4 Things You Can Do With Old Perfume Bottles

We offer you some ideas to give a new use to the perfume bottles that you no longer use. This way, you can give a personal and original touch to your home decoration.

Old perfume bottles and colognes are often thrown in the trash or deposited in the glass recycling container, when in fact they could be used to create original and beautiful decorative objects.

If you like to collect bottles of all kinds, you may have stored at home many bottles of different perfumes that you have been buying or have been given as gifts.

If this is the case and you don’t know what to do with them, don’t worry. Here are some ideas for you to take advantage of empty bottles and give them a new life as a decorative element.

Cologne and perfume bottles

As the following article by María Victoria Vainstoc published in the University of Belgrano explains, perfume bottles are eye-catching objects that, depending on the brand or quality of the perfume, can be of one shape or another.

Therefore, these can be reused and turned into great ornaments for the home. Besides, there is nothing more pleasant than turning something “old” into something “new”, and even more so if you do it with your own hands.

Ideas for turning perfume bottles into practical, pretty decorations

To turn a perfume bottle into an ornament you just have to observe them and let your imagination run wild. What color is it? What shape is it? Where do you want to put it? What do you want it to match? Do you want to wear them as a set, as a collection or separately in specific places?

Then, you can think about what you would like to do with them, where to put them, how to personalize them and so, little by little, you’ll establish a procedure and a goal in your mind.

Don’t worry if, at the beginning, after thinking about several alternatives, you discard some of them. The important thing is that you take your time to decide what to do and how to take advantage of it, with the elements you already have and those you could get.

In case you have run out of ideas, don’t worry. Below, we’re going to offer some suggestions so that you can put them into practice.

Also, think that with these original crafts, you’ll not only be getting involved in the decoration of your home, but you’ll also be able to take advantage of elements that, otherwise, you wouldn’t use.

Flower vase

One of the simplest ways to reuse perfume bottles is by transforming them into little flower vases. This is how to do it:

• Decide which bottle you’re going to use.
• Take the top off, along with the sprayer.
• Place matching flowers in it, making sure they can fit in the bottle.
• Add water to keep them fresh longer.

Another option, if you don’t want to use natural flowers or there are people allergic to pollen at home, is to use dried or artificial flowers that last as long as you want.

Terrariums

If your perfume bottles allow it, you could also make little decorative terrariums with stones, sand, and miniature plants.

The easiest way to do this is by using artificial flowers. That way you won’t have to worry about taking care of them. However, you could add water if you like and make it an underwater terrarium. There are all kinds of ways to do it. Come up with something that fits your home!

DIY home freshener

If you’re one of those people who likes their home to always smell nice and fresh, then make use of your old perfume bottles by creating a room freshener using thin wooden sticks.

In fact, a proposal developed by several students at the Universidad Pontifica Javeriana advocates for the creation of organic air fresheners to avoid the toxic gases given off by industrial air fresheners.

For this reason, we’ll show you how to create an air freshener that emanates odor naturally and continuously with just a few materials. To do this, you will need:

• Alcohol
• Water
• Essential oil of your choice
• Reed or bamboo sticks

Preparation

1. Prepare the mixture in a bowl or glass jar.
2. Then add two parts of alcohol to one part of water and then add a few drops of essential oil.
3. If you want, you can add  some lemon or orange peel, or if you prefer some aromatic herbs such as lavender, rosemary, thyme, or mint, for example.
4. Add it to the jar carefully (use a funnel if necessary). Once inside, insert the sticks.

If you can’t find the ones that usually come with the air fresheners in the stores, you can use skewer sticks and cut their tips.

Once inside, they’ll start to impregnate the wood and the smell created will emanate. However, remember to turn the chopsticks from time to time so that the fragrance is renewed and doesn’t lose its aroma.

Perfume bottles as decoration

If you want them to look their best again, here are a few more ideas that are easy and eye-catching.

• Fill them with colored water. Use food coloring or dilute your favorite color paint.
• Paint the exterior to give them a personal touch.
• Fill them with sequins, glitter, or pearls.
• Hot glue little pom poms to the outside.
• Crisscross different colors, textures, and patterns of ribbons.

Modify the jars according to your tastes, home decor, or both (if possible). This way, you’ll enjoy the process even more. Although you can also opt for an eclectic decoration, in which nothing matches with anything.

In any case, the important thing is that you free your imagination to turn something so simple (like those old perfume bottles) into true works of art.