spices

I use them to store tiny things in my office/bathroom, like thumbtacks, hairpins, paperclips, etc. I also use them in my purse to hold M&Ms, Skittles, breathmints, anything that came in a large bag, but I don't want to bring the whole bag with me!

I cover over the bottle with contact paper (like for shelves in the kitchen), or construction paper, so that I don't confuse these bottles with my actual prescriptions.

Hope that helps!

Sorry, I remembered one more! I also use them for traveling, and put my jewelry in them, with a tissue or cotton ball, so the necklaces don't get knotted up. They are also good for taking dog or cat treats with you, to the park or on vacation (if you have pets).

I'm really excited to hear the answer to this question. I have the same issue and saved up my bottles for a few years until I had a giant box of them... but when I moved, I finally put them in the garbage. Couldn't think of a thing to do with them! Instead, I've been thinking about organizing a petition to the pharmaceutical companies to make them recyclable. One more thing for my to-do list ;-)

I'll be waiting to see if anyone has ideas...

I'd say, put them on Craigslist or Freecycle, they will find a good home with an Etsy crafter or someone starting with their first kitchen.

I don't know where I first saw this, but first I make sure
the bottle is watertight (most of my lids have to be turned upside down & screwed in). Next I get some rocks, small
pebbles, and epoxy together. I cover the inverted lid
with this melange, then put a spare house key inside and
bury it in the ground or a plant pot with just the rocks, etc.
showing!! No one will know what to look for, and the key
won't rust or decay! Woo Hoo!!

Here are my three uses for the bottles (this excludes Target's bottles): (1) great holders for quarters at laundromat; (2) great holders for quarters and dimes for meter parking and (3) great holder for iPod headphones so they don't get smashed or pressed against something while traveling. (1) and (2) work best with the child proof caps because while (3) works best with adult caps. Good luck!

I used to use these (and film canisters) to store spare flies - if the bottle is air tight it will keep the feathers protected but also float if you drop it. I have friends who will put a serving or two of loose leaf tea in them but you have to be okay with the fact that people might think you're storing some other herbal substance. I also have a friend who stores an emergency kit of needles and buttons in one - could also work for band-aids too.

A google search suggests that some vets, animal shelters and free clinics may take donations of pill bottles. If you have a great volume, it might be worth checking into this.

I tear the labels off and use them as travel carriers for pet medications, thumb tacks, glitter etc.

Some vets will take them for reuse but many won't. I've noticed that my prescription bottles are #5 plastic so I return them to eh GImme5 recycling bins at my local Whole Foods. Check out http://www.preserveproducts.com/gimme5/ to see if there is a place near you that collects #5 plastics for recycling.

I put my custom spice mixes and barbecue rubs in them.

Check the number on the bottom. You may be able to recycle them through Preserve Products' "Gimme 5" program, if they're #5 plastic. Even if there isn't a Whole Foods or other store that accepts them near you, you can mail them in to Preserve Products, which uses them to make toothbrushes, razors, etc. Here's a link: http://www.preserveproducts.com/gimme5

I can't remember where I saw this but someone suggested to me once to put a couple cotton balls soaked in nail polish remover in there with a nail file (you can cut the regular ones in half to make it fit) to have a mini manicure-emergency kit.

In addition to the fine suggestions above:
- traveling container for baking soda (deodorant)
- traveling container for vitamin pills for that trip
- storage for saved seeds (especially useful if you have several colors of the same variety of flowers; you can mark each container with the color)
- storage for seeds that fall out a broken seed packet
- nails, screws, bolts, etc., in the handywoman tote
- the last small amounts of spices that I had bought in quantity, before I get ready to buy them again.
- a spare bicycle patch kit
-

If you were looking for a suggestion, aside from storage, that you could maybe incorporate around the house differently..? I've made a few of my own artsy wall decorations by binding them together. It's very hard to explain step by step, because there are so many different ways you can choose to do it.

For the base/the part that will be hung flat against the wall, the possibilities are endless. However, since I work at Michaels Arts & Crafts, I'm going to narrow it down to the products I've actually experimented around with from our store.
Also, a great idea that would have made my life much easier is for you to attach the type of hardware needed to hang your masterpiece before going any further.

Anything flat and durable will work as the base. (I would stay away from foam materials of any sort, because they seem to absorb the epoxy and whatnot and weaken it. Also, thin cardboard. The best are the thick cardboard thingys you set cakes under that have the foil covering)
So: wood, plastic, glass, corkboards that are sold already framed.

Next you start putting the pill bottles in place where you want them. (Depending on the look you want, before doing this you can decorate them with paints, glitters, saranwrap, foil, etc. Or use a mosiac tile or shape to your liking. Since the open part will be displayed. Or, you can add all these details once you've pieced it all together.)
Attach the pill bottle closely together (where it looks like a big honeycomb) into whatever abstract design or shape to your satisfaction.
I would only suggest using adhesives/glues that are specific to the material of your base. Also, glue dotes get the job done just as well.

Next you want to outline the bottles with anything that will be able to hold a liquid (the epoxy) if you happened to use a large decorative plate, and don't plan on decorating over the part of the plate that's displayed. All you need is a large sheet of any plastic material that you can cut to the exact size you need. Or you could buy a coil of rubber, so you could easily get it to lay. You could coil it up and around the bottles. You could attach mosiacs around it, then grout it off. Or the bigger decorative rocks and pebbles used to put in vases. Popsicle sticks. If you want to get detailed, glass beads. Air-dry clay by crayola, etc.

To get the epoxy to go around the bottles, and not in them.. syringes, funnels, or just a steady hand. Fill it up at least half-way, or you can fill it up to the top. Before it dries you can add elements to the epoxy for a cool look when it dries, especially if you used a see through wall mechanism. Examples: Confetti, dyes, tiny tiny glass beads, etc.

Once everything has dried up to this point, you can add whatever your heart desires!!!!! This is the fun part. incorporating ribbon around it, you could modge podge pictures of you and your loved ones on top of the visible base, adding feathers, adding mosiacs, doing your own artwork around it all.

For a glossy, protective finish... find you a good fixative. They do carry glittery fixatives that make it a real eye catcher.

And from there, the finished project can be used as wall decor, or I've seen my creation be put to use as a 6 year olds colored-pencil holder. It just depends on the person it's for.

Thrift, antique, pawn, and junk stores are THE BEST, and the CHEAPEST places to go looking for inspiration.

AND IF THERE ARE ANY TEACHERS OUT THERE WHO ENJOYS ARTS & CRAFTS OF ANY SORT.. TEACHERS NOW GET 15% OFF THEIR WHOLE PURCHASES EVERYDAY OF THE WEEK!!!

Hope this was even the slightest bit helpful to your predicament!