How to Recycle Plastic Bottles for Crafts
Looking for alternative and unique ways to recycle your old items is currently popular among people of any age. Not only is recycling beneficial for the environment, changing the use of an item instead of throwing it away can save you a ton of money. For instance, altering something as basic as a plastic bottle into a bird feeder can be a fun and creative way to recycle what would instead sit in a landfill somewhere.
Things You'll Need
- 2-liter plastic bottle
- Painters tape
- Acrylic paint
- Nail
- Hammer
- Wooden dowel
- Craft knife
- Twine
- Bird food
Instructions
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1
Remove the label from your 2-liter bottle. If you have trouble removing any excess paper or glue from the bottle, soak the entire bottle in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes. This should make removal of the label a bit simpler.
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2
Apply painters tape in a weave-like pattern around the entirety of the bottle, so that there are diamond-shaped spaces in which the bottle is visible. Paint these spaces with different colors of the acrylic paint and set aside to dry. Once dry, peel the tape away and you will have achieved a patterned effect.
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3
Using a nail and hammer, poke a hole through the neck of the bottle just under the rim. The hole needs to go completely through both sides of the bottle's neck. You also need to make two other holes toward the bottom of the bottle (one on each side); this is where the perch will be placed, so make sure that the holes are symmetrical on each side.
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4
Slide the wooden dowel through the holes you placed toward the bottom of your bottle. Make sure that the dowel is securely in place and does not slide out easily.
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5
Cut a U-shaped hole with a craft knife above the perch on each side of the bottle. These holes will grant birds access to the bird food that will be inside of the feeder.
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6
Thread about six inches of strong twine, cord or string through the top holes of the bottle. Tie a knot tightly and ensure that the cord is strong enough to hold together; it must bear the weight of the bottle after the bird feed has been added. To do this, simply pull each side of the string with a strong force and make sure that it does not snap or untie.
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7
Unscrew the cap of the bottle and fill with the bird seed of your choice, then screw the cap back on tightly. Hang the plastic bottle bird feeder outside in a tree or on a hook to finish.
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