Concern for the environment is growing rapidly with the increased use of plastic worldwide. The production of the average plastic bottle uses up a third of its volume in petroleum. If we find ways to use the plastic around us that already exists, it's at least a little less that will end up in landfills.
Here are some ways we can use plastic bottles and save a little money along the way.
Planters
A few cuts can turn a bottle into a useful seed-starting device or even make a new home for a beloved house plant. Wash the bottle thoroughly and take off the cap. Cut the bottle in half a bit above the half-way mark, then make a few vertical cuts along the bottom cut to make the next step a little easier. Flip the top half upside-down and press it into the bottom half until the mouth of the bottle is just touching the bottom. Add soil, plants, water and you have yourself a new planter without the cost.
Pin Cushions
Remember the cap you took off in the previous project? You'll need it for this one. A few scraps of felt, thread, needle and scissors will make a cute little pincushion. Cut two circles of felt, one for the top and the other for the bottom. Cut a strip of felt about twice as wide as the cap and wrap it around the cap itself, making a loop around the rim. Trim the felt as close as possible, then stitch the edges together tightly. Stitch the bottom circle to the loop at the top of the cap, then stitch the other circle half way around the open end. Add stuffing, stitch it closed, and you're ready to pin.
Funnel
Bottles make fantastic make-shift funnels. Wash the bottle, cut the top off right after the curve, take off the cap and you're ready to pour. This works for almost every bottle type.
Flowers
There are a lot of creative ways to make flowers from bottles. Cutting the top off as you would for a funnel and making a few cuts toward the center and bending them out can yield a nice star-burst: round off the corners and you've got a flower. You can also use different cuts to make the petals pointy, wavy, or however you'd like - the possibilities are endless. This is a great craft to do with kids and painting them different colors can be a lot of fun.
Solar Still
Here is another fun project to do with kids: building a small solar still from trash. Wash two plastic bottles of similar sizes. Spray paint one a matte black and drill a hole large enough to put a bit of tubing through in both caps. Use a bit of plumber's putty to hold the tubing in place. Fill the black bottle about half-way with dirty water and screw both lids on. Put the black bottle in a sunny location and slightly higher than the clear bottle. If you can, keep the clear bottle in a shady location - this will help speed up the condensation process. In a few days, you should have clean water in the clear bottle.
Light Bulb
This is great for a garden shed: fill a two-liter bottle with water and add a cap full of bleach. Screw the cap back on and wrap duct tape around the lid to keep it safe from breaking down from sunlight. Cut a hole in the roof of your shed and use weather-resistant materials to hold it in place. Sunlight is now refracted through the bottle and brightens your shed.
Know of any other great ideas for using plastic bottles? Let me know in the comments!
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