It doesn’t take long to empty a bottle of vitamins. Every time we finish another supplement at our house, I hesitate to throw the bottle away because I know it must have re-purpose potential. Plus, these are quality glass or hard plastic containers that come from manufacturers that care about the environment and our health, so they are usually free from potentially harmful toxins like BPA.
Still, I let my lazy, wasteful self throw the bottle in the recycling bin anyway! But now, after looking up different ways to use and upcycle old pill bottles and other nutrition supplement containers, I’m slapping myself on the wrist. There are so many ways to get creative and reuse these types of things. And so many of these ideas serve a great functional purpose, too.
Breeze through the ideas gathered here for ways to upcycle and reuse your vitamin or supplement bottles and containers. I promise you’ll be inspired!
Get crafty with CALM bottles! CALM is the best-selling Natural Vitality supplement at Natural Healthy Concepts. It’s magnesium powder otherwise known as “The Anti-Stress Drink.” But thanks to an idea from Natural Vitality’s Organic Connections online magazine, we see how easy it can be to turn an empty bottle of CALM into a colorful vase with a little Mod Podge and some yarn!
This beautifully re-purposed container can help you store and organize anything you wish. It would also be an awesome homemade gift. You could even make a set of three or four!
- Get the details on how they do it at Organic Connections.
Another way Natural Vitality suggests re-using your empty CALM bottles is for organizing your pantry essentials! It doesn’t stop at flour and sugar. You could decorate the containers any way you’d like and store things like coffee beans, nuts and seeds, or up to a pound of whatever kitchen necessities you can think of.
- Discover how to make the containers pictured above from Organic Connections.
If you’re like me, you’ve always got some sort of wrappers, old receipts and crumpled up grocery lists hanging out at the bottom of your purse. As it turns out, I’m not the only one…
Ginny from Organizing Home Life gives us a brilliant way to reuse an empty supplement container as a nifty little trash can for your purse!
All Ginny did was use some Mod Podge to glue a couple of pretty looking napkins to the bottle and to the cap. Voila! Keep your mini trash can in your purse for when there’s no garbage can available. What a great way to keep your purse a little more tidy. It’s also light and easy to empty, too.
- See how Ginny does it at Mod Podge Rocks.
You can create these awesome bathroom storage containers simply by gluing some rope to the outside of your empty nutritional powder containers! Store them under the kitchen or bathroom sink to organize your cleaning supplies, or set them on a shelf or the counter in your bathroom to hold your beauty products, combs, brushes, cotton swabs or whatever floats your boat.
There are so many protein powder containers that have a wide mouth like the ones pictured above. Natural Healthy Concepts carries many popular ones that would work well, like Teras Whey, Maximum Vibrance, Nano Pro, Paleo Meal and Dr. Mercola’s Whey Protein. Although, I’m sure any nutritional powder container would work just fine. You can always saw the top ridged-part off.
- Get more ideas like this one from DIY N Crafts.
Another way to reuse your empty protein powder containers is for storing your pet food! Decorate and label the outside however you’d like and you’re all set to go! Who doesn’t love a good art project like that?
Plus, no more trying to pour food from a huge bag of food into a small dish. You could also make these pet food containers as a gift for someone you know who recently adopted a new furry friend. Give them some yummy treats to go along with it. There are plenty of quality goodies for cats and dogs at Natural Healthy Concepts. Homemade and thoughtful gifts like this are the best!
Another way to re-purpose  your used protein powder container is to make a “good things” memory jar using the same glue and paper technique.
Starting January first, jot down all of the good things that happen to you or your family on slips of paper and add them to your decorated memory jar. It can be memories worth saving, surprise gifts, things that made you laugh out loud, goals you’ve accomplished – you get the picture. Then on December 31st, open the jar and read all of the good things that happened throughout the year!
Cut small slips of paper and write out the directions to go with the memory jar and yet again you have another perfect homemade gift for anyone!
If you have kids who love arts and crafts, you’ll appreciate this idea for sure! Using your empty protein powder containers, or even vitamin and supplement bottles for smaller gadgets, you can create super helpful storage solutions for markers, pencils, paint brushes, paints, stamps, beads and all sorts of other crafty treasures that need a place to live.
Kristina from Organize This Family used chalkboard contact paper and a chalkboard marker to create the labels for the containers. That makes it easy for everyone, including the kids, to find what they need and also put it away where it belongs.
You can also use those empty protein, greens containers or even supplement bottles for small toys like Legos. Try turning one of your used containers into a Lego guy! These types of Lego storage containers are pretty pricey at the store, but there’s no need to spend money on one of those. It’s so easy to create your own with a little yellow and black paint.
If Legos are on your holiday gift list, why not make some homemade Lego storage containers to go with it? Of course, you’ve gotta get your protein first.
Have fun with it!
At Crafting a Green World, they show you how to turn an old vitamin bottle into a Lego memory jar for your kids! Store trinkets, notes and reminders of all the fun you have and go through them at the end of the year. A jar like this could also be used as a small parts Lego storage container too. Or, it can be a place for your kids to collect coins, rocks or other unique treasures they find outside in nature. The ideas are endless really!
- Discover how Crunchy Scott made this Lego jar from an old vitamin pill bottle at Crafting a Green World.
Use your old pill bottle to make a hide-a-key! This is a more clever way to hide a spare key instead of under your welcome mat – which is just way too overdone. Simply put your key in a used vitamin or supplement pill bottle (one of the plastic ones of course) and glue the cap to a rock or a pine cone.
Then, you can stick your homemade hide-a-key in a planter near the house or nestle it among the other decorative rocks as part of your landscaping. How Sneaky!
Turn your used glass vitamin and supplement pill bottles into art! You can make things like this rustic-looking wall scone. This is such a cool idea, that you’ll even find it for sale on Etsy. Just think, you could even make some extra cash while helping to brighten someone’s home simply by getting a little creative with something you’d normally just throw away!
This masterpiece was done by nailing a few empty glass bottles, using leather straps, to a piece of salvaged wood. You can put flowers or tea light candles inside of the bottles and hang it on the wall to help bring a little Southern charm into your home.
Nordic Naturals also suggests using their empty fish or cod liver oil bottles as a vase instead of throwing them away. It’s so easy to turn something old into something new. These are so simple and would make pretty centerpieces on a table, or a simple gift to brighten someone’s day.
All you have to do is remove the label! Courtney from Creek Line House shows you how easy it is to remove sticky labels from glass with a paste made of baking soda and olive oil.
Try screwing your old vitamin pill bottles to a shelf for practical hanging storage of anything you can think of. Not just for batteries like you see above, but for screws, nails, nuts and bolts or for all of those fishing tackle supplies. It’s a great way to keep them off the counter and out of the way.
This method can also be used be for things like paper clips, staples, beads, buttons, rubber bands, bobby pins, twisty ties, earbuds or any other small things that need a good place to call home.
It just so happens, the dark glass bottles that your vitamins and supplements often come in are very good for storing things like herbs, spices and loose leaf teas. All dried herbs and spices should be kept in a cool, dry dark place for optimum storage and preservation, so those dark glass bottles are perfect!
If you like to grow your own plants, flowers and veggies, this is also the perfect way to collect those seeds. Paper seed envelopes are a pain. Plus, you’ll have the chance to get crafty and create your own cute label for each jar.
We can’t forget about those winter crafts you can have fun with! Whole Body Research shows us a couple of really cute ways to turn your old glass vitamin bottles into a cute decoration for the holidays. It’s a fun project for the kids and would even make a sweet gift for Grandma and Grandpa…
With a little glue, glitter, felt and your empty supplement bottles you can create sparkly little snowmen just like this one. How fun!
Whole Body Research also shows us how to create Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer craft from your used supplement bottle. You just need some googly eyes, a hot glue gun, pipe cleaners and a red bobble nose. It’s so easy and cute. You could put some homemade treats inside and give away for a gift!
On my mom’s 50th birthday, we decorated a glass jar and filled it with 50 things we love about our mom. It was such a thoughtful and meaningful gift that it even made her cry! This is one of the best kind of gifts you can give someone. So often, our words can mean so much more than the things we can buy at the store.
Remember this the next time you have an empty supplement or vitamin bottle that you’re about to toss. Instead, decorate it all pretty and fill it with a bunch of handwritten reasons you love somebody. It will be cherished and never forgotten!
More Creative Uses For Old Pill Bottles
It’s such a good feeling when you can discover new uses for old things. Especially when it saves you money, helps you be more organized or living a greener lifestyle. Plus, it simply lets you be more creative and crafty. There are so many ways to reuse your empty bottles and containers that I couldn’t stop there. Here’s a list of even more things you can do to keep the brainstorm flowing and turn you into an upcycling fanatic!
- Make homemade bubbles for the kids
- Glue a pin cushion to the lid and store sewing needles inside
- Store small pieces for kids games
- Store scrapbooking supplies in them
- Use them as a coin holder for your vehicle
- Pour lotion, body wash or shampoo inside for traveling
- Mix up your own lotion using coconut oil, jojoba oil, cocoa butter and essential oils
- Decorate the outside with crepe paper to make a homemade tea light candle holder
- Make a doggy poop bag dispenser
- Keep matches dry for camping. Glue a piece of sandpaper to the lid and you’re ready to go
- Drill a few holes in the lid, fill with cotton balls soaked in orange oil, put them in your garden to ward off pests
- Keep jewelry stored safely while traveling
- Keep a homemade mini first-aid kit
What are Your Pill Bottle Upcycling Ideas?
I’m sure there are many other creative ways to re-purpose those used bottles.
We’d love to hear your suggestions!
Please leave us a comment below and let us know what you have done or will try with your old containers…
