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Never mind that I have a closet full of stemmed wine glasses still in their original boxes. When I'm cooking dinner and decide to pour myself a glass of pinot grigio (I had to open the bottle anyway, to add it to the chicken, right?), I reach for a juice glass. There's something low-key about sipping wine out of a Duralex tumbler. I'm not alone; this recent post from TheKitchn touts the squat little cup's "charm and casual, everyday vibe that says 'relax and enjoy.'"

In the spirit of using everyday objects in untraditional ways, here are 5 more mom-would-never-do-this ways to repurpose kitchen and dining pieces. What are yours? Tell us in the comments.

1. Kitchen towels as napkins. If you buy them at a restaurant supply store, they're very cheap (such as these 100% heavyweight cotton ones, $12 for a dozen).

2. Mason jars for yogurt, fruit and granola parfaits. Adapt the craze for all sorts of desserts and sweets in jars to your breakfast.


3. Trifle bowls as containers for serving Mexican layered dip or cobb salad. Let each ingredient lay neatly on top of the one below before you mix them up and let guests dig in.

4. Wine decanters for lemonade or iced tea. Float lemon or lime slices, or even raspberry ice cubes if you're entertaining.

5. Cake stands (especially vintage ones) as displays for votive and pillar candles. This is the perfect compromise between formal candlestick holders and low-to-the-table (and perilously close to the bread basket) votives.

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