by Emeric Harney January 09, 2019 3 min read 41 Comments
No matter what your new year’s resolution is, getting more organized will help you set your intentions for 2019. By decluttering your home, you are creating a less stressful environment that will help you focus on your priorities for the year ahead. But don’t run out the store for storage bins just yet. You can organize your home using items you already have (ahem, Harney tea tins, ahem). Read on to learn how you can upcycle our tins to create a home you’ll love.
Store Baking Supplies
Baking cabinet always a mess? Dump your baking supplies into new containers and create labels like Cook for Real Connect for Real did and take control of the chaos. Not only are our tea tins stackable, but they were created to keep your teas fresh, so you don’t need to worry about your baking supplies going bad.
Image via Cook for Real Connect for Real
Recipe Card Holder
If you’re like us, you have tons of old family recipes on small bits of paper that you can’t bear to part with. Gather them up and pop them in your favorite Harney tea tin. Have more than one tin you need to reuse? Separate your recipes by appetizers, mains and desserts and place them in different colored tins.
Vintage Tea Candle
Stop creating more waste every time you buy and finish another candle. Create your own candles in a Harney tea tin like Sweet Cayenne to use in your own home or give as gifts.
Image via Sweet Cayenne
Floating Tea Tin Organizers
Can’t find your scissors? Always on the hunt for a working pen? Join the club. Keep your office, craft room or kitchen organized with these floating tea tin organizers from Lines Across and store all your necessities in one spot.
Image via Lines Across
Refrigerator Herb Garden
There is nothing better than using fresh herbs in your dishes. If you’re like us and the windowsills in your kitchen are already overcrowded with plants, you’ll love this magnetic herb garden idea from HGTV. Not only is it super easy to create, it also makes use of wasted space in the kitchen.
Image via HGTV
Portable Sewing Kit
We’ve all been there. You’re heading to an event and a button pops off your shirt or you get a small tear in your blouse. Fill your Harney tins with, needles, safety pins, a small pair of scissors, extra buttons and different colored threads and keep it in your car so you’re prepared for any clothing malfunction that may come your way.
Tea Tin Pendant Light
We love the thought of making a sweet pendant light for a nursery or playroom like 4FLighting did with this vintage cookie tin. All you need is a tool to cut metal, a pendant light kit, light bulb and a couple swag hooks and voilà!
Image via 4FLighting
Qtip, Cotton Ball & Makeup Brush Holders
Keep your brushes clean and in pristine condition and store them in your favorite Harney tea tin like M Loves M. Have a couple more tins laying around? Store your cotton balls and Q-tips in them. You’ll be happy you don’t need to keep replacing your brushes and your significant other will be happy your things aren’t straying into their territory on the bathroom counter.
Image via M Loves M
Gift Boxes
We love reusing Harney tins as gift boxes for smaller items like gift cards or even homemade cookies and candies. You can wrap them in paper and tie with a bow or even spray paint them with chalk paint and draw new designs on them for each occasion like The Frugal Girl.
Image via The Frugal Girl
Refill Your Tins
Finished your tea? Don’t throw away your tin! Buy the same tea in bulk bags of 50 sachets or 1 pound bags and refill it instead of sending it to the dump. We like to avoid creating waste as much as the next guy, so please consider this option when you are deciding whether you should keep or toss your tins.
Have a unique way you reuse your Harney tins? Let us know in the comments below and check out some of our favorite reads below to start your new year off on the right foot:
November 19, 2022
I use a tin to keep used bread & produce bags.
Then just grab a bag to use while cooking & baking for scraps, egg shells & trash.
I also wish that there were smaller refill bags of tea.
October 11, 2022
I love Harney tins. I use the smaller sizes of plain black tins for organizing sewing supplies. I use the larger size (buy on this site under wares) to hold expended Nespresso pods — much cuter than the container Nespresso sells, and am about to get more for protein powder. Love these tins…
September 15, 2022
I would love loose refills for the tins. I like to have a wide variety and the 1 lb bags are just too much. Hard to store too. The tins are great because they stack securely.
September 15, 2022
I use Mod Podge to cover my tins with fabric. Some I have used Christmas fabric on to contain gifts.
September 15, 2022
A small wide mouthed mason jar fits in the tins perfectly with the rim sitting on the edge so you can pull it out easily. I plant hydroponic plants in them and I can lift them quickly to fill and check water levels.
August 18, 2021
Good post, Fashion accessories for Pets, pet accessories online
February 08, 2021
I have several tinssaved back,was going to put them in the yard sale.now I may hold on to a few. They would be lively as decor,especially the Royal Palace tins. I should buy a 50 count bag of Hot Cinnamon Sunset to refill. That flavor is a sensory experience. I can dine off the aroma when I open the lid. TBE taste is wonderful,hot or cold. Beautiful teas and tins.
February 01, 2021
I too like the idea of packaging smaller quantities in smaller bags so it easier to refill a 4 oz tin. I find a 1 lb. bag can last me forever! I like having choices and find the small tins are just perfect to store but would like a better way to refill.
November 17, 2020
While looking for ideas on using them, I found the idea of using tin snips to cut them into small rectangle or teardrop shape & adding a earring thingy to make a pair of earrings out of the prettiest part of the tin. Other ideas so that you don’t have to throw these into a landfill: Donate to a thrift shop; offer them up on Craigslist or Freecycle (I got a bunch from CL a couple years ago :) Use for spices if you have enough tins.. Fill with gourmet or homemade candy and give as gifts. Fill with Epson salts/scented and give as gifts. Use to store colored pens and colored art pencils in. Use in your office to store staples, tape, paperclips, postage stamps & other supplies that otherwise would be scattered on desktop or in a mess in the drawer. If you have little -or big – girls with long hair, use the tins to store and separate what I call “hair doodies” (barettes, rubberband things, clips, etc.Fill them with nutritious snacks for your desk or vehicle. Fill them with something that you could randomly give away to bless another person. For me, that might be candy and a Gospel tract or a Burts Bees lipgloss or something like that. I guess if you were really OC you could separate your children’s Legos’ Maybe that’s going a bit too far :)
November 17, 2020
Yesterday I found a box of your tea tins at a thrift shop in Blanco, TX, and I must have something wrong with me because I bought them without knowing exactly how I was going to put them to use. I must have an obsession or something… :)
May 02, 2020
Have you considered starting a service so that we could send back the tins so they could be reused? I just don’t have enough room for them all at home, and at my office we have so many that we have built a pyramid out of them! I try to re-purpose them as much as possible, but I’m at the point where I just have to throw them away, and I hate that :(
April 14, 2020
I am so glad I’m not the only one! They’re just too good to throw away! I do refill my Scottish Morn tea container, but I have lots more to put to use! Great ideas! Thank you!
March 03, 2020
I filled an empty tin with tissues for a cute tissue box! If anyone’s ambitious enough, I’m sure you could cut a rectangle from the lid to make it more functional, but the napkins themselves don’t stick much and only require a gentle tug
March 13, 2019
I love your tins and have so many. I do order the one pound bags of loose tea and refill them but I wish you would offer bulk tea in 4 and 8 oz quantities. That way we could refill tins, try new teas that we might not want in one pound quantity. PLEASE consider! Thank you!
January 30, 2019
I have so many tins! They are too pretty to throw away. As a teacher, I have reused them to store art and classroom supplies, as vases for Mother’s Day gifts, and yes, even for making candles! At home, we store makeup and makeup brushes, storing screws, nails, drill bits and even extra batteries. And they also make attractive displays on a bookshelf. Of course, they are used to stash refill sachets whenever we need to order more awesome Harney & Sons Tea!
January 30, 2019
My mom was the coffee drinker of our family but I learned to drink tea from my dad. My Mom & Dad traveled when i was younger and collected tea pots and loved the loose tea my dad always brewed. It was so special loved it ! They went to different countries to get tea and the pots. That’s why I love your tea.
January 30, 2019
I made christmas ornaments by wrapping them up like presents. They looked great on the mantle and other spots here and there not so obvious.
January 25, 2019
These tins are the perfect size for small floral arrangements. I have used Cinnamon Spice for Thanksgiving and Holiday Tea for Christmas.
January 23, 2019
I buy my tea by the pound and when my three or four tins of Scottish Morn are empty I refill them with the loose tea and I ‘m good for a couple of more months.
January 21, 2019
These tins are excellent for storing pipe tobacco!
January 21, 2019
I use my tins to store business cards, and also assorted sewing supplies—snaps, elastic by sizes, needles and more. The tins are too good to throw away. Loved the idea of covering with craft paper and using in the kitchen.
January 21, 2019
I find small glass vases or jelly jars to sit inside and use as fresh flower vases/centerpieces. Great little hostess gift filled with fresh flowers from your yard!
January 21, 2019
I can see a great craft year in 2019! I save many sizes of tins with great plans for them. Then life intervenes…I will get my game on with the great suggestions! When I was growing up, my mother had many beautiful Japanese works of art in our home. It wasn’t until I grew up and really took a look at the pair of table lamps with brass bases that were on mahogany tables in our living room. The center was two tea tins stacked one on top of the other. The tins were identical, and the entire tin, including the lid, was embossed with many colors and gold accents. I hadn’t thought about my “adult” discovery in years. Guess who’s giving “tea tin lamps” for gifts this year!
January 21, 2019
I use Harney tea tins to organize my pantry cabinet, as I have a lot of spices and small cooking supplies. I have also saved two large bags of regular tea tins and making a dining table out of them. The empty octagon tea tins I sell to people on eBay to use as storage containers.
January 21, 2019
I wish you sold more tea in 4oz or 8oz bags so we could reuse the tins to hold … tea!
January 21, 2019
I’ve been sewing all my life, so now I keep buttons in my tea tins, labeled as to material (wood, mother-of-pearl, etc.); I also keep the little paper envelopes that come with extra buttons for new clothing items. I keep little stacks of seam bindings and other notions on hand in tins. The tins I can’t use (those these tips will reduce that amount!) I give to thrift shops so others can do the same.
January 21, 2019
I reuse my tins for more tea, and I also put my smaller painting supplies in them. I buy from independent artists, and they have a lot of little items that can easily be lost or damaged. The tins are perfect to hold the tiny paint pans.
January 21, 2019
Love these ideas! I use my old tins in the garage for storing small random items like nuts & bolts, screws, nails, etc.
January 21, 2019
We have a women’s tea at our church each spring and we have used my tins to make floral centerpieces for each table, and then one lucky person gets to take it home. I must admit I am sad to see the tins go, but it just means I have to collect more for the next time!
January 15, 2019
I saw this idea in an old magazine: for a Christmas tea table, cluster 3-4different Christmas tea tins filled with flowers for the centerpiece!
January 14, 2019
I use my tinsel to store jewelry, particularly bracelets. I find them very handy for packing my jewelry when heading out of town.
January 11, 2019
I am a teacher. My classroom is filled with Harney and Sons Tea tins. They hold crayons, markers and glue sticks throughout our room. I love them because they don’t tip over!
January 11, 2019
I have used Harney & Sons tea tins as planters for houseplants. See photo and directions here: https://my-tea-diary.blogspot.com/2017/04/tea-craft-tuesday-tea-tin-planters.html
January 11, 2019
The tin is great for taking quarters, laundry pods and dryer sheets to the laundrymat.
January 11, 2019
Teachers sometimes can find uses for the tins.
A tin in a child’s desk or backpack could secure loose or pointy items. Crushable snacks would ride securely.
Extra dog treats or extra shopping bags/poo bags could be color coded by flavor or task. Quick retrieval of the required items with insider information.
January 11, 2019
What great ideas! I do like to refill my tea tins – which means you need to make Tower of London available for me to do this! But these are excellent ideas I haven’t yet tried, aside from the pencil holder.
January 11, 2019
I like to store my Double-A & Triple AAA Batteries in my tins. I know exactly where they are during Hurricane Season! I have many battery operated candles, inside of Lanterns; much safer than real candles in the heat of summer! Thank you for showing great ideas!
Carolintallahassee
January 11, 2019
I’m using my old tins by turning them into toys for my grandchildren. I put different magnets inside the tin and paint different backgrounds to put the magnets on. They end up with four different scenes to imagine a story with the magnetic characters. I found the little magnets at the thrift store.
January 11, 2019
As a tea addict & Harney tea lover, cute tins included, this is probably exactly what I’ll do! But I didn’t think up all these ideas myself, so thanks for the creative options.
January 11, 2019
Loved your ideas for using empty tea tins. They are so pretty I hate to toss them.
I love the peach ginger tea – a real special treat!
Comments will be approved before showing up.
by Emeric Harney May 25, 2023 5 min read
by Emeric Harney May 18, 2023 6 min read
by Emeric Harney May 12, 2023 6 min read
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more!
Kathy
November 19, 2022
I love the tea tins and have used them for storing small items and my wrapped H&S tea bags. It’s not carried any more but I do have a few of the H&S Ceylon tea tins and they are my favorites! I also pass them on to a friend who uses them as planters to give to friends who are sick. And I enjoyed discovering new uses for the tea tins!