22 Clever Pill Bottle Crafts and Reuse Ideas You’ll Actually Use
From fire starters to seed storage, discover 22 pill bottle crafts and reuse ideas that turn empty containers into something useful and fun.
I do my best to rely on herbal remedies around here, but I’ll be honest… plastic pill bottles still sneak in now and then. And since I hate tossing things (seriously, it makes me twitchy), I’ve gotten pretty good at finding new uses for old containers. At this point, I’m probably an upcycling addict. But honestly, there are worse habits to have.
So when I found myself staring at a mountain of empty pill bottles, I hopped on Pinterest for inspiration. (If you’re not following me there, you should. It’s where I stash all my harebrained homestead ideas.)
Here are some of my favorite ways to repurpose pill bottles: some practical, some just for fun.
#1 Fire Starters
Pill bottles make easy little fire starters. I’ve seen people call this a fun project to do with kids… I’m not sure my crew qualifies as calm enough for that, but if you’ve got responsible kids, this could be a good bonding project. Stuff them with cotton balls or dryer lint dipped in wax and they’ll catch fast, even if the wood’s a little damp.
#2 Hide-A-Key
Make a cheap, quick hide-a-key by gluing a rock or pinecone to the lid. I can’t promise it’ll last forever outside, but since it costs basically nothing, replacing it now and then doesn’t hurt. Pro tip: pick a spot that blends in naturally and rotate locations so it’s not too obvious.
#3 Travel Bottles
These bottles are just the right size for shampoo, conditioner, and lotion when traveling. I’m pretty sure they meet airline liquid rules, but double-check before you pack so you’re not stuck tossing them at security. I slap some painter’s tape on them so I’m not stuck guessing which one’s conditioner halfway through a shower. Permanent marker (it turns out) isn’t actually permanent.
#4 Portable Sewing Kit
Turn a pill bottle into a mini sewing kit with a bit of thread, a needle, and a few buttons. Bonus points if you glue a tiny pincushion to the lid. I like keeping one in the car for those “oops, lost a button” moments. Toss in a couple safety pins, too. They’ve saved me more times than the needle and thread.
#5 Survival Kit
My outdoorsy boyfriend has made about twenty of these survival kits, and they live in every glove box, backpack, and tackle box he owns. I’ll admit, they’ve saved the day more than once on hikes. Think waterproof matches, a bit of fishing line, and a couple of bandages (the kind of little things that feel huge if you’re stuck outside).
#6 Crafting Storage
These little bottles are perfect for craft odds and ends: cake piping tips, beads, needles, paper clips, safety pins. I use them to keep the gems from my diamond painting kits corralled, too. A quick label on the lid makes it easy to know what’s inside without digging through a drawer.
#7 Halloween Decor
Spray paint a few bottles and turn them into Halloween potion bottles. I made some last year for the mantle, and they were a hit! Just the right touch of spooky to mix in with my pumpkins. A ring of hot glue around the cap gives you that old ‘wax seal’ vibe if you really want to go all in.
#8 Snowman Ornament
Not into spooky? Use them to make winter snowmen. My youngest once built an entire snowman village out of pill bottles. Did they clash with my vintage Christmas village? Yep. Did I still display them? Absolutely. Paint sticks better if you rough up the plastic with sandpaper first.
I’ve got plenty more thrifty holiday craft ideas where that came from. Check out my favorite Christmas decorating projects on a budget for more Santa-approved inspiration.
#9 Rainbow Crayons
Use pill bottles as molds for rainbow crayons. Extra credit if you’re also upcycling broken crayons. (Yes, I hoard broken crayons too. Don’t judge.) Just remember the bottles aren’t oven-safe. Melt the crayons first, then pour them in.
#10 Unique Vase
Nest pill bottles together and you’ve got yourself a faux bamboo vase. The vacuum seal makes them watertight without glue (bonus science lesson included). Wrap them in jute or give them a coat of paint and they actually look pretty classy.
#11 Nail Polish Remover
Make a quick nail polish remover tub: stuff a pill bottle with cotton balls and pour in acetone. It’s way less messy than pouring from the bottle, and you’ll waste less polish remover too. Cut a sponge to size and swap it in if you want that salon-style dip jar.
#12 Ammo Storage
Pill bottles keep ammo dry and organized. Around here, those bottles get tucked into an old Christmas cookie tin in the gun cabinet. Sadly, it’s not cookies. Toss in a silica packet and it’ll stay dry even longer.
#13 Yarn Baller
Knitters and crocheters, this one’s for you. Use a pill bottle to make a center-pull yarn ball so your skein doesn’t roll across the floor. Before my friend gifted me a “real” yarn ball winder, this trick saved my sanity. Drill a hole in the cap for the yarn to thread through. It keeps the tension nice and steady.
#14 Ink Dauber
You can even make ink daubers. At first, I had no idea what those were (BINGO night, maybe?), but it turns out scrapbookers use them too. Glue a bit of felt on the bottom and you’re good to go for stamping or blending.
#15 Coin Storage
Need a spot for quarters? Toss them in a pill bottle coin holder and stash it in the glove box. Handy for car washes, vacuums, or laundromats. (Not that I’d know. My kids swipe my change before I get to it.) Adding a slit in the lid makes it a mini piggy bank for kids.
#16 Party Lights
I’ve seen pill bottles turned into quirky amber-colored party lights. I’m not sure when you’d use them. Maybe at a med school graduation party? Still, it’s a quirky little project if you’re the crafty type. Paint the outsides different colors for a string-light effect.
#17 First Aid Kit
Mini first aid kits in pill bottles are a lifesaver. I keep one in my purse for scraped knees and mystery bruises. (Let’s be honest… usually caused by one rambunctious child in particular, but I won’t name names.) A couple of antiseptic wipes fit in there too, and trust me, they’re worth their weight in gold.
If you want to take it a step further, here’s how I stock a homestead first aid kit that actually works. You’ll find practical, affordable essentials that go way beyond a few bandages in a box.
#18 Tooth Storage
Parents: this one’s for you. Put a tooth in a pill bottle so the Tooth Fairy can actually find it in the bed sheets. Trust me, it’s a lot less stressful than digging through stuffed animals at midnight. A dab of glitter nail polish on the lid turns it into a magical “Tooth Fairy jar.”
#19 Hair Supply Container
Perfect for corralling bobby pins and elastics. I swear I’ve been working off the same pack of bobby pins for 15 years because they just vanish. The elastic bands wrap nicely around the outside of the bottle too. Add a strip of magnetic tape inside to keep the pins from scattering.
#20 Q-Tip Holder
Keep cotton swabs in one so the kids don’t decide to “help” each other with ear cleaning. (Yes, that happened here. Never again.) Stick a label on it if you also keep them for makeup. No one wants ear swabs touching mascara wands.
#21 Seed Storage
Don’t want to make printable seed packets? Pill bottles are perfect for storing seeds, and the childproof caps mean no accidental spills all over the floor. Taping a seed packet label to the outside helps keep varieties straight.
#22 Battery Organizer
And finally, battery storage. Because the bottles are watertight, your batteries are less likely to corrode. Group them by size so you’re not digging through a messy junk drawer when the remote dies.
Your Pill Bottle Upcycling Questions, Answered
Still curious about what to do with those bottles once the medicine is gone? Here are a few of the questions I hear most often about reusing pill bottles and the simple answers that make it less of a headache.
If you liked these ideas, pin the image below and share it with your Pinterest crew.
Health doesn’t come from a plastic bottle, but if it does, at least you can turn that bottle into something useful afterward.
Want more ideas? Check out 12+ Fun Ways to Upcycle Holiday Cards After the Season, Mason Jar Crafts You’ll Love to DIY, and 12 Uses for an Old Milk Jugs.
Repurposing pill bottles proves a little creativity goes a long way. From seed storage to quirky decor, they definitely don’t have to end up in the trash.
What’s your favorite way to reuse pill bottles? Share in the comments. I’d love to hear!
I make a “Get Well Basket” which includes some containers filled with different candies, goodies, etc and give to the sick person.
Candy for a sick person will only keep them sick. Just saying.
Dont be silly, a little candy wont hurt anyone other than a diabetic, and if their sugar is under good control, a little won’t hurt the
If you are not diabetic or severely overweight, Candy will lift the spirits and provide a little energy. Everything in moderation. Just a nurse’s
advice.
?
After you make an EDC/survival/fishing/sewing kit out of a pill bottle, wrap several feet of duct tape around the outside. I can’t leave my house without duct tape!
I like to use mine to put my daily meds in after I have taken them out of either the original bottle or the daily containers. I have little ones that sidetrack me easily. This way they never get left anywhere unsafe or forgotten cause I couldn’t take them at the exact moment I pulled them out. I have sensitive skin so holding my pills hurts my hands and this fixes it.
Also we use them for myy husband to keep extra pills in at work. If he misses a dose it causes some big problems so this helps a ton.
I like to use mine to put my daily meds in after I have taken them out of either the original bottle or the daily containers. I have little ones that sidetrack me easily. This way they never get left anywhere unsafe or forgotten cause I couldn’t take them at the exact moment I pulled them out. I have sensitive skin so holding my pills hurts my hands and this fixes it.
Also we use them for my husband to keep extra pills in at work. If he misses a dose it causes some big problems so this helps a ton.
WARNING: Nail polish remover will eat through a pill bottle!
May wanna try non-acetone.
Sewing machine needles are different sizes & tips for different fabrics. I store them by size & type, & label the pill bottles accordingly. When I change needles for my machine the bottle caps are reversed to show which needle size is in use. No more guessing or searching for a magnifier to read the tiny imprint on each needle. BIG time saver!
If you take jewelry off when you go to sleep or do the dishes, you can use a pill bottle. I never lose my rings down the drain 🙂
I use a nice tall Rx bottle to store the long sharp pins for lacing a turkey closed. It prevents getting stabbed by the pins, which used to happen when I stored them on the original card in a plastic bag. I use a shorter wide bottle to store
corn cob holders, which keeps them clean and prevents getting stabbed when hunting for them in a drawer.
My sister, a talented sewist, stores spools of thread with their matching bobbins in empty prescription bottles. No more time wasted “matching” or looking for one or the other because both are housed together. A label on the bottle or cover indicates the thread color inside. Works for me!
Thanks for all the great hints.
You could put a hole in the cap and a wedge cut in the cap to see the color before opening.
You can also use one with a hole in the cap to put thread in & pull the thread through . If you drop it the thread doesn’t come off the spool if it rolls across the floor .
You could also tape a bit of thread (maybe even the end of the spool) to the top.
I use them for “female discretion” ….. They are the perfect size for keeping OB tampons clean in your purse .
Oh my!
Hi, I absolutely love your ideas. I mentioned you in my blog at lupuscrazy.com. I wish I was as clever and creative as you.
Thanks Stacey! I really appreciate it.
Went to the hospital recently and brought a bottle for each morning I would be there, filled with lemon juice and a few drops of stevia. Added to warm water, it was an easy way to keep up with my morning lemon water habit without the hospital kitchen being confused by such a request!
Also, I keep my lip balm tube in one in the car so, even if it gets hot and melts, the mess is contained.
Several other uses that have already been mentioned here (earrings when traveling, buttons in my sewing kit, etc.). I’m interested to try the idea of earbuds in one, in my to-go bag when I go to sell my plasma (which takes an hour.) Thanks for the inspirations!
We use old pill bottles for weights and hooks for fishing.
The battery-storage idea really caught my attention because it’s so important to avoid letting the ends of one battery touch and drain another new battery!
FYI – nearly all the caps have a liner which can be popped out and used solo, thereby making the bottles easier to open and reducing space needed for putting a bunch of bottles together.
I use old pill bottles to keep earrings or other jewelry in when travelling.
I’ve wound skeins of embroidery floss around them after untangling them.
I have pictures on my blog of how I use the bottles for thread holders. Works great no more tangled thread.
http://hardincountykeepsakes.blogspot.com/2016/02/thread-holder.html
All of them are great ideas, but storing your ammo is not a good idea unless you transfer the lot number from the manufactures box to the inside of the bottle. This number is very important to keep up with the recall of ammo if that happens.
I use a pill bottle for salad dressing in my lunch bag.
I buy herbs in bulk and store in pill bottles. Also handy for spices and herbs to take camping.
I use them for storing push pins, safety pins and sewing needles and other small sewing notions.
I have saved pin bottles for years. Gave them away and keep collecting. Would u like some . I would be glad sending them to u. I live in North Carolina. thanks for reading. Lessie
Hello, Lessie:
My name is Xiomalis and I live in Miami, FL.
I would love to receive some of those pill bottles that you are offering. Can you PM me? I am in Messenger. Thank you! ☺?
My name is Carol Behling. I love all of the ideas!! I have loads of pill bottles also if you are interested. I am also on fb messenger just under my name.
I use mine to put flower seeds in. I’m always getting seeds here and there from friends
I use empty pill bottles and vitamin containers of various sizes around the house and garden. In my office for stationery items: paper clips, push pins, split pins. In the shed for saved seeds. In my sewing room for pins, needles, hooks and eyes, safety pins, snap fasteners, buttons (especially sets, or grouping different kinds together). In my art room/studio for paint, bits and pieces for collage, pva glue when the large bottle gets nearly empty (much easier to get the last out). In the laundry room for odd buttons that come off in the wash. My husband uses them in his workroom for any small bit that need to be kept together: same size nails, screws, nuts and bolts, and rawl plugs for fitting into plaster walls. Plus many of the above ideas for travel kits for first aid, sewing, and even for the original purpose, medicTion to be taken on a specific day when I am away from home.
I do almost the same))) But thanks for some new ideas)))
Since I use them to store change in my car I also use one for wrappers from gum candy and snack bars. They were always in my cup holder and ending up on the floor. Now I fold them up small to store in the pill container until full. Then empty and reuse.