Although I’ve gotten a lot better about this, I’ve always had a generally hard time letting go of packaging because it would feel so wasteful.  Even if I didn’t know what I’d reuse it for, I’d like to trust that a purpose would soon be realized to justify keeping it, which is why I’m all for a good upcycle or repurposing focused DIY- feels like I’m revisiting where I began with this blog.

The challenge I like to give myself is to make it not so obvious that it’s an upcycle, that the project looks too cute to have once been plastic lotion bottles, oh but that’s actually what these wall pocket organizers used to be!  I partnered with Aveeno® for Earth Month to share about recycling, saving plastic, and making these organizers with your bottles once you’ve used up all the product so we can be guilt-free about where all that plastic is going.

I did this project with two bottles of Aveeno® Daily Moisturizing Lotion, which I’ve been a long time fan of using to slather my entire body with after every shower.  It checks off everything I want in a body lotion- very moisturizing, not greasy, and non-comedogenic.  Solid, reliable, does me no wrong.  You can find it at walgreens.com along with other Aveeno® products.

Having gone through all the lotion, we have one of two options.  The first option is to remove the pump, rinse out the empty bottle, and toss it in the recycling bin.  It’s a small but positive act towards reducing waste in landfills, there’s no reason not to!  The other option for supporting this cause is to get creative and reuse them, like this DIY for turning them into hanging organizers.

Start by peeling off the labels on both sides of the bottle.  They’re stuck on there pretty good but once you get a grip, they should come off in one piece if you pull steadily and slowly.

Remove any sticky residue with an adhesive remover, then wipe down the bottles with rubbing alcohol.

Roughly draw out a template on paper to fit your bottle.  Cut out the template, wrap it around the bottle, tape it in place, and trace it onto the bottle with permanent marker.  The front side of my template is about 3 inches tall and the back side where the hanger is about 5.5 inches tall.  The circular opening for the hanger is 1.5″ in diameter, which I sized to match my knobs.

Use a craft knife to cut along the lines using a small, sawing motion with steady force.  Go slowly!  A curved craft knife might be easier, especially for cutting the curved portions of the tracing.  For the circular portion, I found it easier to poke a hole in the center of it and insert very sharp scissors to cut out the circle from the center.

If needed, use sand paper to smooth out any jagged or rough edges.  You can also use scissors to even out edges, but be careful not to snip off too much, and don’t forgot to recycle the plastic parts you cut off!

Drill your knobs into the wall and hang up your organizers.  I love these round wood ones since they really give this DIY a modern look.  This is a major detail to incorporate more of your style into, so choose accordingly.

I’ve seen organizers like these sold in stores, but we can make them ourselves in our own style all while saving both plastic and money.  It’s something to feel really good about and have fun while doing it, plus it’s useful and very, very cute.  Are you the same with feeling wasteful about tossing packaging?

 

This post is sponsored by Aveeno®.  Thank you for supporting brands that help bring fun and new ideas for you to discover and try!