How to Make Crafts Out of Plastic Coke Bottles

Coke bottles can be used to make crafts.

Young children enjoy making crafts. While helping your children create plastic-bottle crafts, you can also teach them about the importance of recycling. With a few empty Coke bottles, you and your children can make a bell or an ornament to decorate the Christmas tree.

Things You'll Need

• Permanent marker
• Scissors
• Drill
• Fishing line
• Little bell
• Paint or stickers
• Paper plate
• Sponge
• Puffy paints
• Ribbon
• Hot glue gun

Instructions

Coke Bell

1. Wash out a 2-liter Coke bottle and set it out to dry. You won't be able to dry it with a towel, so you will have to wait for it to dry naturally.

2. Mark your Coke bottle into thirds with a permanent marker. Then cut the top third off with a pair of sharp scissors.

3. Leave the bottle cap on the lid and poke a hole through it. If you can't do this with scissors, use a drill.

4. Cut a piece of fishing line 1 inch longer than the Coke bottle.

5. Tie one end of the string through the top loop of a little bell. You can get bells at any craft store.

6. Thread the other end of the string up through the top of the Coke bottle cap. Make sure you tie a big knot at the top so that the string doesn't fall through the hole.

7. Decorate the outside of the Coke bottle bell. You can paint it or add stickers.

Coke Bottle Ornament

1. Wash out an 8-oz. Coke bottle and let it dry completely before continuing.

2. Pour some festive-colored paint in a paper plate.

3. Dip your sponge in the paint and press it all over the Coke bottle. You can do this with more than one color.

4. Wait for the paint to dry and then print a message on the Coke bottle ornament with puffy paint. You might want to print "Merry Christmas" or the name of the person you are going to give the ornament to.

5. Cut a piece of ribbon about a foot long. Make a loop with the middle half of the ribbon and tie a knot. You will have a little bit of ribbon coming out both sides of the loop. Run this through your scissors to make it curl. Use a hot glue gun to attach the knot to the bottle cap on the Coke bottle. Your ornament is now complete.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have trouble getting the knot to stay at the top of your Coke bell, hot glue or super glue it in place.

• Young children should be supervised when using scissors and hot glue guns.

References

• Easy Child Crafts: Recycled Crafts for Kids
• Erika Jean: Recycled Coke Bottle Ornament