How to Make Bracelets Out of Shampoo Bottles

Depending upon the width of the shampoo bottles used, these bracelets are most likely best suited to those with smaller hands and wrists. When making bracelets out of shampoo bottles, adults should be on hand to help younger crafters. That needs to be done by an adult, but the wrapping and decorating are ideal for those ages eight and up.

Things You'll Need

• Plastic shampoo bottle (18 oz. or larger) (See tip)
• Work bench or sturdy surface on which to cut the shampoo bottles
• Box cutter, utility knife, or small hand saw
• Roll of yarn or colorful ribbon
• Craft glue or hot glue gun (See warning)
• Decorative beads, sequence, jewels, additional ribbons (optional)

Instructions

1. Place the shampoo bottle on its side on the work bench and hold it firmly with one hand holding the top end of it around the lid.

2. Use the knife, box cutter, or saw to cut the bottom 1/4" of the shampoo bottle off. Discard this since you will not need it for the bracelets.

3. Continuing from the cut end, cut 3/4" - 1" segments off of the bottle, allowing them to remain on the work bench until you finish cutting. Avoid cutting bracelets within 3" of where your hand is holding the end of the bottle. You will have several rings cut from the bottle. The exact number will vary depending upon the size of the bottle used and the width of each cut you made.

4. Place a dab of glue onto the inside of one of the rings. Attach one end of the yarn or ribbon to the glue. Hold this end down until the glue dries. Apply a small amount of glue to the outside of the bracelet on the side of the bracelet where the glued end of the ribbon is. The glue on the outside will hold the ribbon as you wrap it around the bracelet by following the next step.

5. Wrap the yarn or ribbon around the bracelet edge, passing the ball of yarn or ribbon through the center of the bracelet with each pass. Be sure to overlap each pass if you are using the ribbon. If you are using yarn, ensure that each strand from a single wrap of the yarn is closely abutted to the adjacent piece. Apply glue to the outside of the bracelet as you go along to keep the ribbon or yarn from slipping. You should be certain that you are covering the entire surface of the bracelet.

6. When the whole bracelet is covered, glue the end of the ribbon or yarn to the inside surface of the bracelet.

7. If desired, glue additional decorations such as jewels, sequence, ribbons, or beads to the outside of the bracelet.

8. Let the glue completely dry before wearing.

Tips & Warnings

• Shampoo bottles are typically cylindrical, but there are also some bottles that have an elongated shape. You can use different sized bottles for a range of bracelet shapes if desired. You can color-coordinate these for sports teams, scout troops, or holidays by using different types of ribbon. If you do not have children, but realize that your shampoo bottle bracelets are too small, these can also be used as napkin rings for place settings.

• Do not allow children to cut the bottles. Use caution when wrapping the bottles. The cut surfaces could still be jagged enough to cut. That is why they are completely covered in yarn or ribbon. If using a hot glue gun, do not allow children under 12 to operate the glue gun, and children over 12 should always have an adult's supervision and use the gun on the low setting only.