want to do any of these ideas, but want to find a way to repurpose them, just sell them on Etsy or Ebay! No kidding! There are many sellers selling these as a craft supply.
If you try any of these ideas, I would be thrilled if you tagged me! Find me @windflowerwmarket How have you repurposed Oui Yogurt jars?
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