Leftover Kitty Litter Canisters? Make a storage bucket!
This little craft came to be because of two events in my house. 1.) I always wonder what can you do with kitty litter jugs once they are empty and 2.) I have an almost teenager that is constantly wanting new tubs and trays to store her stuff in. See how those two came together?
My daughter Mae and I sat down and squeezed in a little craft time. I saved up a few giant kitty litter jugs over the last few weeks. In case you didn’t see, I share my craft/laundry room with the litter box and happen to have the laziest cat that comes inside to go potty (that is if he even ever goes outside). This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase I might receive a small commission, your price stays the same. 
Hence, we burn through some cat litter around our house!
Mae wanted to store all her Sharpie markers in one tub, and girlfriend has a few! We decided how tall to make the storage bucket and I used a piece of paper that tall to rest on the table and use a tracing guide to draw (with one of those Sharpie’s) a cut line. Nice and even all around! I stood up to do this and was kind of upside down, but it works like a charm! When you are ready to cut, large sharp scissors are a must.
I poked holes in the ends of my tray after I painted and should have done it before. If you want to add handles, poke the holes first! 
Next we both picked a color of chalky type paint and painted our new kitty litter bucket. You could try a spray paint that is suitable for plastic as well. After we painted a few coats I went over the paint with a paste wax for added protection. (BTW – if you love easy projects like this, join me for more! Add your name to the list and get great ideas straight to your inbox, for FREE)
Next I got some fabric scraps and ripped them into thin strips. Grab three and tie them together with a knot at one end and thread it through one hole, then braid. Loop the other end through the other hole and tie a knot. Now you have a handle!
Take one of the thin strips of fabric and using FabriTac glue adhere to the kitty litter bucket, wrapping over the top edge and down both sides.
Now you can fill your cute little storage bucket with whatever you need to organize. It’s perfect for office supplies, make-up or craft supplies. You could also make this from any leftover large jug in your house – laundry detergent, milk, pretzels, your pantry is probably filled with potential. Tell me, what would you put in yours? A cute house never has to cost a fortune. 🙂 Don’t forget to share if you like this project, you’ll be my new BFF! Let me know where you shared so I can go thank you!
If you liked this project you are probably a lot like me and love thrifty DIY. I shop garage sales A LOT and have some tips on WHY YOUR GARAGE SALES STINKS! You can let me know what I missed the list!
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Toni says
February 19, 2018 at 9:29 AMAt our local pet store you can get a container that is refillable…..you scoop and fill it yourself and thus save landfill all the empty buckets. But yours is a fun project and very useful! Thanks for sharing.
Kim at Hunt and Host says
February 19, 2018 at 10:05 PMwhat a great idea, I didn’t know that. I have been using them for all kinds of things, but so good to know!
Boo says
July 30, 2018 at 8:10 AMAll my plastics go to the recycling center, not a landfill. I love this idea however and will be trying it! Thanks!
Elisabeth Warner says
February 19, 2018 at 10:29 AMWe’ve have lots of empty kitty litter jugs, too. You came up with a great idea for reusing the empty ones. Thanks for sharing.
Kim at Hunt and Host says
February 19, 2018 at 10:06 PMhope you can make some fun stuff out of them!
Jonni Jones says
February 19, 2018 at 3:52 PMThe cut off top looks like it could make a great makeshift funnel . Thanks for the clever idea!
Kim at Hunt and Host says
February 19, 2018 at 10:07 PMdoesn’t it though! I bet you could do something good with it too.
Norma Rolader says
February 19, 2018 at 4:46 PMWow!!! What a great idea and thank you for sharing
Kim at Hunt and Host says
February 19, 2018 at 10:07 PMalways grateful for you – thanks Norma!
Adriana riley miller cuevas says
February 19, 2018 at 6:03 PMMy empty cat litter jugs I reused them (after i rise them off with soap & water) with dry cat food, bird feed and-or drinking water.
Kim at Hunt and Host says
February 19, 2018 at 10:08 PMI have a list in my head of other uses to try!!! Might try some of your ideas 🙂
Jonni Jones says
February 20, 2018 at 9:26 AMI LOVE that idea! I have awkward bags of both cat food and bird seed. Yaay!
Kim at Hunt and Host says
February 21, 2018 at 8:35 AMendless potential friend!
Sally Chattin says
July 30, 2018 at 8:57 AMAs an fyi, not all plastic containers are safe to use for food and water storage so be sure to check first. There’s a symbol on the bottom that lets you know.
Joan V Giordano says
February 19, 2018 at 10:22 PMGreat ideas….thanks for sharing. Won’t be throwing them away anymore. They would also make a great storage bin for all the dog toys that are laying around at the end of the day.
Kim at Hunt and Host says
February 21, 2018 at 8:34 AMwhat a cute idea. I think they could be perfect for WHATEVER anyone needs to gather!!!
Vickie says
July 30, 2018 at 5:29 AMThis is very cute, thanks for sharing. I make my own DIY laundry detergent and I store it in one of the square, large Tidy Cat litter containers. Also, I purchase grandkids gifts whenever I see something they would like and store those toys in these containers also…one for girls and one for boys! ideas are endless!
Jane says
July 30, 2018 at 6:39 AMI don’t have a cat so no cat litter jugs but I did the same with jugs from Tide…Gain etc
Karen A Trzcinski says
July 30, 2018 at 7:37 AMNice idea. I just take mine to the recycling center. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
annelewis246 says
July 30, 2018 at 9:09 AMGreat idea. I have 2 small dogs and lots of small toys. My soap container will make a great storage place for them. Thanks for sharing.
Nancy Andrews says
July 30, 2018 at 10:07 AMI use my empty cat litter containers to store potting soil. Much easier and beater to store, pour and move around.
Nancy Shugan says
July 30, 2018 at 1:39 PMMy sister taught me this one, as we both have hyper dogs. She cuts 3/4′ holes randomly around the bottle. She fills it with her dog’s daily dry food, closes the lid tight. The dog has to shake and tip and rattle the plastic bottle until it’s empty. Lunch and a workout at the same time!