What do i do with old rusty rings and seals from canning jars?

patandchickens

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They're not aluminum, are they, aren't they steel of some sort? I know the lids (seals) are magnetic, the ones I've used anyhow.

Can you call your recycling facility and ask whether they can go in with steel cans to be recycled?

The seals, if not too rusty, can be engraved and wired onto shrubs or stakes as fairly long-lasting plant labels. Probably there are other projects that could be done with them.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
 

PunkinPeep

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patandchickens said:
They're not aluminum, are they, aren't they steel of some sort? I know the lids (seals) are magnetic, the ones I've used anyhow.

Can you call your recycling facility and ask whether they can go in with steel cans to be recycled?

The seals, if not too rusty, can be engraved and wired onto shrubs or stakes as fairly long-lasting plant labels. Probably there are other projects that could be done with them.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
Ooh! I like the stake idea. Last year's stakes just blew away. I need to work on something sturdier. Thank you!

Would love to hear more ideas!
 

patandchickens

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You could make a giant fish or dragon sculpture and use the lids as scales, how's that for a useless idea? LOL

Canning rings I find kind of useful, as long as they are not too awfully grotty. For instance if you put some on the bottom of any pot it can be turned into the bottom half of a double boiler (just put a smaller pot or bowl or jar inside it, sitting on the canning rings, and fill the big pot with water).

I can understand where if you have lots of pretty rusty ones, you'd want to just recycle or get rid of them though! :)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
 

PunkinPeep

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patandchickens said:
You could make a giant fish or dragon sculpture and use the lids as scales, how's that for a useless idea? LOL

Canning rings I find kind of useful, as long as they are not too awfully grotty. For instance if you put some on the bottom of any pot it can be turned into the bottom half of a double boiler (just put a smaller pot or bowl or jar inside it, sitting on the canning rings, and fill the big pot with water).

I can understand where if you have lots of pretty rusty ones, you'd want to just recycle or get rid of them though! :)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat
ha! find me a buyer, and i'll see what i can do! :gig

but i like thinking outside of the box. they're not all horribly rusty. if i can reuse them, i will. but i don't like collecting stuff if i won't actually use it, so i have to think of something. collecting random junk i can't use is as wasteful as (in my mind) as wasting useful stuff.
 

BeccaOH

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Put them on Freecycle

We used the rings once for a children's music class. Put the ring in a steel clamp and 3 drill small holes at equal distances in the ring. Using fine wire, thread on medium to large bells. Then you have a small beat keeper, tambourine, noisemaker, or whatever.
 

prism

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I love all these great re-purposing ideas! For the rings, I was thinking a little spray paint to refresh them would make nice little frames for smaller needlepoint projects? Actually, I think they would work for photo frames too. I can't think of anything for the lids at the moment but I have seen ideas for reusing the ends of juice concentrate cans and I bet the lids would work for many of these same projects.
 

PunkinPeep

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prism said:
I love all these great re-purposing ideas! For the rings, I was thinking a little spray paint to refresh them would make nice little frames for smaller needlepoint projects? Actually, I think they would work for photo frames too. I can't think of anything for the lids at the moment but I have seen ideas for reusing the ends of juice concentrate cans and I bet the lids would work for many of these same projects.
That is a really good idea...and a little more up my alley than say.....giant metal fish. :D

I think that i would use the seal within the ring to keep the needle point lined up and flat inside the ring. What a fab idea!

Christmas tree ornaments, stocking stuffers, now i'm getting excited!

Thanks!
 

patandchickens

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You can use them, with a bit of windowscreen or clean cheesecloth, to sprout seeds in (like for sandwiches and stuff, alfalfa sprouts etc)


Pat
 

prism

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PunkinPeep said:
prism said:
I love all these great re-purposing ideas! For the rings, I was thinking a little spray paint to refresh them would make nice little frames for smaller needlepoint projects? Actually, I think they would work for photo frames too. I can't think of anything for the lids at the moment but I have seen ideas for reusing the ends of juice concentrate cans and I bet the lids would work for many of these same projects.
That is a really good idea...and a little more up my alley than say.....giant metal fish. :D

I think that i would use the seal within the ring to keep the needle point lined up and flat inside the ring. What a fab idea!

Christmas tree ornaments, stocking stuffers, now i'm getting excited!

Thanks!
Glad you like it PunkinPeep! I didn't even think about using the lid as backing but that is a great idea!

Imagine an entire Christmas tree themed with ring framed tree ornaments. I bet it would look really pretty.

I seem to remember a window ornament using rings as the outer frame. It was see through with enclosed dried flowers but I can't remember how the part with the flowers was made and held in the ring. It looked cool though. Couldn't even tell it was a canning ring unless you got up real close and studied it.
 

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