Breathe New Life Into Old Shot Glasses With 13 Clever Hacks To Repurpose Them

Whether you're a regular drinker, a social drinker, or someone who avoids drinking altogether, chances are you've come to own some shot glasses at some point in your life, intentionally or accidentally. You might have received them as a gift, found them as a promotion in a drink you bought, or you simply couldn't resist buying them at a store. Whichever is the case, these durable and compact glasses serve as the perfect vessel for concentrated alcohol but can also be repurposed to a variety of other applications as well. If you have a shot glass collection that is simply gathering dust, now's the time to bust them out of storage and put them to use in creative ways. 

Shot glasses, although traditionally used to measure out and consume whiskey, vodka, and other alcoholic beverages, can be used around the house and in day-to-day life beyond their intended design. Some excellent ideas include using them to hold tea light candles, serve tiny desserts at parties, measure out mouthwash, or store Q-tips in your bathroom. Keep reading for more ideas to breathe new life into your shot glasses.

You can turn your shot glasses into a holder for your fresh tea light candles. It's always safest to burn a candle in a glass container under supervision, since as the wax burns away, the flame's proximity to the glass can cause it to crack. Alternatively, go for flameless tea light candles. If you want to bring a little more personality to your shot glasses, you can use paint to give the outside of the glass a frosted appearance. If you're using spray paint, ensure you know how to safely use frosted glass spray.

With some lightweight spackling, paint, and an active imagination, your shot glasses can go from being containers to becoming yummy-looking decorations. You can modify them to fit any theme of your choice. Swap the orange, yellow, and white paint for green, red, and white for Christmas. And instead of paper straws, how about a fake snowflake or tiny elf as a topping for your fake dessert? Just ensure no one mistakes them for a real treat!

If you want to set up your home for a memorable dinner party, why not try integrating some classy and adorable handheld desserts, such as little shot glasses of chocolate mousse or some similarly decadent treat? If you have some shot glasses sitting around, you can add them to your hosting arsenal. Their compact size will make them a delightful addition to your dinner party or your cocktail hour.

If you're looking for maximum cuteness in the smallest container possible, you might not be able to do better than a shot glass succulent planter. You'll want to ensure proper drainage by using appropriate well-draining soil. These cute little planters make for excellent decorations around the house or at your next gathering. They also can be gifted at a baby shower or other social function. If you're torn about buying a pre-made succulent soil mix, then you should DIY your own succulent soil for thriving plants.

Whether for a cute centerpiece or just in your kitchen windowsill, shot glasses can serve as delightful, tiny flower vases. Simply add a few sprigs of greenery and your favorite dainty flowers, then put it on a surface to admire. Remember to keep the water fresh every few days in order to extend the life of your florals, and follow expert tips to keep your cut flowers fresh for longer.

It's amazing what your shot glasses can become with just a little imagination. Simply coat them with acrylic paint and vanish, then add any design of your choice with a stencil paper. A short jute rope at the base will give your decor more character and hide the ridges at the bottom of the glass. Finally, you can add a flameless tea light candle for extra pizzazz.

Those really tall shot glasses will work perfectly as risers for small plants, whether real or artificial. Just ensure to be careful not to topple your contraption. Consider using hot glue or some other strong adhesive to secure the glass to the planter, but do this only for artificial plants that wouldn't need regular watering. Also, ensure the glass is completely clean and dry before gluing, as you might not be able to separate the two items easily again. 

If Q-tip organization has gotten the best of you, it's easy to put a shot glass to use to hold these small and easily lost items. Thanks to their sturdy bases, you can rest easy knowing that they will stay stable in your drawer or on the countertop. Additionally, their clear design makes it easy to see what is inside. 

Just as you can use a shot glass to store your Q-tips, you can safely store nail clippers or small scissors in these compact glasses. Due to their compact design, shot glasses are usually easy to store in your cabinet or drawers. You can even keep one shot glass per person, so that everyone has their personal nail clippers nicely organized.

If you or anyone you know loves painting projects, shot glasses could serve as the ideal container to hold a small amount of each color you need. You can easily see which color is in each glass, and you'll likely find that these sturdy little glasses are straightforward to clean as well.

A lot of people take pills regularly. If you like dosing out your supplements and prescriptions for each day, a shot glass can provide you with a stable and sturdy container to hold them. While using a shot glass to hold your daily medications is a fine practice, it should be avoided if you have young children in the home, as it could invite accidental ingestion.

Next time you're throwing a party, use your surplus shot glasses to contain handheld appetizers, like adorable veggie dip cups. You can also fill them with a handful of nuts, berries, and chocolate chips for a healthy snack, or a variety of other things to munch on. If young children are among the guests at your party, you may want to keep their snacks in a more durable container, although this comes down to your own philosophy on what materials to trust children with.

Next time you're prepping your ingredients for a recipe, why not use your extra shot glasses to stay organized? You can use them to hold different oils, salt, sugar, or other ingredients that are used in small quantities but need to be kept organized. The practice of measuring out your ingredients beforehand can help you to pull off your cooking or baking seamlessly, achieving a perfect end product.