Kids can reuse water bottles for craft projects.
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The lack of funds for needed supplies often hampers school art programs and children's church activities. When planning for multiple projects, requesting donations of recycled materials can keep expenses to a minimum. Reusing plastic water bottles for kids' crafts will give children a hands-on lesson in recycling. Water bottles provide the shape and material for a variety of crafts.
Items you will need:
- Plastic water bottles
- Permanent marker
- Craft knife
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Fabric scraps
- Craft glue
- Buttons, beads, charms and sequins
- Fake snowflakes
- 2-inch foam ball
- Blush and cotton swab
- Orange dimensional fabric paint
- Black dimensional fabric paint
- Water
- Blue food coloring
- Small seashells
- Vegetable oil
Rag Bracelets
Draw a line around a water bottle with a permanent marker just below the beginning taper at the bottle's spout. Pierce the line with the point of a craft knife. Insert the end of scissors into the hole and continue to cut along the line around the bottle. Remove the spout.
Measure 1 inch below the cut edge of the bottle. Draw a ring around the bottle at this measurement using the marker. Pierce the line with the craft knife and cut along the line with scissors. You now have a ring, which will be your bracelet form.
Test the ring to see if it fits over your child's hand. If it does not, cut the ring open. The bracelet will retain its form while allowing flexibility.
Cut 1-inch strips of scrap fabric. The amount needed will depend on the size of the bracelet and how closely you overlap the edges.
Apply a dab of craft glue to the inside of the bracelet. If you cut your bracelet open, place the dab on one end. Place one end of a fabric strip in the glue. Wrap the strip around the ring. Overlap the side edge of the strip.
Apply craft glue around the inside of the bracelet. Continue to wrap and overlap the fabric strip until you've covered the entire ring, or until you reach the other cut end.
Apply craft glue to buttons, beads, charms or sequins and place on the outside of the bracelet to embellish.
Snowman
Remove the label and cap from a plastic water bottle. Fill the bottle with small fake snowflakes like those used in a holiday display.
Center a 2-inch foam ball on the top of the bottle. Push the ball down a 1/2-inch. Remove the ball. Apply craft glue to the hole created on the bottom of the ball. Replace the ball on top of the bottle. This is the snowman's head.
Lay the bottle on its side. Apply two cheeks on one side of the head using blush and a cotton swab. Apply a dot of orange dimensional fabric paint to the center of the face for the nose. Apply two dots of black dimensional fabric paint above the nose for the eyes, and five dots in a curving horizontal line below the nose for the mouth.
Apply three dots of craft glue down the front of the bottle. Place a button on each dot of glue. Allow the paint and glue to dry.
Stand the snowman up. Cut a 1-inch-wide by 18-inch-long strip of fabric. Wrap the strip around the neck and tie the ends into a bow below the face. Trim the ends of the bow if desired.
Ocean in a Bottle
Fill a water bottle two-thirds full with water. Add four drops of blue food coloring.
Add as many small seashells, sequins and beads as desired. These "jewels" will float freely in your "ocean."
Add vegetable oil to the bottle. Fill to within 1 inch of the opening.
Apply craft glue around the threads at the top of the bottle. Replace the bottle cap. Shake the bottle gently to mix the food coloring with the oil and water.
Rock the bottle and watch the waves of the ocean roll.
Based in the Midwest, Cyndee Kromminga has been writing craft and interior design articles for 15 years. Her articles and craft designs have appeared in Crafting Traditions Magazine, Easy Holiday Crafting Series-House of White Birches Newsletter and Country Woman Christmas Books. Kromminga's education is in interior design and she has experience operating a craft and design business for more than 20 years.
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