Help a Reader: Orange Rx Bottles

63 Comments for Help a Reader: Orange Rx Bottles

• 1. Sandi  |  October 9th, 2009 at 2:01 am

  I use them for storing beads. You can also use them as small change banks.

• 2. Kathy Gamboa  |  October 9th, 2009 at 5:25 am

  How about using it for loose change? most of them don’t take up much room and can fit in the corner of your purse or pocket. You can also put hand lotion or sanitizer if you prefer. Hope this helps you.

• 3. clgkf  |  October 9th, 2009 at 5:32 am

  My g-friend had her husband drill a hole in the top of the cap. She then placed a single bud in the bottle, placed the bottle in a napkin ring laying on the table. We all had a simple, individual party favor to take home. The napkin ring “hid” most of the bottle.

• 4. Penny Schindler  |  October 9th, 2009 at 6:27 am

  I use them for Q-tips when I travel. Some are large enough for Quarters to the laundry or the casino.

• 5. Sandy  |  October 9th, 2009 at 6:39 am

  Google “recycle RX bottles. There are several sites with ideas. Green Answerville has 21 uses!

• 6. Patsy Epley  |  October 9th, 2009 at 7:07 am

  use to sort and store sewing needle’s and buttons , good to
  store thimble.s will stack up to 4or 5 in one bottle

• 7. janice  |  October 9th, 2009 at 7:23 am

  I reuse the bottles my putting them inside stuffed animal toys. I fill them with dry pinto beans then secure the lids with duct tape snd place the bottles inside while stuffing with the filler.

• 8. carolyn  |  October 9th, 2009 at 7:40 am

  I use them to cut out cookie dough, and also to cut out of poly -clay for my beads, and also, have made a dummy for halloween(in the past) and used them for the fingers…..and for containers for lots of stuff….like when I visit away from home, they hold shampoo, etc.,
  I have used them to press my cookie dough before I bake them too.

• 9. Patti Ellerby  |  October 9th, 2009 at 7:42 am

  They make cute little cur flower magnets.

  Paint & decorate the way u want, place magnet on and drill a small hole(big enough for one flower)in the lid. add some water repalce lid and add a flower.

  Hang on Fridge or anything metal.

• 10. Judi  |  October 9th, 2009 at 7:52 am

  cover with sparkle paper and put fairy dust in them Fairy dust is baby powder with a little body glitter mixed in
  glue small ruffle on bottle top and add sticker to top or paint bottle top,

• 11. CJ  |  October 9th, 2009 at 7:53 am

  Use them to make travel size sewing kits, an emergency fire starter kit, save coins for your emergency kit – lots of uses for your emergency or travel kits.

• 12. LISA  |  October 9th, 2009 at 8:06 am

  COVER WITH SEASONAL PAPER, CHRISTMAS, BIRTHDAY, ETC. FILL WITH CANDIES SUCH AS M&M’S OR SKITTLES FOR PARTY FAVORS OR STOCKING STUFFERS.

• 13. Kathleen  |  October 9th, 2009 at 8:20 am

  Make Christmas tree ornament,cotton ball in bottom ,tiny Santa or reindear,angel etc. glued onto cotton.Hot needle thru cap to put hole for yarn or glitter string to hang on tree . Spray outside or paint. All done with leftover bits of materials. Several make a fun Christmas gift – can also small picture glued inside and paint around picture on outside.

• 14. Deniece Constant  |  October 9th, 2009 at 8:27 am

  Sometimes people that do bead work like them to sort their beads.

• 15. Tina  |  October 9th, 2009 at 8:31 am

  I made sewing kits with pin cushions on top. The bigger the bottle the bigger the kit.

• 16. Carla Copeland  |  October 9th, 2009 at 8:42 am

  I use the lids for hats on different “critters,” I decorate them and place individual small flowers (real or silk) in them and take them to the folks at nursing homes. But the best way to recycle them is to take them to your local boy scout den or troop. They always need items for crafts.

• 17. J. O'Neil  |  October 9th, 2009 at 8:48 am

  My friend takes the bottles, without the labels to our local free clinic and they use them to give prescriptions to the homeless or poor.

  Donate them to a school to use in Art. Ask first if they are wanted for special projects.

  I gave my students string inside the containers after teaching them some
  string art to make like Grandpaw’s suspenders, Jacobs ladder,etc.This was a inexpensive way to give at the end of the year to all students. This was good for my own kids especially during road trips.

  I also helped the scouts made sewing kits and first aid supply kits for their camp outs.

  I keep coins in my gym bag in containers so that I can buy items from vending machines. This lets me keep my purse locked in the trunk of my car.

  I also use them to keep toothpicks in my side pocket in my car in case one is needed.

  Last resort—-my city has recycling curb pick up once every two weeks and I toss the containers in the recycle bins along with glass,newspaper and other recyclables.

  Good Luck and thanks for doing something to keep our environment cleaner.

• 18. Kimberly  |  October 9th, 2009 at 8:57 am

  I buy a lot of beads. Most of them come in bags. I like to use the bottles to store the beads. This comes in really handy when I am working on a project and traveling. I can scoop everything up, toss it in a bag, take off….and nothing has spilled out.

• 19. Lois  |  October 9th, 2009 at 9:00 am

  I too am on a lot of meds and don’t throw out the containers. I use them to hold beads, for jewelry making, seeds for planting, melon seeds for jewelry making. Crumbs from bottom of cereal for topping yogurt. I am sure you will come up with more ideas after seeing these.

• 20. Linda Crawford  |  October 9th, 2009 at 9:38 am

  Prescription Medicine Bottles to Make a Snowman Christmas Ornament

  Copyright © 2004-2008 Jane Lake All Rights Reserved

  Turn those empty prescription medicine bottles into Christmas snowman ornaments for your Christmas tree.

  Snowman Ornaments

  Supplies:

  For each snowman ornament:
  ~ 1 empty prescription medicine bottle, washed and dried
  ~ medicine bottle lid, plus a smaller plastic bottle lid, for hat
  ~ small cotton balls or small strips of quilt batting
  ~ large cotton ball or white pom pom for head
  ~ one white glittery chenille stem for arms
  ~ goggle eyes or small black beads
  ~ small triangle of orangle fun foam or construction paper for nose
  ~ red yarn, or small strip of fabric for scarf
  ~ black seed beads for mouth
  ~ 3 black plastic beads as “buttons”
  ~ black acrylic craft paint
  ~ tacky glue

  Snowman Ornaments -

  Directions:

  1. If you are working with small cotton balls to form the snowman’s body, as we did, then you will need to gently pull each cotton ball apart to separate the fibers a little. In the second row of our “supplies” photo, above, you can see a small cotton ball on the left, then a small cotton ball pulled apart, in the middle. The larger white pom pom on the right is used for the head.

  2. Combine the cotton balls that you have just pulled apart by gently rubbing them together to form small rectangular strips of cotton batting, as shown in rows three and four of our photo. Alternatively, you can cut small rectangles of quilt batting. Each rectangle should fit halfway up the medicine bottle and all the way around it.

  3. Glue the first rectangle in place around the bottom of the medicine bottle. Repeat with the second rectangle, covering the top of the medicine bottle, butting both rectangles together in the middle.

  4. Center the smaller bottle lid on top of the medicine bottle lid and glue in place. Let dry, then paint both lids in black acrylic paint to make the hat. Set the hat aside to dry.

  5. Glue the orangle triangle nose in place, in the center of the pom pom head.

  6. Glue two google eyes, or bead eyes, just above the orange nose, placing the eyes quite close together.

  7. Use a toothpick to spread a thin bead of tacky glue in a smile shape just below the nose. While the toothpick is still slightly tacky with glue, use it to pick up each of the seed beads and set them in place, one by one, to shape the smile. You will find that you can move the beads around quite a bit to shape the smile in the way that you like. Once the beads are in position, let them dry in place.

  8. Apply glue all around the top of the medicine bottle and set the head in place. Allow to dry.

  9. Apply glue to the bottom of the snowman’s hat. Set it in place on top of the head and let dry.

  10. Bend over 2″ of the chenille stem and twist it back around the main length of the stem to form one of the snowman’s arms. Repeat at the other end of the stem. Curve the remaining middle section of chenille stem around the neck of the snowman, gluing in place at the back only. Bend the arms to achieve the look that you like.

  11. Tie a small length of red yarn, or a small strip of ribbon or other ribbon, around the snowman’s neck as a scarf.

  12. Finally, glue three black beads down the front of the snowman as buttons

  http://www.allfreecrafts.com/christmas/bottle-snowman.shtml

• 21. Kit  |  October 9th, 2009 at 9:41 am

  I use almost all of mine for putting my beads and things in that I use for making jewelery. I take one of each color and super glue it on the lid so I know which color I’m going for.

  I also use my old bottles for my knitting markers, & other small items.

  I use them to put spices in for camping or RVing. Not only are they small n compact, but they are good n air tight.

  I use them to put “Mini First Aid Kits” together, for our scouts and also for the car or truck. They even keep Hydrogen Peroxide, (liquids) soaps etc…if you find a leak, either use saran wrap or keep trying differnt lids.

  I use them for my travel bags, shampoo, rinse,mouth wash, toothpast, floss, body lotion, powders, body washes, suntan lotions. Bobby pins, q-tips etc.

  I use them for my church nursery class. I put crayons, paints, and other small items in them so that each child has thier own.

  I use them @ my desk, for paper clips, rubberbands, thump tacks, erasers, stamps…etc..

  I use them for “stray dogs” loose change…it’s amazing what you can accumulate from picking up around the house…They fit perfectly for your glove box in the cars.

  I use them for change for the kids & now, grankids’ to take when they go to the pool..

  But my MOST USEFUL is nuts, bolts, screws, ALLEN WRENCHES….sockets, files, nails, elec fasteners, NO toolbox should be without about a dozen or more….

  Just use your imagination….

• 22. Linda Holz  |  October 9th, 2009 at 9:53 am

  I cover the bottles with polymer clay in designs of twisted ropes, flowers, fences. I mix paint in them. Glue several bottles together and decorate the outside of them and use them to put pens, pencils in for a desk. Even silverware on the table. Fill them with popcorn or other larger seeds,beans and seal the lid on for shakers for children. Thanks for the ideas from all the other posters.

• 23. ev  |  October 9th, 2009 at 10:02 am

  For larger bottles: Glue a wooden ball on top for head. Glue a piece of material to go around bottle for dress. Draw facial features. Decorate further as you wish.

• 24. Sheri  |  October 9th, 2009 at 10:36 am

  They are great for storing sewing machine bobbins…no more stray threads everywhere. Color code the lids with the thread colors that are stored in each bottle.

• 25. Rachel  |  October 9th, 2009 at 10:42 am

  I use them to make mini first aid kits. Just room enough to hold a bandaid or two and a smalll tube of neosporin. You can put them in your purse (which has come in handy more than once), in your car or almost anywhere.

• 26. Selma  |  October 9th, 2009 at 11:24 am

  One of the hints referred to taking them to a local free clinic. I save mine for a friend who gives them to an organization that sends them to medical mission sites, either in this country or elsewhere. (They take only the bottles from the pharmacy itself, not the ones from the manufacturer.)

• 27. Marty Elstrom  |  October 9th, 2009 at 12:03 pm

  I read somewhere about using medicine bottles to make necklaces with cotton balls and seeds to germinate while children are wearing the necklaces. Wet the cotton ball(s) and wring them out until they are moist, add a seed or two and place them in the pill bottle. A piece of string or yard inside the cap will keep the cap tight and allow for access (if needed) to water the seed. After the seed sprouts and has a few roots, it can be planted in soil in an egg shell or a biodegradeable egg carton cell.

• 28. Marty Elstrom  |  October 9th, 2009 at 12:04 pm

  I read somewhere about using medicine bottles to make necklaces with cotton balls and seeds to germinate while children are wearing the necklaces. Wet the cotton ball(s) and wring them out until they are moist, add a seed or two and place them in the pill bottle. A piece of string or yard inside the cap will keep the cap tight and allow for access (if needed) to water the seed. After the seed sprouts and has a few roots, it can be planted in soil in an egg shell or a biodegradeable egg carton cell. It’s like a mini, wearable greenhouse.

• 29. Carol  |  October 9th, 2009 at 12:20 pm

  See if quarters will fit in the orange bottles. Also, you can put contact paper around them and use for artificile flowers or pens so you can find them. This makes something special for a friend in the hospital.

• 30. Mary  |  October 9th, 2009 at 12:34 pm

  I use the bottles to carry salad dressing for my salad …and for lemon juice for my tea. When I’m done I just throw them away

• 31. Penny  |  October 9th, 2009 at 1:00 pm

  And when you still have too many, experiment with them on a tile in the toaster oven (I have an old one just for polymer clay and other crafts). They sometimes melt into interesting shapes and stay pliable for a short time to add bead and other accessories. Make a hole while soft to make a pendant or glue a pinback for a brooch!

• 32. K-Sue  |  October 9th, 2009 at 1:00 pm

  Back when I led children’s choir, I used film canisters with about 20 dried beans to make rhythm shakers. Prescription containers would work just as well. Bonus – the children cannot open them as easily while you are waiting your turn to sing in concert.

• 33. su powell  |  October 9th, 2009 at 1:19 pm

  I dry seeds and use them to save seeds from this years crops for next years use.

• 34. Danyelle  |  October 9th, 2009 at 1:49 pm

  I don’t have any pill bottles but if I did I would use them for seasoning…Put holes in the tops. Thoses of you guys and girls with the coffee and lattes and etc. Use with baking to sprinkle on cakes or cookies.

• 35. Cheryl Godwin  |  October 9th, 2009 at 1:52 pm

  Once I found an old spice rack that had no bottles at a junk sale I took it home and painted it then stenciled a few flowers on it and used old prescription bottles to hold seeds I would cut out a picture of the flowers and glue it to the bottle then store extra seeds in the bottles since they are air tight, and hung this above my mothers gardening bench. The next year I did something similar but I purchased small pieces of wood and made a rack for the bottled for vegetable seeds. This was many years ago and my mother sstill stores all her seeds in these handy palces.

• 36. Gina  |  October 9th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

  I use them to hold seeds I collect from my summer flowers. I also use them to make pin cushons.Stuff them with cotton batting and wrap a piece of cloth around them and use a rubberband to hold it in place.Hope this was helpful.

• 37. sandra goyne  |  October 9th, 2009 at 2:11 pm

  i use for keeping my garden seeds they stay fresh because of the lack of sunlight. i also use them for holders for candels you can use anything as a base such as a pinecone or orange and just put in a small bottle the right size for your candel and horay it stays upright, bigger bottle bigger candel.

• 38. Abigail  |  October 9th, 2009 at 2:49 pm

  iv’e seen these jars with magnetic lids, some time people get them and place a sheet of metal on the wall or peg boards have things you can buy to put them on, but you could put magnet tape on the lid and put beads in it this would realy only work if you got a lot of them, because most beaders have a lotr of beads but the bottles are kinda see threw so you would be able to look at your selection of beads without pulling out all the drawers, i bead but its not my maine craft, but still need storage, and somtimes (depending where your getting them from) the glass jars can be exspensive also the lid of the bottle wont come open while its stuck up there,

• 39. Barb  |  October 9th, 2009 at 3:11 pm

  I use these with my church kids. We have many generous folks who donate them to us. One year for VBS we decorated them to match our theme, added beads inside, glued on the lids and used them as shakers to use with our music….the kids loved them….they love noise.

  At this years VBS I used them as bodies for paper bugs that we flew into a huge bug bottle each time the child completed a challenge.

  Hope these help…….they are very useful…..jjust let your imagination go………Barb

• 40. Pat  |  October 9th, 2009 at 4:54 pm

  I use them to make “encourage MINT” jars—put encouraging saying in the jar or short jokes or scripture verses and a peppermint or chocolate mint candy with a label on the outside to take a bit of encouragement or a mint as needed to keep spirits up. I have given these out at hospitals or just to people i meet who are down. You could decorate the outside of the bottle if you want.

• 41. Shelly  |  October 9th, 2009 at 6:33 pm

  Purchase a large styrofoam ball. remove caps from bottles. Gently push-twisting and turning the bottle butt end – into styrofoam about a quarter of an inch. Pull out and place glue in shallow hole and replace butt end of bottle. Do this all the way around covering the styro foam ball. Attach some pretty ribbon and you have a pretty globe to hang from the ceiling or doorway or from your outside garage or porch light . You can also dip the tips of the open bottle in glue and glitter. Pretty!!

• 42. Silvia Haughey  |  October 9th, 2009 at 9:28 pm

  I am planning to use them to store dried, fresh herbs from this season’s crop to hold int the flavor and keep light out. Can write the name of herb on the bottle or decorate with a picture on the lid or label on side of bottle, depending on how creative you want to get! I also use them to store seeds, they are especially good if they are childproofed for storing plant seeds that may be poisonous.

• 43. wanda Strickland  |  October 9th, 2009 at 9:33 pm

  A friend told me about soaking the labels off the bottles and selling them to a local veterinarian for reuse.

• 44. danielle  |  October 9th, 2009 at 10:06 pm

  Attach the caps to a piece of wood with glue, and hang under a cabinet or in a work area, can put beads, screws, nails or any other craft item in them. In the kitchen could put spices in them.
  Just decorate them to match kitchen decor.

• 45. glenda  |  October 9th, 2009 at 11:06 pm

  you can also give them tosome place for our sevice men and the vets would be thankful for them

• 46. Dee  |  October 10th, 2009 at 1:13 am

  I was going to say that I also take alot of medications with varying size bottles and think a desk organizer would be a wonderful project for them, but that has been mentioned… One thing I have seen is making outdoor flowerbed flowers with plastic lids, if you have enough lids, drill a hole in the center, use flexible wire to make your flower and string the lids on like beads, even paint them with outdoors paint, and heck why not use the bottles also as larger “beads”! The plastic wouldn’t wear out as fast as material, and would make cute garden decor.
  I have also seen this done with just lids from all sorts of bottles and buckets.
  Just an idea, but I too am going to use some of these for MY own meds bottles!
  Good luck and tks all!

• 47. Marci  |  October 10th, 2009 at 8:37 am

  I use these leftover pill bottles to store my re-wound crochet threads. I open the bottle and stick 1 end of the thread inside and close the top of the bottle, then wind the thread around the bottle. When it is all wound I open the bottle and stick the other end inside. The lid keeps the ends of the thread in place and the bottles make perfect space-saving, tangle-free storage.

• 48. Nancy Michel  |  October 10th, 2009 at 11:12 am

  I use them to put hand cream in them. I use a beeswax based hand cream and then put it in my purse. They work extremely well.

  My husband uses one in his lunchbox and keeps spare change in it for an emergency phone call or vending machine purchase.

• 49. PJ  |  October 10th, 2009 at 11:50 am

  I make stamps out of them.
  Take foam shapes and glue them to the top of the lid. Use the orange part as the handle.

• 50. Annette Franke  |  October 10th, 2009 at 2:00 pm

  I use them as the center of a floral ring to hold tapered candles and make a beautiful centerpiece.

  Use a hot glue gun to glue artificial flowers around the outside of the bottle. Make sure that the flowers are tall enough to cover the entire bottle. (using different size bottles allows you to make different sizes of floral rings)

  Take a tall tapered candle (I always make sure that the color of the candle complements the color of the flowers).and melt a few drops in the bottom of the prescription bottle. Secure the candle in the bottle with the melted candle wax.

  Make a few of these with different heights and widths of candles and you can create a centerpiece that you can arrange many different ways!

• 51. Sara Rivka  |  October 10th, 2009 at 2:04 pm

  How about using them a “shades” for a string of clear Xmas lights, could be great for Halloween! Or if you ever need some interesting serving pieces for a buffet, use the bottles as legs to make elevated platters and cake stands. Use heavy plastics platters and trays, and attach bottles with epoxy!

• 52. Coleen Walters  |  October 10th, 2009 at 7:10 pm

  My daughter is 16 and she collected pill bottles from our whole family for a few different things. Some of her uses are listed below.
  1. to add body to her hair she parts and sections hair to the lenght of the bottle and bobby pins then as close to her head as possible to add volume and lift to her thin hair, I would not have believed it would work until I seen it with my own eyes. they give such lift and makesher hair look alot fuller.
  she also uses some of the bottles to clip the bobby pins around the bottle for easy access. fills some with rubbing alchol and soaks earrings.
  They are only a few of the uses she has come up with.

• 53. Winona  |  October 10th, 2009 at 10:37 pm

  I use the bottles to make the inside (center) of finger puppets. They turned out really cute, and held their shape very well.

  I also made rattles for several of my grandchildren. I put either a dried bean or sometimes just used a penny inside to make the noise. They liked that they could shake them around and make noise on their own.

• 54. Val  |  October 11th, 2009 at 3:31 am

  This is not a craft idea, but I am on a lot of medications, and generally have 8-10 bottles a month, and my pharmacy accepts them back and sends them away for recycling. Perhaps your pharmacy does as well.

• 55. Dennis  |  October 11th, 2009 at 2:30 pm

  I use mine to give as little gifts, what I do is bead around them then bead a string of beads and use for necklace. People love them because they can carry money in them or what ever depends on the size. If you need apattern let me know.

• 56. Ruth  |  October 11th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

  I use mine for dispensing doses of medication. For instance, morning use one bottle, noon, another bottle, evening, another bottle. This way you only have to set up each dose once a week or every two weeks.

  Also, fill empty bottles with a few beans, glue lid on for a cat toy.(decorate like a mouse).

• 57. Connie  |  October 11th, 2009 at 4:41 pm

  Iuse them for gag gifts. I fill them with candies-write a prescription such as birth control pills, anti ageing pills, etc. Put the name of person intended, directions on how to take them and so on.
  Everyone enjoys them and look forward to them.

• 58. Eileen  |  October 12th, 2009 at 12:32 pm

  I decorate the tops (I prefer the top you are able to fit 2 different ways) with different themes – christmas, 4th of July – and then fill them with small candies. The kids love them.

• 59. Boots  |  October 12th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

  We make ‘travel’ sewing kits. Pre-threaded needles, buttons, safety pins, etc. They are great for just a little something to give. Someone made me my first one as a gift; found it very handy in my desk. Keep a second in my purse.

• 60. Pam Brouillard  |  October 13th, 2009 at 3:33 pm

  These ideas are great. I too used them for my Cub Scouts to make First Aid Kits and carry spare change to use at the Trading Post for snacks.

• 61. Carol Handville  |  October 17th, 2009 at 6:20 pm

  I taped four of them to a sturdy tv tray for friend that trouble moving. 1 holds her toothpicks, 1 has her chewing gum and the other her pen. A larger 1 is for small trash. Gives her more surface ro use for letter writing, eating etc. Doesn’t get rid of many…but helps the person.

• 62. Liz Morris  |  October 22nd, 2009 at 8:33 am

  I use them to store seeds in that I just harvested. I label each container with the type of seed and the year. I also use them to store my dried herbs in. The tinted containers are great for keeping the herbs fresher because the sunlight is filtered.

• 63. Shay  |  November 6th, 2009 at 2:59 pm

  Our vet uses them to give our meds for her clients.

  I’ve enjoyed reading your hints everyone… I have a few ideas for them.

  Love the ideas of snowmen.

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