Your prescription pill bottles have likely been gathering dust for quite some time now. Although recycling them has proven challenging in the past, there are now more efficient recycling centers popping up nationwide that provide solutions. But instead of looking for ways to repurpose these brown medicine bottles there are also numerous fun uses that you can find for them besides throwing them out or seeking out recycling centers – here are just a few fun ideas on what can be done with empty prescription pill bottles that won’t leave them gathering dust in landfills!
Prescription Pill Bottles Prescription pill bottles make ideal storage containers for travel bags or purses. In the home, you can use them to organize small objects. Each medication comes in its own size range which offers multiple uses.
Safety Tip: For best results, always thoroughly disinfect any bottle that previously contained narcotic medications. After washing with soap and water, using bleach-soaked cotton buds followed by multiple rinses with clean water should do the trick. If you want to make them even prettier with decoupage decorations here is an idea for decorating them:
1. Lotion, Shampoo, and Conditioner.
Make use of pill bottles instead of purchasing travel-size versions to store lotion or shampoo and conditioner, saving money as well as space in your car. Most prescription pill bottles are waterproof when properly closed but if leakage concerns arise place the bottle inside a zipper snack size plastic bag for extra security – these work great when driving as well.
2. POINTY OBJECTS
Start by gathering all your pointy objects like toothpicks, straight pins, needles and thumbtacks together into an organized pill bottle with a tight fitting lid to make life simpler in your kitchen drawer, desk space or sewing room. Doing this can prevent unnecessary poking when organizing any kitchen junk drawer, desk area or sewing room space.
3. WATERPROOF STASH FOR YOUR CASH
Roll up bills into pill bottles as an easy and waterproof way of saving for an emergency, or stashing away funds when they’re needed for quick shopping trips. Plus, this method fits easily in back pockets or fanny packs!
4. Cotton Swabs and Balls
Keep your Q-Tips and cotton balls tidy by storing them in a pill bottle. Traveling can make this easy – this bottle fits easily in any cosmetic bag without picking up loose powder or residue from nearby surfaces.
5. BUTTONS AND BEADS Keep a pill bottle filled with various sizes and colors of buttons handy in your sewing drawer for when one pops off unexpectedly or as replacements in case one breaks during an art project. Plus, these bottles make great storage solutions when working on jewelry projects as well!
6. SAFETY PINS
I always carry safety pins in my purse just in case there’s ever an unexpected situation that arises, which I never would have predicted otherwise. Store several sizes in an airtight bottle in your glove box or purse to be ready when an unexpected need arises.
7. Bobby Pins and Hair Ties
No matter where I look for them, bobby pins seem to appear all around my bathroom drawer, on my floor and even my car! And when it’s time to find one I never can. Instead of hunting down that missing pin, keep your stash of bobby pins organized in an empty pill bottle so you always know where they are – this makes an excellent way to organize various hair bands too!
8. Office and Homework Supplies
Organization can help make any office desk, homework station or kitchen table where children work on projects more tidier by organizing small office supplies into containers: paper clips in one bottle, thumbtacks in another and small binder clips in yet another – you could even store things such as pencil eraser tops, rubber bands or staples inside old pill bottles for easy organization [image from My Crafty Zoo]
Related content: Don’t miss this: 30+ ORGANIZATION IDEAS AND TIPS
9. Jewelry Keepers
Travel can be challenging enough without dealing with a mess of necklaces that is impossible to organize, which makes pill bottles ideal for holding rings and bracelets, too. If you travel often and bring along multiple types of jewelry such as earrings in one bottle and necklaces in another.
10. Travel-Size Sewing Kit
Empty bottles make ideal storage solutions for needles and safety pins, but can also serve as the foundation of a mini sewing kit. Simply assemble it by filling with various-sized needles/safety pins/buttons/needle threader etc (see this list of suggested contents here for ideas)