How to Build a Raft With Soda Bottles

Plastic bottles can be repurposed for a variety of projects

While rafts come in many shapes and sizes and are made from many materials, they all share the same basic mechanics of working through trapped air. A common recyclable material found in many kitchens can serve the purpose of trapping air in a sturdy enough fashion to create a raft -- an empty 2-liter soda bottle. With these bottles you can make a basic flotation device, good for teaching or pool play. 

Things You'll Need

• 100 2-liter soda bottles
• Waterproof wood glue
• Duct tape

Instructions

1. Prepare the bottles. Straighten any bends from them if crushed, give them a thorough washing, and let air dry until no droplets of water remain inside. Blow air into the mouths to remove any small dents.

2. Glue the caps onto the bottles. Apply wood glue to the inside of the caps, dripping it into the threads (not the top, as this doesn't attach). Screw the lids on as tightly as you can. Let dry.

3. Fasten the bottles into rows of 10. Stand the bottles up on the floor to keep them straight in line with one another. Press the row of bottles against a wall or side of a cardboard box to keep the row straight. Glue each bottle to the next one using wood glue. Let dry. Create 10 rows this way.

4. Reinforce each row of bottles with duct tape. Stretch the duct tape across the entire row, over the middle of the bottles. Wrap four or more strips of tape across each row, with each single strip wrapping around both the front and back of the row of bottles. For best results, wrap directly from the row to keep the entire wrapping as one piece.

5. Lash the rows of bottles together. Lay the rows flat on the floor and line them up into a raft shape. Stretch strips of duct tape diagonally from corner to corner of the raft on either side, then flip the raft and do the same on the opposite side. Wrap additional strips in a quasi-diagonal angle between the first diagonal lines. Continue wrapping tape around the perimeter of the raft from all angles and sides, wrapping continuously around both top and bottom of the wrap until the raft shape is secure. Wrap several strips from top to bottom, winding the tape between the nozzles of the bottles on the top row.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not attempt to use this raft as a lifesaving device or for large-scale outdoor water travel activities.

References

• "The Revolutionary Yardscape: Ideas for Repurposing Local Materials to Create Containers, Pathways, Lighting, and More;" Matthew Levesque; 2010