So onto the search to see what the internet has to offer. First I stumbled upon a re-use, but I had the powdered creamer, not the liquid, so the bottle isn't clear. I found a lot of ideas for what could go inside the creamer bottle, from crackers, to game pieces, to letters or word groups as a learning tool in the classroom.
Found a few recipes for making your own creamer. This one looked pretty good, actually:
Cappuccino Creamer
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Mix and keep in airtight container.
But this would require a 2 week commitment of coffee drinking, that I'm not sure I'm ready to make, so I found this one made from dry ingredients.
Cappuccino Creamer
1 cup Hot Chocolate Mix1 cup non-dairy coffee creamer
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup nonfat dry milk
In a jar with a screw-top lid, combine all ingredients and shake well to blend.
Then I stumbled upon this page with a wealth of ideas from picnic containers to piggy bank to ... a great list. http://www.ehow.com/info_8370389_recycling-ideas-coffee-mate-containers.html One thing I would add, though about their list, is that if you use your container to store laundry soap, never use it for snacks. Best to be safe than sorry. Use one for food, one for non food, ne'er the twain shall meet.
And then there are the craft ideas: Like the Coffee Mate Snowman, Santa and the Easter Bunny But they seem a little out of season.
When I came to this page, I thought perhaps that is what I would do with the first of my empties. We also don't use a whole lot of sugar at our house, so having a container that holds a small quantity would do just the trick. Lots of other great ideas in the comment section of that page, too.
But in the end I decided to use a suggestion I read for repurposing a Clorox wipes container...go figure.
