13 Clever Ways to Reuse Empty Pill Bottles
Instead of tossing empty prescription bottles in the trash, turn them into practical little organizers and travel helpers. Below are simple, creative ways to upcycle pill bottles and keep your life a bit more organized.
1. Compact Jewelry Holder
Keep your earrings, rings, and delicate necklaces from getting lost at the bottom of your bag.
Place your jewelry inside a clean pill bottle before you travel. The sturdy container keeps everything together, prevents tangling, and its bright color makes it easy to spot in your luggage or purse.
2. DIY Travel-Size Toiletry Bottles
Skip buying mini shampoo and body wash bottles.
Refill clean pill containers with small amounts of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, or lotion. They’re leak-resistant, lightweight, and essentially free, making them ideal for short trips or gym bags.
3. Mini Sewing Kit for Emergencies
If you constantly catch your clothes on something or lose buttons, this one’s for you.
Fill a pill bottle with:
- A few colors of thread
- A couple of needles
- An extra button or two
- Tiny safety pins, if they fit
Keep it in your purse, backpack, or car so you’re ready when a wardrobe mishap strikes.
4. Hidden Outdoor Key Stash
Need a discreet spot to hide a spare key?
Glue a small rock or piece of bark to the pill bottle lid, place the key inside, close it, and bury the bottle so only the “rock” shows. Tuck it into your garden or a planter. It blends into the surroundings and is much less obvious than a typical fake-rock key holder.
5. Everyday Survival Kit
Create a mini “just in case” kit you can keep anywhere.
Fill a pill bottle with practical essentials such as:
- Bandages
- Antacids
- Ibuprofen or other pain relievers
- A needle and thread
- A spare button
- A few cotton swabs or alcohol wipes
Store it in your purse, gym bag, desk drawer, or car so you always have basics on hand for small emergencies.
6. DIY Nail Polish Remover Pot
Recreate those pricey nail polish remover pots at home.
- Stuff a pill bottle with cotton balls or a rolled-up sponge.
- Pour nail polish remover into the bottle until the cotton is saturated.
To use, simply insert a finger, twist it around, and your polish will come off without needing extra pads.
7. Center-Pull Yarn Dispenser
If you love knitting or crocheting, turn pill bottles into mini yarn dispensers.
- Feed the starting end of the yarn through a small hole in the lid or place it sticking out slightly before you close the bottle.
- Wrap the yarn around the outside of the bottle to form a ball, or store a smaller skein inside.
The bottle helps the yarn pull smoothly from the center and keeps it from rolling all over the floor or getting tangled.
8. Small Makeup and Beauty Organizer
Paint or decorate your pill bottles and use them to corral small beauty items.
Fill them with:
- Makeup brushes (short or travel-sized)
- Cotton swabs
- Hair ties and bobby pins
- Lip balms or sample-size products
For extra organization, attach magnets to the back of the bottles and stick them to a metal board or inside a cabinet door.
9. Mini Trash Can for Your Purse
Keep your handbag from becoming a cluttered mess.
Decorate a pill bottle and use it as a tiny trash can for:
- Candy and snack wrappers
- Old receipts
- Used tissues
- Random bits of paper
When it’s full, empty it into a regular trash bin. Cleaning out your bag becomes much faster and easier.
10. Earbud or Cable Container
Stop losing and tangling your earbuds or charging cables.
Wrap them loosely, place them inside a pill bottle, and snap the lid shut. The cords stay protected, untangled, and easy to find, instead of getting buried and damaged at the bottom of your bag.
11. “Prescription” for Love or Encouragement
Turn a pill bottle into a sweet, personalized gift.
- Decorate the label with “Love Rx” or “Daily Dose of Happiness.”
- Fill the bottle with rolled-up notes, affirmations, reasons you love someone, or tiny “coupons” for fun activities.
It’s a playful way to brighten someone’s day or show you care.
12. Waterproof Match Container
Make a durable, weather-resistant match holder.
- Fill a pill bottle with matches.
- Cut out a piece of strike strip from the original matchbox.
- Tape or glue the striking surface to the outside of the bottle, or place it inside facing out.
The plastic container helps keep matches dry and out of reach of young children. Perfect for camping, hiking, or keeping in your emergency kit.
13. Coin and Cash Holder
Use pill bottles as simple, portable piggy banks.
Drop in loose change or roll up small bills and keep the bottle in your car, desk drawer, or travel bag. It’s an easy way to store parking money, toll cash, or laundry coins so they’re always within reach.
With a bit of creativity, those empty pill bottles can be transformed into handy organizers, travel helpers, and thoughtful gifts instead of ending up in the trash.
