Top 10 Ways to Re-Use Your Coffee Cans!

Photo by Food Tour Intern Kaitlin Smith.This new year has been making me feel extra productive; so my kitchen cabinets full of empty Jittery Joe’s cans are next on my early spring cleaning list! I started thinking of efficient ways for me to reuse all of these coffee cans that are taking over my kitchen... Here are a few suggestions!

1. Donate to a Teacher:

Art, music & science teachers can find a million ways to reuse coffee cans in their class rooms. Drums, shakers, pencil organizers, paper cutout storage or seed storage canisters.

2. Coffee Chaff Compost:

You guys MUST head over to the Jittery Joe’s Roaster (located at the end

of East Broad Street), and pick up some of the discarded coffee chaff located outside on the ground (on the Weaver D's side of the roasting house). Store tropical bulbs (elephant ear, caladiums) over winter in an old coffee can filled with this chaff. For larger gardening projects, fill up a trash bag of coffee bean chaff from Jittery Joe's Roaster and mix into your compost pile at home to build organic matter. 

3. Piggy Bank:

Slit a hole into the top and let the kiddies deposit their collected change. 

4. Coffee Can Flowerpot:

Punch holes into the bottom for drainage and then add your choice potted

plant. This is very easy and fun for the whole family to help out with!

5. Wine Rack:

Not only am I a coffee enthusiast, but also an admitted wine-o. Use a can

opener to remove the bottom of the cans. Next, stack around 7-12 cans in a

creative way. Use a hot glue gun or Krazy glue as adhesive.

Photo courtesy of Real Simple.

6. Make-up brush holder:

Add vase filler (marbles, sand, plastic beads) into the can. The filler’s purpose

is to allow the brushes to stand on their own. Then add brushes for a

Sephora-inspired holder.

7. Receipt Storage:

Relieve your wallet of those receipts. Store them in a artsy coffee can on your desk until tax return season.

8. Valentine Holder:

What's a girl to do with all those love letters? Store them in a coffee can, of course. With Valentine's Day right around the corner, decorate your old coffee can with hearts and sparkles, your name and get ready to receive valentines & candy.

9. Toy Storage:

G.I. Joes, Polly Pockets, cowboys & indians can sleep in our coffee cans. Ask your kids to designate empty coffee cans for their small toys and let them have fun decorating cans accordingly. Empty cans+ glue+ paper+ marker= kiddie customized canned toy storage.

10. Drop-off at Five Points Athens:

If you don’t have time to reuse, just head over to the Five Points Jittery

Joe’s location-- they accept old cans that are sent back to the Roaster for

recycling.

Written by Athens Food Tours intern, Kelsea Olson.Food Tour Interns, Rachel Regal (left) & Kelsea Olson (right)