Guide to Repurposing Pill Bottles

“It’s never lupus,” as the iconic Dr. House put it. Don’t know too much about that, but I have a saying of my own – “it’s never just a pill bottle.” Yup, you’ve guessed it. Today I’m going to show you a couple of nifty ways to reuse your old med bottles.

Some are them are no-brainers, while others are quite ingenious. Heck, when it comes to human ingenuity, even something as insignificant as a match can be turned into a unique item. So, because talk’s cheap, here are 11 ways to use your old pill bottles around the house.

Big life lesson – when you reach the point where two paychecks aren’t enough; you have to make some sort of change. I won’t deny the fact that with all my prepping training I still end up spending a couple of thousand dollars each year buying all sorts of crap.

Well, ever since my lovely wife realized that money kept flying out of my wallet, she used a clever trick to put something aside for rainy days – stuffing dollar bills in old pill bottles. Yup, took me a while to figure it out.

Long story short, the cash pill bottle trick worked, and we managed to put aside enough to buy our son a new smartphone. So, if you’re just like me when it comes to burning dough, use an old pill bottle as a piggybank.

Make a small emergency candle

You can make a 4-hour emergency candle by filling an old pill bottle with wax, lamp oil, tallow, or fat obtained from melted bacon. Stick a wick inside, allow it to soak the fuel, and set it ablaze.

Fishing kit

If you don’t have the resolve to make a paracord grenade, you can at least try to make e small fishing kit using a pill bottle, some cordage, hooks, and a couple of feet of fishing line.

Here’s how to do it. Wrap the paracord tightly around the pill bottle, place your fishing implements inside, and put the cap back on. You can attach a small carabiner to the cordage if you want to hang the fishing kit to your bug-out bag or belt.

Travel-size shampoo and conditioner

You really don’t need to throw a whole bottle of shampoo, conditioner, or shower gel in your luggage or bug-out bag. Pour as much as you need inside pill bottles, put some plastic wrap on top, and screw the cap in place.

Store key to ammo locker or safe

You know how the saying goes: if you want to hide something, put it in plain sight. If you’re worried about your children finding the key to dangerous storage lockers like the ammo cabinet, propane tank locker, or fire-proof safe, use old pill bottles to hide the key. You should also fill them with small pebbles or kitty litter to give off the impression that they’re really pill bottles.

Create a waterproof money container

Since I’ve mentioned something about saving money, you can create your own waterproof cash container by repurposing a bottle. Remember that cash will always be king, and that’s why it would be wise to have a small amount on you. To make a money container, you’ll need a small drill, epoxy glue, paracord, and, of course, some money.

Start by drilling a hole in the pill bottle’s cap. Draw the paracord through it and apply some glue. Put your cash inside, screw the cap back on, and that’s it. You can also make a square knot at the base of the pill bottle to ensure that the thing doesn’t fall off your bug-out bag or belt.

Make a small med kit

Although nothing can replace your B.O.B’s first-aid kit, it is possible to make a smaller and more portable version using a pill bottle. You can also use the steps for crafting a waterproof money container for your mini-med kit.

As for the contents, I added a couple of aspirins, some Ibuprofen, Alka-Seltzer, one Iodine prep pad, and one alcohol-soaked prep pad. Of course, you’re free to add or remove items.

Make a perimeter alarm

I don’t know about you, but I always like to install some sort of perimeter alarm when I want to camp for the night (I usually end up using the beer cans I brought along for the ride).

If you’re not much of a beer lover, you can make your own perimeter alarm using a couple of pill bottles filled with kitty litter or pebbles. Put a couple of stakes in the ground, connect them with some dental floss or string, and tie the filled pill bottles.

Store seeds for later use

If you want to protect seeds from the sun or extra moisture, store them inside clean and dry pill bottles. Don’t forget to label them.

Make a field sewing kit

There’s no way of telling what could happen in the field. And, during a shit hits the fan situation, your clothes will get torn to shreds. Sure, you can always patch them with some zip ties or dental floss, but you can also take the high road by using your sewing kit.

You can quickly make one from an old pill bottle. Place a needle, some thread, and a couple of patches. Put the cap back on and store it inside your B.O.B.

Make a deodorizer

If you want to ward off those nasty smells from your clothes, place some dried-up lavender flowers inside a pill bottle. Use a needle or a small knife to poke a couple of holes in the lid.

Finally, place it inside the wardrobe and, voila, no more rancid smells. You can also make one for the fridge. However, for that one, I would advise replacing the lavender leaves with apple cider vinegar, baking soda, or diatomaceous earth.

That’s about it for my take on repurposing an empty pill bottle. Would you like to add anything to the list? Hit the comments section and scribble away.

“It’s never lupus,” as the iconic Dr. House put it. Don’t know too much about that, but I have a saying of my own – “it’s never just a pill