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Thursday, January 24, 2013

Good to the Last Drop (a thrifty project)

I am well-stocked with lotions and creams.  My hubby hit a sale after Christmas, and brought home some of my favorite flavors ummm, scents.  It's fun to have a bunch of different ones to choose from.  In making a place for them, I realized that I had a couple rather old tube-style creams.  They were ones that I couldn't bear to part with because -- well, it just didn't seem that I could get all of the cream out, and it was one of my favorite fragrances!  It felt wasteful to discard them.

The other night, I noticed the tubes on my dresser, and got a brainstorm.  Why not cut them open, and use a spatula to get the cream out?  Sounded like a plan.  Now, I just needed a small container to put it in.

It just so happens that back in the fall, my hubby and I got these adorable little mini-masons on clearance for cheap at the grocery store.  Perfect.


So, here's what I needed:  the cream tubes, containers as needed for each fragrance, kitchen shears, and a small spatula.  (I used a metal one.)


It's not rocket science, but here's what I did:

I started by cutting the very end of the tube off.  The tubes were pretty much suctioned close because I'd squeezed all of the cream to the bottom, so I slipped the spatula into the opening to pry the sides apart.  Then, I scraped the walls of the tube.  It didn't look like much was in there, but I was amazed at how much cream I ended up with! (Gosh - this sounds like surgery or something!)


When the walls of the tube were pretty clean, I cut down further, so that I had better access to the very bottom of the tube.  Since they had been standing up, a good bit of cream had pooled there.  Again -- I got more than I'd imagined I would.  I had a second tube with even more leftovers, so I ended up with a mini-mason full of Cucumber-Melon cream.  My kitchen smells of it as I write this -- yum.  Smells like a spa.  Okay -- smells like I imagine a spa would smell (never having been at one).


I'm a happy camper!  I'll be able to use this up, and it'll be good... to the last fragrant drop.

Oh -- and I couldn't resist one last thing... cutting a circular bit of the plastic tube, and inserting it under the jar lid.  It takes this project from plain to pretty, and gives a little indication of what's inside the jar.



4 comments:

  1. You're a genius! Waste not, want not. Love those tiny little canning jars!

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  2. I have done this...but not with the pretty jar to put the cream in. Bravo for making it lovely!

    Found your post on Rooted in Thyme hop today. New follower here. Would love the follow back and please stop by my Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop on Ducks 'n a Row!

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  3. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing it at Simple & Sweet Fridays. Have a wonderful week!

    Jody

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