Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Take a Break: Re Purpose Pill and Vitamin Bottles


So how many empty pill and vitamin bottles do you have lying around? Instead of throwing them away,  recycle them or consider crafting them into something new.

 Before you begin, remove the label. Someone suggested pouring boiling water into the bottle, wait a minute and the label would fall right off. I tried that with a vitamin bottle and yes the label came right off, but the bottle collapsed. So removable techniques are going to very by bottle type. In general, I find that the labels on the brown bottles peel off pretty easily. Soaking in hot water helps and the remaining residue can easily be scrubbed off with soap and water or alcohol. Make sure you clean them well inside and out, particularly if you are going to put food or seed items in them.

The basics of decorating are simple-paint with acrylics, cover with contact paper or duct tape, glue on fabric, paper, glitter, old jewelry, ribbons or whatever strikes your fancy. Oasis  has some beautiful examples of decorated pill bottles.

You can use the decorated containers to create:
• Your Own “Prescription:” Use M & M’s or other small candy as the pills. Decorate with fun colors, and make a new label with directions such as “Feeling blue-take two.” Use a large vitamin bottle filled with Jellybeans and label it “Happy Pills.” The Graphics Fairy has a variety of labels you can print for free to make your prescriptions look authentic. 

•  Mini kits: A few needles, a little thread,  safety pins, tiny scissors and even a few tiny buttons makes a quick sewing kit. Can also use as mini eyeglass repair kits. A few Band-Aids, ointments, aspirin etc. will make a nice first aid kit. Just the essential lure or two will make some fisherman happy.

• Coin Purses, Coin Holders: Since the brown pill bottles can hold quarters, this is the perfect gift for anyone who has to use the Laundromat.
 
• Puppy treat container: For a new puppy owner,  decorate the container with tiny paw prints using a Qtip and paint. Fill with small puppy treats. Write words like “Sit,” Roll Over” “Stay.”

• Rattles: Fill with different beads or beans so that you have a nice rattle effect when you shake it. Seal shut with super glue. Undecorated use them in stuff toys so they’ll rattle when shaken. The cat will enjoy it as a fun toy to chase, so it doesn’t matter whether you decorate it or not. Use as percussion instruments for young kids.

• Container to Soak/Store reeds for musical instruments

• Container to store items that never seem to have a home-paper clips, tacks, odd buttons, beads. Vitamin bottles, with their flip lids, are great for paper clips.

• Seed container: Store seeds from one season to the next. Just be sure to label them.

• Pill container: Always good to have some ibuprofen or allergy pills handy. Take it up a notch by using a vitamin container where you can glue a medicine cup to the inside of the vitamin bottle cap. This way you can have a small cup for water to make it easier to swallow pills. Be sure to dry it carefully before you reseal though.
 
Other ideas for bottles





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