Woman Turns Old Prescription Bottles Into An Adorable Floral Decor Gem

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Have you ever opened an overstuffed medicine cabinet at home, only to be caught under an avalanche of old, empty prescription bottles? They can pile up surprisingly quickly, especially when each new prescription comes with another bottle. If you're interested in sustainability and reluctant to toss these single-use plastic containers in the trash, don't fret. There are several creative ways to recycle (and upcycle!) prescription bottles, from turning them into adorable mini organizers to transforming them into a quirky sunflower bouquet, as one DIYer did.

In this DIY, TikTok user dovieleigh cuts and shapes the orange containers so they look like petals. Meanwhile, neatly twisted wires serve as the stems. Place the finished creation in a vase, and you have a super unique and artsy homemade decor. If you're eager to flex your creative muscles, gather a handful of old pill bottles, a soldering iron, a candle, some scissors, a drill, and pliers. Other than that, you'll need green spray paint and bendable wire, such as the Tenn Well Aluminum Craft Wire.

Before you begin, clean the prescription bottles and peel off the labels. You can remove any lingering sticker residue with hot water, vegetable oil, or solvent cleaners like Goo Gone. For this project, you should work in a well-ventilated space or outdoors. While dovieleigh wears a mask, it is important to avoid inhaling fumes from melting plastic.

Using a soldering iron, cut off the bottom of the pill bottle. You can also use a serrated pocket knife to reduce exposure to fumes. Cut slits into the bottle to form the flower petals. Then, turn the bottle over a lit candle to heat the plastic and make it malleable (again, in a ventilated space or outdoors). Once softened, peel the petals back and trim the ends so that the bottle takes the shape of a sunflower. Set it aside, and twist a few pieces of wire to give them a whimsical, vine-like look. Consider leaving some untwisted for added variety. When they're ready, remove the bottle caps and spray-paint the caps and wires green. Drill a small hole into the back of each cap and insert the wire stem. Repeat until you have a bouquet to arrange in a vase of your choice.

You can customize your craft by painting the petals a different color, such as pink or red, and adding mini LED lights to the centers of the caps, as one commenter suggested. Alternatively, instead of wire, use pipe cleaners for softer-looking yet still bendable stems. And if you want to make this project even more sustainable, go ahead and display your sunflowers in a recycled planter.