Upcycling Old Lipstick Tubes

I've got a LOT of old lipstick tubes sitting around. They're mostly one brand -- I'm a creature of habit when it comes to makeup. Mine are Estee Lauder, and they're very prettily designed, and made of metal. I hate throwing them out, and over the years have collected quite a vast number of them.

Here's a great upcycle of your old lipstick containers. They're, obviously, the perfect size for popping in your purse, they're great for travel, and that twisty-action is pretty cool for storing other items. Examples: Sewing Kit, First Aid Kit, Pill Dispenser, Toothpick Holder, Match container, Bobby Pin Holder.

You'll need:

Old Lipstick Tube

Chopstick or small dowel

Q-Tips

Alcohol

Paper towels

toothpicks

For Sewing Kit:

small piece of felt

safety pins

thread

needles

straight pins

For First Aid Kit:

Band Aids

Alcohol wipes

Pain Reliever

For Other Container Uses:

Whatever you want to carry in your lipstick tube, eg. toothpicks, bobby pins, breath mints, pain pills

This is, by far, the most time consuming part of the process. To start, I highly recommend REALLY using all the lipstick in the tube. Most lipsticks twist all the way out and are flush with the outer sleeve of the tube whilst still having at least 1/4" of product still in the tube... sometimes a LOT more! To get the most out of your initial purchase, get a lip brush, and apply the lipstick with a brush. My lipsticks last a few months more than if I didn't use this method.

If you use the lip brush method before getting to the upcycle, you save yourself a lot of work.

Once you have a pretty much empty tube, clean out ALL the leftover lipstick. I start with a chopstick,

then a paper towel soaked in alcohol,

then q-tips,

then toothpick,

and finish with more alcohol-soaked paper towels.

See how much lipstick comes out? Really spend the time cleaning.

Cut a small strip of felt, about 2" x 4"

Roll the felt into a tube and test-fit in the lipstick tube. Trim if necessary.

Attach your sewing kit items:

Safety pins, straight pins, needles and thread

Roll the felt into a narrow tube, and slide into the cleaned out lipstick tube.

You're done!

Create a roll of kit items, using the band aids or alcohol pad as the outer layer.

Roll up the items and slide into your lipstick tube. Instant emergency first aid kit!

Simply fill the cleaned out tube with other important but falls-to-the-bottom-of-the-purse/pocket/suitcase stuff.

Place Toothpicks, Bobby Pins, Matches, Pain Pills, Breath Mints inside the fully lowered lipstick tube.

Enjoy this new container of organization.

I first made one of these when I was a kid, and forgot about them until a few years back. I love that I'm not throwing away a groovy, mechanized container, and the organization that these pretty little tubes provide is fantastic.

Anyone out there who are looking for something more "manly" or unisex to carry... you can also use Chapstick or other lip balm tubes the same way.

What other uses might you find for leftover tubes?