Mother Earth is constantly facing environmental issues and plastic is one of the biggest threats. this is due to the fact that plastic isn’t biodegradable and cannot decompose into the soil. Plastic looks the same after years in a landfill.
However, by utilising some DIY skills and a creative approach, you can upcycle plastic and produce something beautiful or useful for the home. From plastic sheets to plastic bottles, even plastic mirrors, there are a number of ways to give a second life to plastic. In this article we will show you a few creative ways to turn plastic bottles into useful decorative items. Have a look at some DIY projects that you can make to transform this simple material into useful decor.
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- Abstract art
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- Plastic bottle Christmas tree
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- Plastic bottle vase
Plastic bottle bouquet lamp shade
Lamps are always considered one of the most attractive features of a home. Though there might be a wide variety of lamps available in the market, but you can make one of your own using recycled plastic bottles:
- Cut off the bottom of several empty plastic bottles
- Paint them in your desired colours
- Arrange the bottle bases in a floral pattern and stick them together
- Attach the bouquet to an old lamp base.
Drain unclogger
Are you tired of clogged drains in your house? Do you want to avoid the hassle of hiring a professional? If so, this DIY project is definitely for you. Plastic bottles have turned out to be cheapest and most effective drain clearers. To make this, you will need a small piece of wire and a sharp craft knife to cut the bottle. These plastic uncloggers are affective in cleaning out hair and other gunk, and mean that you don’t have to call out a plumber.
Garden sprinkler
This plastic bottle project is perfect for the summer. Even better, it’s so simple you can make it a project for the kids and during the hot summer months the sprinkler can also be used to water your plants.
- Poke holes in an empty plastic bottle
- At this point you can decorate it with water-resistant paint
- Connect it to your garden hose.
Bird house
If you’re a bird enthusiast and want to use up some of your empty plastic bottles, then you can utilise them to make a beautiful bird feeder. To make it look more appealing, you can use any colour paint on the bottles or you can even cover them with fabric and hang them wherever your birds may visit.
Piggy bank
One of the greatest advantages of plastic is that it can be moulded into any shape you want. What about transforming these bottles into piggy banks? Using a few sheets of paper, a clean and empty plastic bottle, glue, scissors and a sharp craft knife you can make your own piggy bank.
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- Use your craft knife to cut a 1 1/2″ x 1/8″ wide halfway down the bottle
- Use scissors to cut a strip of pink paper long enough to wrap around the bottle the same width as the original label
- Wrap the strip around the middle of the bottle and use a pencil to trace the slot in the bottle, then cut the traced slot with your craft knife
- With your scissors, cut out shapes for the ear (pink) and inner-ear (pale blue)
- Place a light fold in each of the ear cutouts then glue them 2″ apart (1″ either side of the coin slot) to the paper band
- After ensuring the slots on the bottle and paper are aligned, you can tape or glue the paper band to the bottle
- Trace around the bottle cap on pink paper, then cut it out and glue to the cap
- Using a hole punch, make 2 blue circles to use as nostrils
- For your pig’s eyes, use a hole punch and punch out 2 blue circles
- Cut out 2 larger pink circles and stick these to the bottle, sticking the blue circles to them.
Plastic bottle snowflakes
If you’re looking for something unique and environmentally friendly this Christmas, then this project is for you. Choose plastic bottles in various colours, cut the bottom off the bottles and paint them however you like. Once dry, use a hole punch or a sharp skewer to make a hole in the top of each snowflake and thread a ribbon or string through it.
Plastic bottle chia pets
Instead of investing money in pre-made Chia Pets, you can easily use an empty plastic bottles and make your own.
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- Cut the plastic bottle in half (taking off the label first)
- Use your creative instincts and go wild with paint to make it look unique
- When the bottle is dry, fill it with soil and whatever seeds you wish to grow
- Watch nature at work.