If you love essential oils, you probably have a growing collection of empty amber or cobalt bottles at home. It’s a pity to waste these charming little jars, but they’re so small that finding a new use for them can be challenging. Although they aren’t as versatile as Mason Jars, there are numerous ways to repurpose these tiny bottles. Here are 13 creative ideas:

1. Store Personalized Blends
You can create your own essential oil blends for various needs, whether to help you sleep or to reduce anxiety. Mix your perfect blend and store it in these convenient little jars to maintain their potency.

2. Gift Personalized Blends
For aromatherapy enthusiasts, a personalized essential oil blend makes a thoughtful gift. Collect your empty bottles and get creative during the holidays. Decorate the bottles with paint, glitter, jewels, or other embellishments for a custom touch.

3. Travel-Sized Personal Care Products
Traveling can be stressful, especially with liquid volume restrictions on flights. Old essential oil bottles in 5ml and 15ml sizes are perfect for packing small amounts of your beauty products. This eco-friendly solution also helps you avoid using plastic containers that may contain harmful chemicals.

4. Homemade Perfume
Store your custom, all-natural perfume blend in an old essential oil bottle. The dark glass will protect the aroma, and the bottle is small enough to fit into your purse, gym bag, or pocket. A popular recipe combines vanilla, frankincense, rose, lavender, and wild orange.

5. Spare Set of Oils
Never run out of your favorite essential oils. Pour a little from a new bottle into an old one and keep it in handy places like your office, car, or gym bag. A bit of lavender in the office, peppermint in the car, and citrus oil in your gym bag can be really convenient.

6. Diffuser Blend
To get the last drops out of an old bottle, fill it halfway with distilled water. Use this water and oil blend in your essential oil diffuser for a subtle and pleasant aroma throughout your home.

7. Air Freshener
Even after they’re empty, essential oil bottles retain a strong scent. Place these bottles with the lids removed around your home as natural air fresheners. They work well under the kitchen sink, near trash cans, in closets, laundry hampers, cars, and even shoes.

8. Fragranced Epsom Salts
Put a few empty bottles with the caps removed into a large bag of Epsom salts and leave them for a week or two. The salts will absorb the scents, creating therapeutic bath salts for a relaxing soak. This also helps remove the scent from the bottles for other uses.

9. Natural Portable Hand Sanitizer
Make your own DIY hand sanitizer with witch hazel and essential oils, and store it in an essential oil bottle. This portable solution helps you avoid illnesses while out and about.

10. Blends for Your Pets
If you use therapeutic blends for your pets, mix and store them in old essential oil bottles. Keep these in a separate drawer dedicated to pet care to avoid contamination. Do thorough research to ensure the oils are safe for your pets.

11. Bug and Pest Repellants
Place an empty bottle near potted plants or open windows to repel bugs and pests. Different essential oils work against various pests: rosemary repels flies, fleas, and mosquitoes; peppermint deters aphids, ants, and beetles; and clove keeps away flying insects.

12. String of Lights
Create a unique decoration by making a string of lights from old essential oil bottles. This can adorn your Christmas tree or be looped around an outdoor dining area for a whimsical touch.

13. Recycle!
If you don’t reuse your essential oil bottles, make sure to recycle them. Recycling helps reduce pollution and wastage. For example, a recycled glass bottle can save enough energy to power a computer for 25 minutes.

How To Clean Old Essential Oil Bottles
Before reusing old bottles, clean them thoroughly. Labels can be tough to remove, and the oils can leave a sticky residue. Soak the bottles overnight in soap and water. The next day, soak them in a mixture of one part water to one part alcohol for a few hours. Remove the labels and residual stickiness, then rinse and air dry.