Another Junk Project: Turning an Old Thermos into a Useful Box

I just LOVE making something cute and useful out of junk!

I hadn’t had a chance to make anything for several weeks, and I was simply chomping at the bit to create something new. Finally, things slowed down enough for me to enjoy some quiet time with my crafts.

Some time ago, I had bought organic wheat packed in a very large burlap sack. Instead of throwing the sack away, I carefully unravelled its jute yarn and saved it for my upcycling projects. I had already used some of this yarn to wrap old paint and varnish containers and a few discarded thermos bottles.

Then, one day, my mother noticed that I still had a ball of the unraveled jute yarn left.

She decided to do something with it herself.

She knitted a rectangular piece of fabric from the jute yarn. It was simple, rustic and beautifully textured. I immediately thought of an old thermos that could be given a completely new life with this handmade piece.

My recycled Jute box

Turning the Old Thermos into a Box

First, I cut the old thermos to the required length so that it could be used as the body of a small storage box.

I spread glue over the surface of the thermos and carefully began wrapping it with the jute yarn. I worked slowly, adding glue as I went along so that the yarn would stay firmly in place.

For the main body, I also used the rectangular piece knitted by my mother. It fitted perfectly around the thermos and gave the box a warm, handmade character.

For finishing the upper edge, I used a beaded fringe left over from one of my earlier projects. I simply glued it around the rim. The fringe added a little decorative touch without taking away from the rustic look.

A Little Crochet for the Lid

For the lid, I crocheted a small circular piece and attached it to the top. I decorated its edge with the same leftover beaded fringe.

The sides of the lid were wrapped with the jute yarn and glued into place.

Interestingly, the decorative fringe was actually the selvedge of the original burlap sack. I loved the idea of using almost every little part of the discarded material instead of throwing it away.

From Junk to Something Useful

And here it is—the old thermos has been transformed into a completely different object!

I placed this newly made thermos box on top of another box that I had previously covered with the same jute yarn.

What was once an ordinary discarded thermos is now a rustic little storage box with a handmade, earthy charm.

This project reminded me once again that upcycling does not always require expensive materials or complicated techniques. Sometimes, an old container, a discarded burlap sack, some leftover yarn, a little crochet and a few scraps from previous projects are all we need.

And, of course, a little imagination!

Recycled Box

For me, the most special part of this project was that my mother contributed her own handmade work by knitting the jute yarn into fabric. So this little box carries not only recycled material, but also a small piece of our shared creativity.

I still love the thought of giving discarded things a second life.

After all, why throw something away when a little creativity can turn it into something useful and beautiful?

XO