Who loves an aesthetically pleasing perfume bottle? We certainly do here at The Perfume Shop! But what do you do with an empty bottle once you have sprayed the last of its scent?
You could recycle it or even refill it (check out the fabulous range of refillable scents we stock here), but how about reusing it? Giving a perfume bottle a new lease of life is called ‘upcycling’. This process is not only great for the planet (one less beauty product to be thrown away), but it also means you can hold on to that pretty bottle a little while longer!
Today, we’re sharing our favourite eco-friendly ways to transform an empty perfume bottle into something you can proudly display in your home.
Display Flowers
A vase of beautifully displayed flowers can instantly lift the mood of a room; however, if you want to put them on your dressing table, work desk, or a small coffee table you may not have space for a full-sized vase. A perfume bottle is dainty enough to display on smaller surfaces but still big enough to hold a selection of your favourite stemmed flowers.
Soak your perfume bottle overnight to remove any unwanted labels, gently ease off the perfume cap, and then fill with water and choose your favourite florals to brighten up your room!
Make a Diffuser
Thanks to the elegant design of a perfume bottle, they make great DIY diffusers so you can fill your home with a long-lasting aroma of your choice.
To create your diffuser, you will need an empty perfume bottle, a pair of pliers, bamboo skewers, unscented or lightly scented carrier oil (such as baby oil or almond oil) and essential oils of your choice.
Prepare your empty perfume bottle by soaking it in warm water to remove any labels you wish to remove, then carefully, with a pair of pliers, remove the perfume bottle cap. Take your time with this; it can be a little bit fiddly.
Once you have your prepared bottle, mix 30% essential oil to 70% carrier oil and pour it into your empty perfume bottle. You can experiment with the measurements to get your desired scent. Then, place your bamboo skewers into the oil, let the skewers absorb a little of the oil, and then turn them around. Rotate your bamboo skewers once a week to enjoy the aroma for longer.
Top tip: the thinner the opening at the top, the slower the oil will evaporate, so if you have several empty perfume bottles you can select the best one for this DIY activity.
Make a Candle Holder
Lastly, if you love creating an atmospheric environment at home why not use your perfume bottle as a candlestick holder?
Carefully pry the cap of the perfume out of the bottle and insert a candle into the opening. To prevent the candle from falling out, melt a small section at the bottom, which will insert into the neck of the bottle, and allow to set.
The perfume bottles from our exclusive ME. rangelooks particularly spectacular as the melted wax running down the clear glass gives a cosy, rustic feel to your new home accessory.
How to upcycle your perfume bottle
Who loves an aesthetically pleasing perfume bottle? We certainly do here at The Perfume Shop! But what do you do with an empty bottle once you have sprayed the last of its scent?
You could recycle it or even refill it (check out the fabulous range of refillable scents we stock here), but how about reusing it? Giving a perfume bottle a new lease of life is called ‘upcycling’. This process is not only great for the planet (one less beauty product to be thrown away), but it also means you can hold on to that pretty bottle a little while longer!
Today, we’re sharing our favourite eco-friendly ways to transform an empty perfume bottle into something you can proudly display in your home.
Display Flowers
A vase of beautifully displayed flowers can instantly lift the mood of a room; however, if you want to put them on your dressing table, work desk, or a small coffee table you may not have space for a full-sized vase. A perfume bottle is dainty enough to display on smaller surfaces but still big enough to hold a selection of your favourite stemmed flowers.
Soak your perfume bottle overnight to remove any unwanted labels, gently ease off the perfume cap, and then fill with water and choose your favourite florals to brighten up your room!
Make a Diffuser
Thanks to the elegant design of a perfume bottle, they make great DIY diffusers so you can fill your home with a long-lasting aroma of your choice.
To create your diffuser, you will need an empty perfume bottle, a pair of pliers, bamboo skewers, unscented or lightly scented carrier oil (such as baby oil or almond oil) and essential oils of your choice.
Prepare your empty perfume bottle by soaking it in warm water to remove any labels you wish to remove, then carefully, with a pair of pliers, remove the perfume bottle cap. Take your time with this; it can be a little bit fiddly.
Once you have your prepared bottle, mix 30% essential oil to 70% carrier oil and pour it into your empty perfume bottle. You can experiment with the measurements to get your desired scent. Then, place your bamboo skewers into the oil, let the skewers absorb a little of the oil, and then turn them around. Rotate your bamboo skewers once a week to enjoy the aroma for longer.
Top tip: the thinner the opening at the top, the slower the oil will evaporate, so if you have several empty perfume bottles you can select the best one for this DIY activity.
Make a Candle Holder
Lastly, if you love creating an atmospheric environment at home why not use your perfume bottle as a candlestick holder?
Carefully pry the cap of the perfume out of the bottle and insert a candle into the opening. To prevent the candle from falling out, melt a small section at the bottom, which will insert into the neck of the bottle, and allow to set.
The perfume bottles from our exclusive ME. range looks particularly spectacular as the melted wax running down the clear glass gives a cosy, rustic feel to your new home accessory.
Upcycled all your empty bottles?
Replace your finished scents with something new!
Read next
Remembering your first fragrance
How to fall asleep faster with fragrance
Our picks for secret Santa gifts