Milk jugs, at first glance, appear as molded receptacles built only to carry milk, water and small objects. As a result, people usually throw away the durable milk containers upon consuming their contents. Those folks have no idea what they can really do with such versatile containers. If they only knew, they may have saved more than a few dollars for their budgets.
What makes the milk jug a versatile item are its durability and dimensions. With your toolbox in hand, you can transform the container into a gardening tool, a home ornament and even an apparatus for floating. Tweaking the jug’s tough exterior may be a bit challenging but you’ll be rewarded with useful items that you will surely appreciate. So here are the 14 neat uses for milk jugs:
1. Floaters for Swimming – Milk jugs, given their properties, can float on water. If you have a pair and some string, you can actually turn the plastic bottles into floaters. Tie the jugs to your arms or hands. Make sure that the floaters are secure, otherwise you have to add more string. Now, jump in the swimming pool and start conquering your fear of water.
baby floater
2. Water Sprinkler – The garden hose is a notorious water spender. It spews more water than what your plants really need. Remove a few dollars from your water bill by turning the milk jug into a water sprinkler. You can either bore several small holes on one side of the jug’s top portion or a single hole where you will fit a sprinkler attachment. (Learn how to install a sprinkler system)
3. Luminary/Luminaria – Cut the top portion of the jug and place a few layers of sand inside. Place a candle or a tealight inside. Make sure that it is tightly secured by the sand. You will then illustrate designs on the jug’s surface or stick a layer of colored paper inside. With the luminary finished, you can make a few more, then arrange them to illuminate your lawn or garden walkway. (For other luminaria ideas, read how to make a tin can luminaria)
4. Lamp – Just like the milk jug luminary, cut the top portion to create a slightly larger opening. Insert then attach a light bulb inside the container and you will have a cool unconventional lamp.
a milk jug chandelier
5. Berry Collector – For fruit lovers, a milk can jug can be used as the storage facility of a homemade berry picker. Create an opening at one end of a five-foot hollow wooden pole or PVC pipe. Get the milk jug and wrap it with any piece of fabric. The fabric should be large enough to extend over the milk jug’s tip. When the berry container is ready, affix the fabric to the pole to the five-foot pole using rubber bands.
milk jug lanterns
7. Catch Ball Glove – Playing catch ball is a great way to release stress and lose a few inches off your waist (More tips on how to get rid of stress). To create catch ball gloves, cut the bottom part of 2 milk jugs. Ask one of your buddies to join you. Proceed to your lawn and start catching a tennis ball or a baseball using the milk jugs. As for the scoring, one point is awarded to you whenever your opponent fails to catch the ball.
8. Funnel – Having a hard time pouring fluids into small openings? You can address that issue by creating a funnel from a milk jug. Cut the bottom portion of the milk container and extract a small sheet. That sheet will serve as your funnel.
9. Shoe Fitter – Some shoes are not easy to wear, especially if the pair is nearly the same size as your feet. Good thing you can make shoe-fitters using a milk jug. Cut a sheet from the jug’s bottom portion. It should be slightly inclined, so it matches the contour of your heel. When the shoe fitter is ready, you should have no trouble sliding your feet in particularly tight footwear.
milk jug plant pot10. Flower Pot – If you need extra pots for your plants, look no further than the milk jug. Cut the jug just beneath the handle. Bore a small hole near the bottom, which will serve as an exit point for water. Once done, fill your makeshift pot with soil then plant a neat garden shrub.
11. Scooper – The only difference between a scooper, which is used to scoop garden soil or bathwater, and a milk jug is the size of their openings. Cut the top portion of the jug opposite the handle. Be careful when creating the incision, since the handle should remain intact. Now, you can use your scooper to scoop out the sandbox, soil, water or any related application.
12. Modern Art – Stack and arrange several milk jugs to form artistic structures and fixtures. Affix each jug with superglue or any other strong adhesive. When the structure has been formed, you can paint or add unconventional impressions to raise its artistic value.
13. Toy Boat – Cut the milk jug two or three inches from the bottom. Attach a small piece of fabric to a stick, which will act as the boat’s sail. Affix the sail to the deck using superglue or a glue gun. When the sail has been linked, paint the toy boat, according to your own design.
14. Pet Dish – Cut the bottom portion of the jug and it instantly becomes a bowl for feeding pets. For people who own cats and dogs, you can create more than one pet dish, so you can properly segregate dog food and cat food.
Milk jugs are more useful than what their appearance conveys. By cutting select portions of the container, you can actually create more than one makeshift item. Just view the jug as a canvas for sculptures. You have to imagine various designs as you look at each of the container’s details. In the end, you might be writing your own list of personal milk jug discoveries.