Plastic bottles are the whack-a-moles of the real world. You recycle one and dozens more pop up ready to be thrown into a landfill. Put an artistic spin on sustainable living with these entertaining plastic bottle crafts. From making dainty teacups to bringing back a childhood science experiment, we’ve got a little something for everyone.
Make a Tornado in a Bottle
The rain stick and tornado in a bottle compete for being two of the most fun elementary school activities from my childhood. As a kid, watching my teacher make the tornado in a bottle felt like watching a magician conjure up some spell work. But the actual construction is much easier than I remember.
All you need are two empty two-liter plastic bottles, duct tape, and some water. For the details on how to bring yours to life, head on over to the Discovery Places’ website.
Transform a Plastic Bottle Into a Small Easter Basket
With some craft foam, scissors, glue, a plastic bottle, ruler, and a pen, you can make your own mini Easter basket. This is a great idea if you’re a teacher or room mom looking for a new festive and sustainable craft. The Little Crafties brings this project to life in their YouTube video, and with one watch, you can, too!
Organize Your Cotton Balls & Q-Tips in a Custom Container
When you’re tired of the mess on your bathroom countertops but all you’ve got in your pocket is some lint, it’s time to get a little crafty. Take a pair of scissors or a box cutter and slice plastic bottles down to size. Then, with some Mod Podge and decorative napkins, decoupage the outside of the bottle. Or, if you don’t have the time to wait for the layers to dry, slap on a few coats of paint. Voila! You’ve got some decorative places to store your hair ties, cotton balls, Q-Tips, and more.
Give Your Birds a New Home With This DIY Bottle Birdhouse
After a party or sleepover, you’ve probably got a handful of empty 2-liters on your hands. Instead of tossing them in the trash, support your local wildlife. Using Yami Crafting’s instructional YouTube video, you can DIY your own bottle birdhouse. All you need is a plastic bottle, a pair of scissors, acrylic paint, and some jute thread.
Get Ready for Teatime With These Plastic Bottle Tea Cups
Give your upcycling projects a dainty flare with T Art and Craft’s plastic bottle teacup project. When you cut off the top of a plastic soda bottle to the edge of the label, you might notice you already have a bit of a teacup shape. But with some hand painted details and frosty effect, you can finesse a teacup just in time for tea.
Make a Glittery Snow Globe
In the dead of summer or winter break when your kids have been complaining about how bored they are for the umpteenth time, break out this easy plastic bottle craft. All you need are some plastic bottles (smaller, rounder ones look the best), some glitter and water.
Fill the empty water bottle with an assortment of glitter, add water all the way to the top and cap it off. You can also throw in some sequins, pompoms, and beads if you’ve got them on-hand.
Create Contemporary Centerpieces for Formal Events
Weddings can be expensive, and if you’re really on a budget but want to make a splash, this project is a great idea for you. While A Bride on a Budget’s instructions use empty wine bottles, you can use plastic bottles in a pinch. Just add some sand or decorative rocks into the bottom so they’ll be weighed down.
Crochet Containers for Around the House
If you’ve caught the crochet bug like many people have in 2023, then Crochet & Crafts Therapy’s plastic bottle cover pattern is an easy way to sharpen your skills. Just cut a plastic bottle down to size, and you can blow through the remnants in your yarn stash with this easy project.
Turn Plastic Bottles Into Crowns
Take paper crowns up a notch with Paper, Plate, and Plane’s crystal crown project. Simply take an empty plastic bottle and draw & cut out a crown pattern. Then, using glitter glue (or regular glue and some glitter), customize your desired tiara swirls. For an extra pop of color, glue on some pompoms or cut out construction paper gemstones.
Whip Up Some Plastic Bottle Windchimes
Conceptually, windchimes are rather simple. They’re just made up of a centerpiece and hanging pieces that make sound when they clang together. Make your own DIY windchimes with a plastic bottle, scissors, some string, a few bits and bobs that'll make noise (buttons, beads, jingle bells, etc), and a hole punch.
Cut the bottom off of a plastic bottle and hole punch a few times around the piece that’s leftover. Put your bits and bobs onto a few pieces of string and tie them into the holes. Then feed a longer piece of string through the top and into the middle, tying it off around the lip.
Plastic Bottle Crafts Perfect for Every Skill Level
Sometimes we just get a hankering for some crafting, but we don’t want to commit to a multi-day project. Do right by the environment and scratch that itch with these easy plastic bottle crafts. And the best part? You can even save a little money.
