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Nifty Thrifty:  Uses for old Prescription Bottles?  |
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urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 4:21:03 PM
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OK, I hate to admit it but I have way too many of these things around! While I am very glad to be living in a time when modern science can help me get through life more healthy, I HATE all these little plastic bottles!! They should come up with biodegradable containers for pills. In the meantime, what can they be used for? I use a few for sorting beads and such but I am collecting them faster than I can come up with new uses. Any ideas girls??
Catherine
Farmgirl #1370
City Girl By Birth,
Suburbanite By Location,
Farmgirl at Heart
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Karrieann
True Blue Farmgirl
1900 Posts
Karrieann
Northeast
Georgia
USA
1900 Posts |
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1badmamawolf
True Blue Farmgirl
2199 Posts
Teresa
"Bent Fence Farms"
Ca
USA
2199 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 5:38:18 PM
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I use them for beads, pins needles, small nails, tacks, small screws. My G/sons use them for their "tiny" rocks they collect. I decorate them with fabric or puffy paint, and label them. I have cleaned them out really well, and used them for extra seed, again labeling them along with the year, dropping them into ziplocks and storeing in the freezer. I put buttons in them, we also have one that was decorated for baby teeth to put under the pillow for the tooth fairy.
"Treat the earth well, it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children" |
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Cindy Lou
True Blue Farmgirl
2325 Posts
Susan
Lonsdale
MN
USA
2325 Posts |
Posted - Apr 11 2010 : 8:26:09 PM
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A local second hand store collects used pill bottles, with names and numbers removed and donates them to a third world source where they are cleaned and reused. I don't know the details of where they are sent but if one place collects them I'm sure others do too.
"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
Mary Oliver |
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urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2010 : 09:40:41 AM
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Just wanted to drop a note saying thanks for the ideas!
Catherine
Farmgirl #1370
City Girl By Birth,
Suburbanite By Location,
Farmgirl at Heart
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Lessie Louise
True Blue Farmgirl
1406 Posts
Carol
PECULIAR
MO
USA
1406 Posts |
Posted - Apr 14 2010 : 12:29:12 PM
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Our vet will take ours if you can get the label off, and then he is able to re use them....just an idea
Forget buns of steel, I'd rather have buns of cinnamon!
Farmgirl #680! |
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City Chick
True Blue Farmgirl
1402 Posts
Deb
Chattanooga
TN
USA
1402 Posts |
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KanMogirl
True Blue Farmgirl
349 Posts
Katherine
Rock
Kansas
USA
349 Posts |
Posted - Apr 26 2010 : 4:21:46 PM
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I use some of them to put needles in. I've, also, used them to put pain relievers in my purse. In addition, my church collects them to give to a mission in western Kansas. They clean them and prepare them for reuse.
I would rather wear out than rust out.----Richard Cumberland |
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Sourceress
True Blue Farmgirl
76 Posts
Elisabeth
Thurmont
MD
76 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2010 : 12:19:27 AM
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Storing seeds is a great idea - I've put all sorts of little do-dads in prescription bottles. They're great for little beads, too.
The other thing you can do is, if you have a regular prescription and a reasonably intelligent pharmacy staff, you might be able to get them to let you reuse them. I asked my pharmacy (which is a small locally-owned drug-store, not part of a big chain or a supermarket or something) if they would re-use my bottle to put my next batch of pills in if I brought it in with the prescription, and they were very nice about it and said "Sure". They can't take them back to just re-use in general, but if it's your bottle and you'd like them to refill it rather than giving you a new one, and just stick the new sticker over the old one, most of the places I've talked to don't mind. Like I said, though - I prefer to patronize small, locally-owned places. If you get your prescriptions filled at a big national chain pharmacy or at the supermarket or Target/K-mart/Walmart/etc. then you might have more problems. Of course, if you do this, you actually have to go to the pharmacy in person, and be prepared to wait for your prescription rather than calling it in in advance or something, but it really doesn't take that long to fill a bottle of pills - at least not at my pharmacy, so I don't mind.
Thank you for reminding me, btw - I have to go fill my monthly prescription tomorrow - I'll have to make a point of dropping an empty bottle in my knitting bag so I can ask them to refill it instead of giving me another one - my house is awash in empty prescription bottles! |
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BlackHorseFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
91 Posts
Elizabeth
Chicago
IL
USA
91 Posts |
Posted - May 07 2010 : 5:33:15 PM
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Since everyone has mentioned the common uses I won't relist then. Another use it to put it in your kidding/foaling/lambing kit to use to dip umbilical cords.
Put a few rocks/beans/rice in and close it up. . .great cat toy! |
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Bart
True Blue Farmgirl
115 Posts
115 Posts |
Posted - May 14 2010 : 06:43:17 AM
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Has anyone ever seen jewelry made out of old pill bottles? I'll have to hunt around - I saw it quite awhile ago on a tv program. They were melted in the microwave with something inside them and made very cool beads.
Off to look for the "recipe" |
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urban chickie
True Blue Farmgirl
734 Posts
Catherine
Niles
IL
USA
734 Posts |
Posted - May 14 2010 : 08:35:29 AM
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Now THAT sounds cool! Have to be real careful about breathing in fumes but that could be neat!
Catherine
Farmgirl #1370
City Girl By Birth,
Suburbanite By Location,
Farmgirl at Heart
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karla
True Blue Farmgirl
1308 Posts
karla
Pella
Iowa
USA
1308 Posts |
Posted - May 14 2010 : 08:42:31 AM
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I have used them for the rattle inside of stuffed baby toys-they are childproof & make great noise makers!
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. |
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wild daisy
True Blue Farmgirl
503 Posts
Madelynne
Billings
Montana
USA
503 Posts |
Posted - May 14 2010 : 5:01:31 PM
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My only concern with using them for any type of child's toy is that it still might have medication residue. Plastic holds on to a lot of micro or small stuff. That is one reason one should never use a plastic milk jug for any food products after you are finished with the milk. (I know this as my husband works in the industry). I never let my kids play with medicine bottles ever. I wanted them to understand that medicine was not something to play with.
Madelynne
johnandmadelynne.blogspot.com |
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Bart
True Blue Farmgirl
115 Posts
115 Posts |
Posted - May 15 2010 : 09:30:22 AM
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I found these instructions on the internet. These are done in the oven.
The general idea for making these (Rx or medical, amber or clear bottles) is to soften them into a flattened blob with colorful accents.
.....The colors are achieved by either adding colored crayon slivers (shave the 'paperless' crayons with a vegetable peeler, etc.) &/or by adding small, colorful plastic beads (or bits of raw or baked clay, etc. or just anything that can stand the temp. of the oven or will melt in an interesting way).
..15 years ago, most prescription bottles were 'clear'...but amber ones should be fine too (but do go for the lightest amber you have)
...Remove any label residue (GooGone or WD40)....thorougly wash & dry
...stand the bottle upright on a non-stick, oven-safe flat pan (or could use aluminum foil?)...then fill each bottle 1/4 full with an assortment of your color filler
...bake (275 degrees or higher?) ...the process happens pretty fast so watch diligently....as soon as the bottles have become flattened blobs, remove tray from oven (if more softening is needed, quickly return tray to the hot oven)
...avoid overhandling the hot plastic shapes with oven mitts to avoid creating unsightly, raised marks.
...to make hanging holes after cooling... either 'melt' a hole using a heated metal skewer, or drill one (create holes from front to back).
...you can speed up the cooling of the plastic blobs by dumping them straight from the oven into a bowl of icy water; this sudden shock of hot to cold also might help to create some unusually curvacious pieces.
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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prayin granny
True Blue Farmgirl
1874 Posts
Linda
Kansas
1874 Posts |
Posted - Jan 10 2012 : 8:57:42 PM
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Just found this!
Sounds like fun and I want to try it! What an inventive way to recycle!!
Thank you!
Blessings,
Linda
www.scatteredlittleblessings.blogspot.com
Country at Heart |
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traildancer
True Blue Farmgirl
485 Posts
Loyce
Glide
OR
USA
485 Posts |
Posted - Jan 11 2012 : 1:12:08 PM
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I used a larger one for the firestarter/waterproof matches needed for one of the merit badges. The stuff fit in nicely.
I also use smaller ones to hold the bulk herbs I get at the natural foods store.
I use an old film canister to hold ibuprofen in my purse and saddlebags.
The trail is the thing.... Louis L'Amour |
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl
1825 Posts
Virginia
USA
1825 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2012 : 08:26:06 AM
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| I used an Rx bottle on a recent trip to hold Q-tips and other tiny toiletries. |
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sjmjgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
566 Posts
Stephanie
Mt. Vernon
Iowa
USA
566 Posts |
Posted - Jan 22 2012 : 2:05:58 PM
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That sounds so cool! I'm going to be making a necklace, so I might use that idea.
You can also use old bottles to make shakers for glitter or decorative sand. Just punch a few holes in the lid and you're ready to go! My dad used to nail or glue the tops of the lids to a board then hang the board in his garage. He would put nails or screws in the bottles and attach. Instant wall storage.
Farmgirl Sister # 3810
Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
- Dalai Lama |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Jan 25 2012 : 9:13:24 PM
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I use the smaller bottles to keep wheat pennies. They fit perfect.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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Ninibini
True Blue Farmgirl
7577 Posts
Nini
Pennsylvania
USA
7577 Posts |
Posted - Oct 16 2012 : 04:49:27 AM
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SO cute, Kristina! Very clever!
Bart - do you know if I might be able to use the newer medicine bottles to make those beads? I love that idea! But we get our scripts from Target, so they're not your typical rounded bottles with caps... they're more triangular on top and rounded at the bottom. I sure would love to try making the beads though! Thank you so much for the idea! AWESOME!
Hugs -
Nnini
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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FieldsofThyme
Farmgirl Guide & Schoolmarm / Chapter Leader
4928 Posts
USA
4928 Posts |
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Nifty Thrifty: Uses for old Prescription Bottles? |
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Uses for old Prescription Bottles?
