12 Ways To Repurpose Old Drink Containers For Optimal Home Organization

On any given day, you might have three to four drink containers in your fridge, from water bottles to juice jugs.  If you add in the containers for powdered drink mixes such as Kool-Aid and Crystal Light, you can come up with numerous pieces of plastic destined for the trash or recycling bin. In fact, over 481.6 billion plastic bottles are used in a single year, according to Habit of Waste. You can and should recycle many beverage containers, but it might be hard if you don't have a robust recycling program in your area. It might surprise you to see the versatility of common drink containers. Using them is one of the smartest ways you can organize your home in an eco-friendly manner especially if you want to pursue a zero-waste lifestyle or just want to indulge your crafty side. With various drink bottles and containers, you can make organizers for many things in your house, be it in the kitchen, bathroom, or craft room. 

When repurposing containers that once held drinks, especially sugary drinks, wash them thoroughly inside with soap and water to ensure you don't attract insects. Once clean inside, let the containers dry thoroughly before you use them. After they're dry, you can reuse them for variety of great ideas including a makeup brush holder, a bath product organizer, a shower caddy, and more.  Explore these great ideas and see how the secret to your next great organization project could be waiting in your fridge or pantry.

Crystal Light's cylindrical containers don't need to be thrown away once you've made your last glass. Their large capacity and snap-on lid make them great for organizing around the house. You'll need to remove the paper label from the container first, then you can cover it completely with an adhesive, such as fabric glue, and felt. The felt offers a soft touch, but you can also choose to cover it with contact paper. Once covered, it becomes a case for makeup brushes or pens.

Expand your storage options in the bathroom, office, or kitchen with a clever hanging organizer made from a 2-liter soda bottle. You can cut a window out of two or three plastic bottles, then paint them your color of choice. Add a decoupage decoration or other accents to make it unique. Once painted and decorated, line them up and attach them to each other with twine or string, affixing a bead or other bauble for decoration and to hold the bottle in place. Use the string to hang them to store bath products within reach, as caddies to keep your counters clutter-free. 

Too many cups can quickly take over your kitchen cabinets and risk toppling over, but if you have a set of favorite stacked mugs, you can use a plastic bottle to keep them all together. Cut into the bottle, leaving a small notch for the mug handles.  This project is likely best for the taller plastic bottles, especially if you might want to stack three or more cups together. Using the bottle as a "holder" lets you simplify the vertical space inside your cabinet and protect your favorite mugs from scratches. 

A clean and rinsed cardboard milk carton is the perfect start to a bathroom shelf organizer with a farmhouse vibe. It also is one of the easier DIY popsicle stick projects that are good around the house. With the milk carton cut in half, you will cover it by gluing on popsicle sticks, then paint the sticks and decorate. You can also line it with fabric, or leave it bare for a more rustic look. Store lotions, creams, and other bathroom essentials in your new basket.

Does your family drink a lot of milk? Put those empty jugs to work in your shower by cutting them into a caddy for better organization. You can remove the top of the jug, then use the bottom half to gather your toiletries inside for better organization of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Before placing it into your shower, don't forget to punch a few holes in the bottom so any gathered water can drip out.

Are you frustrated by an endless stream of children's toys, and feeling like you really need to organize your playroom? Rather than buying more organizing totes, turn your trash into something useful when you make milk jugs into toy holders. Cut a jug in half, and use the bottom to form a storage bin. Glue several together or keep them separate, labeling each "bin" with its intended contents, such as play food, board books, and animal figurines. The result is an organizer system that's easy for little hands to hold and use.

Is your garage workbench littered with nuts, bolts, and nails? Keep your workshop organized by sorting fasteners into water bottles. You can either place them on a shelf, or glue or screw a hook on the cap, then hang them. You may consider cutting a hole in the front to drop in the screws and other fasteners if you opt to hang them.

If you're a coffee enthusiast and avid crafter, this next hack is a great way to repurpose the bottles left over when you finish your creamer. Remove the labels from empty coffee creamer bottles after rinsing them out, then you can use the bottles to store all of those small craft supplies like beads, small charms, little buttons, and pom-poms. Label each bottle with its contents, and fill them up to the top to get ready for your next craft project. 

The cans often used for hot chocolate, coffee, and baby formula are a great size for organizing in the kitchen. An ideal way to repurpose these round tin cans is to turn them into utensil holders, especially if you have limited space in your drawers. Remove the paper label, then you can paint the can's outside for a new look or cover it with decorative paper, then use it to store your silverware.

If your closet is a mess with shoes covering the floor, this hack will help make it easy to see your shoe options at a glance, plus keep pairs together. The project involves several large water jugs, such as those with a carrying handle. Cut each of them in half, discarding the tops. You can then use a stapler to join the stacked water bottles together to form a DIY shelf, or glue them to a piece of plywood mounted on your wall, especially handy for the mud room.

If the temptation of a set of new washi tape or sparkly ribbon can quickly turn your drawer into a mess, organize them with a simple soda bottle. You will be able to see exactly what you have and keep it within reach on a desk or table. Paint and decorate the bottle as you like after cutting out a panel big enough to fit the tape or ribbon, then use a thin skewer to create a reel for the ribbon spools. 

Another useful hack can help you repurpose containers to store needlework supplies. Use large water bottles to store balls of yarn. You need to cut them in half, keeping the bottom part to store the yarn. Arrange your yarn inside the containers for visibility and easy retrieval. If you want to organize your yarn by color, using this setup helps make your collection into an artistic touch on your shelf with all of the different shades on display.