I have seen several people ask about uses for pill bottles and decided to give my assorted uses for them.
By Linda from Bloomington, IL from Bloomington, IL
This page contains the following solutions.
Keep straight pins in a prescription medication bottle. This keeps them out of children's hands.
Instead of buying travel sized bottles of shampoo and other things, at our house we used old prescription medicine bottles. They ones with the kid proof lid from Walgreen's can hold liquids without leaking.
For quite some time, I've been using old vitamin bottles, pill bottles, etc., to store the lancets, blood test strips, etc., I use to check my glucose levels, until they can be disposed of.
Fill empty prescription bottles with the labels removed two thirds full of water and freeze for a quick little ice pack for children's "owies". This would also be a nice portable thing to take on a picnic or hike for the same use.
When I create a "custom" color with acrylic paint, I'll pour the "leftovers" into an empty, clean prescription bottle.
I have had some rather large pill bottles that would hold a lot of coins, so I decided to sort them and label each bottle by quarter, dime and so on. I was amazed how much money you can save in those pill bottles.
I found the labels were really easy to get off my med bottles, so I am going to use them for this year's and last years seeds. I may also use them for craft stuff. So now whenever I finish a medication I clean the bottle and remove the label.
This little craft makes a plain pill bottle into a pretty storage container, by using the picture from a greeting card. I used mine for my sewing needles.
I am on several different medications and every month I would throw the bottles away, because I did not know of any use for them, other than beading. The other night, I thought maybe they can be used in the bottom of plant jars, along with rocks.
When putting away seasonal things that contain loose screws, bolts, etc., take an empty safety capped pill bottle to store them in. Label and then select a drawer or empty tool box/container to keep them in.
I save pill and film containers to put quarters in - for laundry, toll booths, snack vending machines, car wash, vacuum coin slots, or anything else I need quarters for in a hurry. They fit easily in my purse or in my car cup holder and they don't take up too much room.
When you are all done with a prescription bottle, save it to discard old craft needles or small knives in. Throw out the entire container. Wide containers also will hold a rotary cutter blade to dispose of.
Use old clean medicine containers to store change, buttons, or anything small. Just make sure you wash it carefully.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
Are there any uses other than tossing?
YES! You never throw them away!! I empty, boil, remove label & keep some for bead storage & I am currently making them into pill storage for my purse! Pill boxes are too expensive so I'm creating them myself.
Where can you sell empty prescription bottles?
By Brenda from Fairhaven, MA
I am looking for suggestions for baby shower favors using empty prescription bottles.
Paint them pink and blue and fill with mints.
First, just be sure to sterilize the bottles with hot water. Some pills leave residue and you would not want any guests to get sick from the bottle (sorry--I am just a safety first gal).
There are so many cute ideas for pill bottles.
There are lots of label templates online where you could have clever "prescriptions" for the bottles (which could be filled with nuts or candy for favors. The labels I have seen are all over the place from cute (take two candies and call the new mommy in the morning) to simple...thanks for coming to "Jane's" baby shower and the date.
Even cuter, you can drill a small hole in them and use them as shades for white twinkle lights that you string around the room. They cast a pretty orange glow that makes a nice gender neutral background if you are going that route just add some green and yellow accents and you have a lovely gender neutral palate.
You could use them as part of a game--like hot potato--fill the bottles with candy and have people pass them off as fast as they can and every time the host says stop, the people holding the bottle are out. The last people standing win door prizes.
Pinterest can be your friend! They have dozens of cute ideas for using old pill bottles in clever ways!
Paint a little baby rattle on each one, fill with beans, and they can be used as noisemakers.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to use empty prescription bottles? Unfortunately I receive many medications on a monthly basis and I really do not want to throw them out. I have been using the large ones to collect spare change, mainly quarters for laundry. Thanks for your feedback!
By Myrna from Bronx, NY
Can I legally reuse my prescription bottles? I put flax seed in empty ones. Do I have to take the label off?
By Karen
How can I earn money with old medicine bottles?
Angelica from Thomaston, GA
I think you woud have to make sure that they are TOTALLY clean - no residue at all - and the label peeled off. You could put small things into them and maybe decorate the outside somehow? and sell them as some sort of unique gift for older kids, put homemade lip balm or lotion into them, Market them as travel holders for safety pins/toothpicks/sewing kit.
Good luck with this. Remember that one man's trash is another man's million dollars!
What do you mean by medicine bottles? Do you mean plastic prescription medicine containers? I wasn't aware you could earn money with them. Could you give anymore info? Were you wanting to making something with them, or Sell the empty containers? You need to be more specific as I don't know for sure what you mean.
I have tons of empty prescription containers that I've pulled off the labels and 'cept for saving a few for my own use, plan to see if I can donate to an animal hospital for them to dispense pet meds.
I don't know that you can earn a lot of money with pill bottles they do however, have uses. We run a bird rescue and toys are very expensive. I sometimes use the bottles as foot toys for the smaller guys. I put plastic 'pony' beads inside so it makes a rattle noise. They LOVE it. Diane
If we are speaking of used prescription bottles. I have taken stock. I use the larger ones to store cone/stick incense. I also use the larger ones to store fresh,dried herbs. The smaller bottles I use as vitamin organizers. I glue 7 to a box, and marked each lid with the corresponding letter of the week. My daughter makes jewelry, so we use the small bottles for findings and beads,etc, etc,.
Are you referring to old, glass medicine bottles?
ok a friend online gave me this and im giving it to you .make sugarscrub there are lots of online reciepes and put them in bottles and sell on ebay as samples of your homemade bath scrub. as you get orders start saving glass bottles and start using them for larger quanities.and make sure you put in your ad they are purchasing a homemade product and you use recycled glass containers. my friend out in the midwest did this and is doing very well with it.by the way you could also bring them with you and give samples to all the people you deal with everyday. it may take alittle time but they will buy. good luck and god bless
I do not want to make money. But I think it is a waste for me to be throwing them away the plastic prescription medicine containers. Yes some of them I have used to put screws and long nails plus cotton balls in them what about the rest. Some one will come up with what can be done with them I hope. Thank You Marion
Any suggestions what to do with pill bottles? Crafts? Donation to organizations?
Any and all suggestion appreciated!
Has anybody figured out a use for those blue cases that some prescriptions come in?
By sheila hagen from Boise, ID
This is a page about making a pill bottle first aid kit. Having a mini first aid kit in your purse or backpack can come in handy.
This is a page about making a pill bottle hide-a-key. It is easy to have a weather proof hidden key outside your home to make sure you can always get inside.
Rather than throwing them away or into the recycle bin, you can make many creative projects using medicine or pill bottles. This is a page about craft ideas for used medicine or pill bottles.
