10 Uses for Empty Ice-Cream Containers
After the fun of eating the ice cream is over, these containers are among the most versatile to reuse and recycle!
Toy Storage
Keep the kids Lego or Hot Wheels cars up off the bedroom floor and away from your feet (ouch!) by giving the kids a large ice cream container to store them in. It keeps the it all together, it has a lid and is stackable.
Craft Storage
Craft bits and pieces, ribbons, buttons, scrap bits of fabric, string, paint tubes etc. can all be stored tidily and using minimal space by placing them into empty ice cream containers.
They also make for fantastic sewing boxes!
Storing Play Dough
If you want to you can even make your own play dough and add it into the container to look like Neapolitan ice-cream and the kids can pretend to own a caf� and serve pretend ice creams. Just make sure they are old enough to know not to eat it!
Cleaning Caddy
Fill with handy cleaning items and use it as a caddy to take it all from room to room cleaning as you go!
Drawer or cupboard tidy
Label the outside of the container then use as many as you would like to create an effective storage area for herbs, spices, packages etc and tells you exactly where everything is.
Pet Food Storage
We use ice cream containers to store dog treats, guinea pig feed and all of the pets grooming and worming etc. supplies. It gets the flimsy or bulky packaging out of the way and keeps things nice and tidy.
Special Occasions
Cover the outside with some pretty paper or fabric and decorate it, add a handle and use it for an Easter Basket. Perfect for the egg hunt!
Herb Gardens
Convert one into a bench top herb garden! Fresh home grown herbs right there when you need them and greenery always looks good in a home!
Kids Play Time Ideas
Make a pretend mail box for a children’s cubby. Cut a ‘mail’ slot into the lid and write the cubby house number or name or “MAIL” onto the lid. Mount the side of the container onto the cubby and replace the lid. Attach string across the base and make a helmet for any number of sports stars or superheros. Hours and hours of fun for the kids!
Fill with homemade ice cream!
�Hints and Tips
- Always ensure the containers are free of any dairy residue and bacteria. Wash well before use
- If you wish to paint them, use an acrylic paint (a spray can is easiest) but give the surface a quick light sand before painting, just enough to take the shine off and rough it up a little so as the paint can stick. Alternatively, use a primer paint or undercoat first.
Responses to “10 Uses For Empty Ice-cream Containers”
I love ice cream containers, they are so useful. I use them in my bathroom cupboards to separate things, I keep some in the laundry incase I need to soak a small item such as underwear or socks. I also fill them up with Bi-carb soda for cleaning. I have always wondered about how to decorate them spray painting them is a great idea.
Love the herb garden idea.
My Grandma used to take two containers make holes about 1.5cm apart around the tops and a large hand size hole in the base of one, also with matching small holes in the inside and outside. She would then crochet the two containers together and crochet the circle “lid” back into the hole hinging it with about three or four stitches. Made a great toy storage or other small item storage container.