Plastic Bottle and Jug Crafts

When I was younger, there had been nothing to do with a milk jug or plastic bottle. Luckily, today that is not the case. I can simply put my plastic in a recycling bin outside. Easy. I do not have to see that milk jug ever again. Where does it go? I do not care. It is taken away to another location to be recycled into some other product.

The bad news is that the jug I through away as a kid is still breaking down for a very long time in a landfill. It will still be breaking down after I die. That is a long time for me. I do not plan to die anytime soon.

So, which type of plastics are recyclable? Recyclable plastics are broken down into numbers. The numbers are on the plastic item inside a triangle.

1.POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE - Easiest to recycle. Bacteria does grow faster on this product.

2.HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE - Food and drink storage.

3.POLYVINYL CHLORIDE - Used but not great for food storage. Not recommended for pregnant mothers.

4.LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE - LDPE are safe.

5.POLYPROPYLENE - Items that are BPA free.

6.POLYSTYRENE - Not recyclable items such as foam products. There are toxic chemicals in this one.

7.OTHER- Items not in the top six categories because the plastic is a mix of them. Health risks can be none to high.

Which numbers should be recycled?

All are being recycled but not all are available for curbside pick up.

image: DChance

I enjoy gardening, so this is great for me.

All you have to do is to cut a whole in the side of the bottle pop. That is it for the cutting.

Put some soil in the bottle.

Add the plant.

Each bottle you make may be hung up.

Other option

Cut the bottles in half.

Use the bottle half to put the plant inside it.

image: DChance

Snow globes can be made with plastic bottles. I would clean your bottles first. Who knows what has been growing on your bottles.

Need:

Plastic Bottle

Small Square Wood Plank

Glue

Caulk

Aluminum Foil

Pencil

Music Box

Small Toys and/or Small Figures

Glycerin

Glitter

Water

Scissors

Step 1

a. Cut the bottle in half.

b. Trace the bottom of the bottle on aluminum foil. This is tracing only. Do not cut it.

c. Make a larger circle around the first.

d. Put what you want in your bottle on the aluminum foil to test if it fits.

e. Make sure you have a scrap of wood larger then the size of your bottle. Glue the aluminum foil to the wood.

f. Glue your snow globe item in place on the waxed paper. Wait, until it dries.

Step 2

a. Take out your half flat side your bottle.

b. Fill this with a very small amount of Glycerin, glitter and water.

c. Put glue around the top of the bottle.

d. Place the bottle on top of the bottle.

e. Let dry for about an hour.

f. Caulk around the top of the bottle to secure the bottle in place, permanently.

g. Let dry.

Step 3

a. Turn over your snow globe.

b. Cut or tire off any extra aluminum foil.

c. Glue on small toys or figures around the bottle on the wood. And/or, you can add a music box to the side of the wood. Leave, room for the crank to fit over the side.

d. Let set.

I have scene this many times on television. However, I have never made one of this in school or at camp, as a kid.

Option 1

You can cut a large whole in the side of the bottle. Hang it up using a string to the top part of the bottle.

Option 2

Put round wood sticks threw the bottle. Right above the stick holes cut out small holes. Glue a small frisbee under the bottle. Add small sticks of wood across the ends of the frisbee, so that the birds can stand on something.

Hang the bottle up.

Option 3

Cut a large hole in the side of a jug. The hole should be big enough so that the birds can land on the side of the jug.

Option 4

Tip bottle upside down. Put let flow into a dish that is connected to the bottle. Make sure that the bottle does not fall to the side or all the seed will be wasted.

image: DChance