3 Ways to Breathe New Life Into Empty Pill Bottles

As their name would suggest, pill bottles are adept at storing all manner of prescription pills. Their use in the pharmaceutical world is so popular that nearly everyone in the United States has been issued prescriptions in these instantly recognizable plastic medicine bottles. But the use of pharmaceutical bottles stretches even further beyond the medical industry because, at their heart, these are simply well-constructed, yet affordable plastic packaging. But what do you do with your pill bottles when the medicine's gone? If you've been throwing them away, you're actually missing out on all of the ways you can give these convenient bottles a second life.

Spruce Up Your Home With DIY Candles

Hobbyists love empty pill bottles for the variety of creations they can be used to concoct. One of the most simple yet effective ways you can use an empty pill bottle is to transform it into a candle. We recently talked about a similar repurposing of glass jars and the concept and execution are basically the same here. You're simply filling the empty bottle with wax while keeping a hemp wick positioned at the center. Bottles with screw caps and push-and-turn caps tend to work better than pop top bottles since you'll most likely want to completely remove the lid. Using pill bottles instead of glass jars to make candles is a bit more hazardous since plastic doesn't hold up to heat as well as glass. Pouring the wax should be fine but as the wax evaporates with use, you may start to see the integrity of the bottle compromised by the flame. While this isn't a major issue, you'll still want to use caution if attempting to handle the pill bottle candle directly after use.

Need Help Staying Organized?

Instead of discarding your pill bottles, have you ever considered using them to help you stay organized? Empty pharmaceutical bottles are the perfect size and shape for storing a variety of tools that you use in your everyday life. Keep your bathroom in order by using medicine bottles as makeup brush holders or to hold your bobby pins and hair clips. If you like sewing, you'll find a pill bottle makes an ideal sewing needle container. Artists can get some extra mileage out of an empty plastic bottle by using it as a paint brush holder. You can even use one as a piggy bank of sorts, depositing loose change that you find around your house or in your pocket. If you get creative, you can easily think of hundreds of ways to use empty bottles to help you maintain order at home.

Pill Bottles Make Excellent Travel Size Containers

If you travel frequently, you're likely to be well-versed in the standard rules of flight. For anyone who needs a refresher, any bottle that you bring with you on an airplane as carry-on cannot exceed a liquid volume of 3.4 ounces. That means you have no chance of catching a flight with a full bottle of shampoo in your carry-on luggage. A novel way to get around this without having to run to the store for travel size bottles is to simply use empty pill bottles. Pour a bit of your favorite shampoo in a pill bottle but make sure it seals tightly. You can do this for all the liquids you'd be using on a daily basis; mouthwash, conditioner, contact lense solution, and more.

These 3 examples are actually just the beginning of ways you can breathe new life into an empty medicine bottle. Depending on your level of artistry, you can transform pharmaceutical bottles into home decor, redesign them for DIY fashion, use them as a miniature planter… your imagination is the limit. And to think you've just been tossing your pill bottles in the trash!