How to Make Fish From Old Plastic Paint Bottles

Make fish from plastic paint bottles

Colorful tropical fish appear from recycled paint bottles using just a few common craft supplies. Make a large variety of fish and hang them together for an interesting visual impact.

Things You'll Need

• Knife Scissors Stapler or tape Spray or acrylic paints Foam paintbrush (if using acrylic paint) Glitter if desired Permanent metallic paint markers (if desired) Black permanent marker Wiggle craft eyes Craft glue Small bead Monofilament string

Instructions

1. Collect clear or white empty plastic paint bottles. Soak them in warm water to remove the label and clean them. Allow them to dry completely.

2. Use a knife or utility scissors to remove the neck just below the screw threads. This forms the mouth of your fish. Remove the bottom as close to the bottom of the bottle as possible, saving it for later use. Flatten the bottom half of the bottle as much as possible. Do not flatten the neck or rounded top portion, as it becomes the head of your fish.

3. Place a staple or piece of tape across the flattened bottom edge of the bottle to secure it. Use a permanent marker to draw a tail along the edge. A simple v-shape works well, as do more complex tail designs such as making a smaller v-shaped cut on each side, creating a tail and back fins. Cut the tail portion of the bottle.

4. Remove the staple or tape. Decide if you want to paint the outside of the bottle with spray paint or acrylic paint and a brush. Spray paint dries quickly, but acrylic paint allows more control for patterns and textures such as glitter. You can also add color to your fish by using permanent metallic paint markers to color the bottle. Use different colors to add interesting stripes and patterns.

5. Cut fin shapes from the bottom piece of bottle you cut off earlier. A v-shape works well for fins. Color the fins in the same manner as the body. Allow them to dry, then turn down a small portion across the base of the fin to form a lip of plastic with which to attach the fin to the fish body with hot glue.

6. You must let the paint dry completely before adding details to your fish. Use a permanent black marker to add mouth, stripe or scale details to your fish. Glue wiggle eyes in place on its head. If you wish to hang your fish, make a very small hole in the middle of its back with scissors or a compass point. Cut a length of monofilament string to the length you wish to hang the fish. Tie a small bead to one end and thread the other end through the hole. The bead keeps the monofilament string from coming out of the hole. Staple or glue the tail of your fish shut and hang it from the ceiling.