23 Clever Ways to Reuse Prescription Pill Bottles

 

If you or someone in your household regularly takes prescription medications, then you know how sturdy and well-made those pill bottles are.  Think twice before throwing them out, because you can easily wash (very well) and cover them with contact or scrapbook paper, and do other clever, resourceful things with them to give them new life. Here are several clever ways to use them around the house on a regular basis.

*Note:  ALWAYS LABEL these bottles so there is no confusion!

Ways to Reuse Prescription Pill Bottles:  Smaller/Narrower Bottles

• Store non-prescription medication in your car or purse.  They can hold Advil, cough drops, and more.
• Store snacks like Skittles or M&Ms in your purse.  It’s less messy than having a bag of candy accidentally rip in your purse.
• Store bobby pins and pony tail holders in case you need them on-the-go.
• Store USB flash drives and SD cards so they don’t get lost in your purse.
• Store coins in your car easily by keeping them in an old pill bottle.
• Make a portable sewing kit with a couple needles and a couple small spools of thread, and a couple safety pins.
• Keep thumb tacks, paper clips, and other office supplies together and safely stored in a pill bottle.
• Keep leftover garden seeds safe until the next growing season.
• Store matches in them to keep them water-proof while camping.
• Fill them with water and freeze them to make mini-ice packs for lunch boxes.
• Place your emergency house key inside a pill bottle before hiding it somewhere in your yard.  It will keep the metal from rusting and decaying from the moisture.
• For gift-giving, create your own fun labels and fill them with candies as a gag gift.”  Ex:  “Over the Hill Pills” aka black jelly beans.

Ways to Reuse Prescription Pill Bottles:  Larger/Wider Bottles

• Store craft supplies like beads, sequins, or nail art supplies.
• Mix tempera paints to the exact shade you want without a mess.
• The wide bottles also make great holders for crayons-on-the-go.
• Use pill bottles to store dry herbs from your garden until you use them.
• Store custom spice mixes and meat rubs in these bottles.
• Make a travel kit for your jewelry.
• Make a mini-manicure kit:  a couple cotton balls soaked in nail polish remover (in a plastic snack-size bag), a small nail file, and a bottle of nail polish.
• Store your ear buds and car chargers in the larger pill bottles so they don’t get lost and tangled.
• Create a mini-first aid kit and store it in a large pill bottle:  a couple bandaids, q-tips, a couple alcohol wipes, packets of Neosporin, packets of pain medication (found in the travel aisles at grocery stores.
• Roll up and save receipts for large purchases (for which you might need them later).  Then at the end of the month (when the return period has passed), throw the bottle away.  That way you don’t have scattered receipts from months ago junking up your desk drawer or counter.
• Use them to store dog treats for when you take them to the park.