Last weekend, your faithful writer was called upon to look after a wonderful dog named Dudley while his owners enjoyed some much-deserved R&R time. All went well until we arrived back after a walk in the park and Dudley sat his not-inconsiderable bulk down in the hallway and refused to move. I left him to it and a battle-of-wills commenced, wherein I sat in the kitchen shouting him and he sat in the hallway ignoring me. Who won? Read on….

Any pet owner will already know the answer – the dog won. I finally gave up and went into the hallway to investigate - judging by the puddle of drool on the floor and Dudley’s wistful expression, I figured out (clever human!) that the poor dog wanted a treat, probably a routine he has after walkies. I followed his gaze (still wistful) and there were the treats, a whole glass jar of them, that seemed to float in mid air.

No magic trick – this was simply one of the most ingenious life hacks I have seen and, finally I come to my point, it was achieved using stainless steel banding! Your faithful writer is ever-dedicated, never switching off entirely, and immediately examined the treat-jar more closely, added it to the mental notebook and here it is, ready to share with you.

OK so it’s really simple and of course you don't have to use it for dog treats – you can store just about anything in a jar if it’s the right size and a few of these round your garage, shed, studio or wherever will soon have you in tidy, clutter-free heaven.

Get a piece of nice wood, slightly bigger than your jar is tall and wide - any jar will do, from a simple jam jar to a fancy designer piece. Drill two holes right through, side by side, just big enough to get a bit of stainless steel banding through (Need drill bits? We’ve got you covered!). Wrap the stainless steel round the jar and through the holes, seal it up (check out our latest news article for details and a video on how to get it exactly perfect) and you’re done! Hang it on the wall with pride, preferably out of the dog’s line of vision, particularly if he does an as impressive, guilt-evoking and accusatory wistful stare as Dudley.

I was going to take some pictures of both Dudley and his stainless steel banding treat-jar but I did not have the owners’ permission. They are back from holidaying now so, if you want a visual guide on how to make your very own stylish, homemade storage jar or would just like your day brightening up with a smile from a truly unique pooch, then send us your emails!

All the info you need about our stainless steel banding solutions is right HERE. Go on – do it for Dudley!