I don’t love the idea of hoarding things, but I have to admit I’m a jar and glass hoarder. I definitely took after my mother who uses jars to store our sugar and other kitchen ingredients. She would keep empty jars under our sink to reuse, a habit I acquired from her. I love saving jars from the recycling bin because I know one day I will need it for something, not just for kitchen but for every room in the house. 

One day, I was listing the uses of jars in my head and voilà- thought of this project. I don’t really find most soap bottle packaging that attractive in the first place… Oh, I chose a hexagon jar because it’s one of my favorites (besides masons). 

I really like this project because it cost me nearly nothing. All I had to pay for was a new bottle of liquid soap (like what, 99¢?) and the Rust-Oleum spray that I could reuse for other things(~$4). I already had everything lying around my house. I definitely encourage you to look around your house for some of the materials instead of having to buy a new jar or a soap pump. Half of the fun is saving money and reusing what you already own to create something new.

SUPPLIES
jar with a lid, nail, hammer, liquid soap, semi-gloss clear spray paint, soap dispenser pump (take the one from your current soap bottle or any other toiletries, buy a cheap soap bottle and take the pump, or if for some reason you want to buy a new one get it from here or here), screwdriver & pliers (not photographed)

PRE-DIY PREP
• Wash your jar and take the stickers off. I tried two methods for peeling the label off: blow drying and scrubbing the sticker off the glass. The blow drying method took longer to me so I much preferred the scrubbing method. I soaked the jar in soapy water and scrubbed the sticker off with the rough part of a sponge.

READY, SET, GO!

STEP 1. Let’s begin. Pierce the middle of the jar lid with a nail and a hammer to create a small hole. Repeat this step a few more times to create several holes around the middle area. Do this in moderation- don’t over do it!
 

STEP 2. Pierce through the little holes with a screwdriver to create one big hole. The goal is to create a hole big enough for the soap dispenser pump to fit. 

STEP 3. Check to see if the pump fits. If not, repeat steps 1-2.

STEP 4. Clean up the sharp torn metal from where you pierced the jar lid. To do this, cut the extra metal off with pliers or push it flat against the lid. 

STEP 5. Almost done! Put the lid, pump, and jar together. If the pump tube is too long, trim it with pliers.

STEP 6. Next, spray paint the lid with semi-gloss clear to prevent rust from building up. Yes- rust will build up much quicker if you don’t use this. Rust will then fall from the lid to your liquid soap… yuck. I wouldn’t skip this step! I gave the lid about 3 coats, front and back.

Always spray paint in a well-ventilated area. Read the directions on your paint can. I used Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch and the can read “shake vigorously for 1 minute after mixing ball beings to rattle. shake often during use. hold can upright 10-16” from surface… Dries to touch in 20 minutes, to handle in 1 hour, and fully dry in 24 hours, Apply a second coat at any time.” 

STEP 7. After letting the lid dry overnight, pour the liquid soap in the jar. Done!