How to reuse empty cream or oil bottles: Easy DIY crafts & hacks to turn waste into useful home items

Finished your face cream, hair oil or body lotion and about to throw the bottle in the bin? Hold up. Empty beauty and oil containers can be surprisingly useful around the house, especially if they are sturdy, washable and easy to repurpose.

Before reusing any bottle, make sure it is completely empty and properly cleaned. Avoid reusing containers that held products which are difficult to remove, and never use a bottle that contained chemicals or non-food products for storing food or drinking water.

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Here are some simple ways to give those empty bottles a second life.

Turn empty cream bottles into mini planters

Small cream jars and wide-mouthed bottles can make cute little planters for succulents and other small plants.

Wash the container thoroughly and let it dry. If the container has no drainage hole, either add one if the material allows it or use it as a decorative outer pot with a smaller plant pot inside. This helps prevent water from collecting around the roots.

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Give the outside a fresh look with paint, fabric or decorative paper if you fancy a little DIY project.

Make a DIY organiser for small items

Don't underestimate a small empty cream container. It can become a handy organiser for things such as hair ties, clips, buttons, beads, sewing accessories or small stationery items.

Choose a container with a secure lid and clean it thoroughly. You can label different containers so that tiny bits and pieces stop mysteriously disappearing into the depths of your drawers.

Reuse pump bottles as liquid soap dispensers

Empty pump bottles from liquid creams or lotions can be repurposed as dispensers for liquid hand wash or other suitable products.

Clean the bottle and pump thoroughly and allow everything to dry before refilling it. Make sure the original container is compatible with the new product, as some formulations can react with certain plastics or cause the pump to deteriorate.

It's also a good idea to label the bottle clearly so nobody mistakes its contents.

Turn an empty bottle into a travel container

Small, sturdy cosmetic bottles can be useful for carrying toiletries when travelling.

However, only reuse a container for a product that is compatible with the bottle material. Clean it properly and label it clearly. For air travel, remember that liquids in cabin baggage are subject to the security rules of the airport and airline you are travelling with.

This can be a simple way to avoid carrying bulky full-sized bottles on a short trip.

Create a DIY bathroom organiser

Several empty bottles can be turned into a simple bathroom storage set for items such as cotton buds, hair accessories and other small essentials.

You can decorate matching containers with labels or paper to make them look like a coordinated set. Keep the containers dry and avoid using them for anything that needs to remain sterile.

Use sturdy bottles as plant propagation containers

Some transparent bottles can be useful for propagating plants in water.

Clean the bottle thoroughly, fill it with fresh water and place a suitable plant cutting inside. A transparent container lets you keep an eye on root growth.

Just remember to change the water regularly and keep the cutting in suitable light.

Make a DIY desk organiser

Larger cream or oil bottles can be cut and reused as holders for pens, pencils, paintbrushes or craft tools.

If you cut a plastic container, smooth or cover the edges carefully so that they are not sharp. You can then decorate the outside with paint, paper or stickers.

For a safer option, simply use an intact bottle with the top removed only if you can make the opening smooth and secure.

Turn empty bottles into decorative storage

Sometimes the easiest DIY hack is simply making an old container look new.

Clean the bottle, remove the old label and decorate it with paint, jute, ribbon or patterned paper. It can then be used to store small household items.

Just avoid covering containers that need to be regularly checked for damage or cleanliness.

Before reusing beauty bottles, clean them properly

This is the boring bit, but it matters. Leftover cream or oil can become sticky, collect dust and make the container unpleasant to reuse.

Wash the container with warm water and an appropriate amount of washing-up liquid, where the material and manufacturer's instructions allow it. Rinse thoroughly and let it dry completely before using it again.

Don't reuse containers for food or medicines simply because they look clean. Cosmetic packaging is not necessarily designed or tested for those uses.

When should you recycle the bottle instead?

Not every empty bottle needs a DIY makeover. If it is cracked, difficult to clean, made from unsuitable materials or still contains product that cannot be safely removed, recycling may be the better option.

Check the packaging for its recycling symbol and your local recycling guidance. For bottles containing leftover cosmetics or oils, follow your local waste-disposal instructions rather than pouring unwanted products down the drain.

A little creativity can keep plenty of everyday packaging out of the bin, but safe reuse should always come before a clever craft idea.


Disclaimer: DIY ideas and reuse suggestions are provided for general informational purposes. Always clean containers thoroughly before reusing them and check that the material is suitable for the intended purpose. Do not reuse containers for food, medicines or other sensitive products unless they are specifically designed for such use. When in doubt, recycle the container according to local waste-management guidelines.