How To Repurpose Plastic Bottles - 25 Creative Ways
In a world where we are all trying to be more conscious about our use of plastic, it has become difficult to deal with certain daily objects like plastic bottles. While they are recyclable in some parts of the world, not all of us have access to these facilities. Simply disposing of plastic bottles is very harmful to the environment, as plastic bottles are not biodegradable. Left in the wild, a plastic bottle will remain intact for hundreds of years.
Often, these bottles simply go into landfill, or go on to pollute our oceans. Upcycling plastic bottles is the perfect way to find a new life for these objects if recycling is not an option for you, or if you’re simply feeling creative. Read on to discover 25 creative ways to reuse plastic bottles!
1. Makeup organizer
If you’re someone who struggles to keep their makeup drawer or case organized, you may want to try making homemade organizers. It can be as simple as cutting a bottle open at the top and decorating it in your own style!
2. Art
If you search for plastic bottle art on the internet, you may well be surprised to find the creative ways that people find to turn trash into gold. Plastic bottle art can be anything from creating a beautiful sculpture, to incorporating bits of plastic into a painting, or even experimenting with stained glass techniques.
3. Baskets
Aside from doubling as small containers, your plastic bottles can also be converted into large storage spaces in the form of baskets that come in different shapes and sizes.
4. Leaf Lamp
Feeling extra creative? Grab a pair of scissors and start cutting bottles into leaf-like shapes. Attach them to coil wires, a lightbulb, and you got yourself a beaming leaf lamp!
5. Coin Purse
Aside from being eco-friendly, plastic water bottles can also help you in being thrifty! Get two bottle bases and fasten them together with a zipper for an instant coin purse.
6. Trash Can
Turning trash into a trash can? It might seem redundant but there’s no better way of upcycling to-be-disposed materials such as bottles than turning it into one big disposal bin.
7. Christmas Trinkets
Celebrate the holiday season by decorating your Christmas tree with plastic bottle trinkets. From tree-shaped sizes to star-molded decorations, you can cut your bottles into any shape that you desire.
8. Curtains
Making a curtain out of plastic bottle requires a lot of patience. But it is also one of the most rewarding and fun projects that you can create for your home. There are a ton of tutorials out there for creating mesmerizing curtains out of used bottles, check them out!
9. Store Food
A used plastic bottle can make a great recipient for storing things like rice or lentils. It can also be very useful if you like to buy bulk items at the store and organize them in a practical way in your kitchen.
10. Store Homemade Foods
Plastic bottles are great for dry goods, but they can also work wonders for storing your liquid items. Made too much soup and want to store it in the fridge? Making homemade juice with your new juicer? Have some homemade cashew milk which you need to store? Simply keep a couple of used plastic bottles, decorate them as you wish and use them for all your homemade foods.
11. Piggy Bank
With a bit of creativity, a plastic bottle magically turns into a piggy bank. Just use a little paint, glue, and imagination, and this can make a great gift to a friend, or indeed to yourself!
12. Create a Jewelry Stand
The bottom part of a plastic bottle has the perfect shape to organize rings, necklaces and earrings. Use a few of them and mount them on a stand to create an original yet practical jewelry stand that will have everyone admire your resourcefulness.
13. Soap Bottle
You can reuse plastic bottles as soap bottles simply by replacing its lid with that of a pump bottle. This is a great way to make a cheap and eco-friendly bottle for your homemade liquid soap.
14. Create a Decorative Christmas Tree
Yes, you read that right. A green plastic bottle can be sculpted into a decorative Christmas tree which can enliven your living room and give it a Christmas-y atmosphere. Simply find a diy tutorial, get crafting, and see the wonders which you can achieve with a green plastic bottle and a sharp pair of scissors.
15. Make a Chandelier
Plastic bottle chandeliers are truly next level. Look for pictures of them on Google, and you’ll find that they can be just as stunning as glass or crystal chandeliers. The way that different colors of plastic filter out light can also create lovely patterns. Don’t be afraid to experiment, and dress up your light bulb in the nicest, home-made and eco-friendly chandelier you can create.
16. Pencil Organizer
A plastic bottle cut in half makes a perfect pencil organizer, which you could also suspend on the wall for some added functionality. Make sure to decorate them to your taste, and you can combine elegance and practicality.
17. Planter for Plants
One of the time-honored ways to reuse plastic bottles is to turn them into planter for plants. Simply start your own little herb garden or use it for bigger projects. Upcycling plastic bottles in this way is a great way of doing something for the planet, while avoiding waste and plastic pollution. Win-win!
18. Bird Feeder
You could also reuse your plastic bottle as a bird feeder. Shape it into something that a bird could eat from, decorate it and fill it with bird food, and you’re good to go! Now just hang it on a tree and wait to see your winged friends coming to visit.
19. Create an Ottoman
Put together, plastic bottles can be very sturdy and be used to create furniture. By assembling them in a circle and covering them with fabric, you can create a simple yet stylish ottoman that will be functional in your living room.
20. Create a Broom
A plastic bottle makes a great broom head by carefully cutting with scissors. Got to your new vacation place and haven’t got a broom? Simply upcycle the next water bottle that you use, and you’ll be able to keep the place clean, all while doing a gesture for the environment.
21. Watering Can
A large-sized used plastic bottle can make a great watering can for your plant. If you decorate it nicely, and paint it with a floral pattern for example it could even make your garden look nicer. Who said plastic bottles were ugly!
22. Make a Boat!
Okay this is a bit of a wild one but hear us out. Plastic bottles are sturdy and floatable, making them an ideal construction material for a homemade boat. If you want to embark on this daring project, simply find a tutorial, it’s not as hard as you may think!
23. Toys or Decorations
Not all upcycling has to be practical. In fact, you could use plastic bottles simply to make something beautiful, like a sculpture or a toy. For children, they can be crafted into fun little animals, cars, or even space ships. Use your imagination and that of your child and take the opportunity to teach them something important about respecting the planet!
24. Make a Bottle Caps Mosaic
Bottle caps can be hard to recycle, but with their many bright colors, they can be great material for a home-made mosaic. Just make sure to collect them over a period of time and you’ll be able to create your own art, literally out of trash!
25. Make a Sprinkler
Poke a few holes into a used plastic bottle, and attach the lid to your garden hose. This homemade sprinkler is a great way to keep your garden healthy, without purchasing additional garden materials. You’ll save money and save another bottle from landing in landfill, pretty good, no?
With a little bit of creativity, there are endless possibilities and ways to reuse plastic bottles! We hope this list has given you some inspiration to start a few DIY projects and give those used bottles the love that they deserve. Not only are upcycling projects fun and motivating, they are also one of the best things you can do to help save the planet.
Don’t let your water bottles go to landfill, make sure to recycle them and, when you can, to find another great use for them!
