Recycled Soda Bottle Craft
Crafts from recycled materials are great for the earth and your pocketbook. Make these zippy apples by upcycling plastic soda bottles into spill-proof containers.
Materials
Plastic bottle apples make smart-looking catch-alls for paper clips, thumbtacks and sundries. Photography by Grace Natoli Sheldon/RDA-MKE.
Recycled soft-drink bottles are key ingredients in this earth-friendly craft.
Clean and cut bottles.
If desired, spray paint bottle ends.
Hot glue zipper to bottle rims.
Cut stem from card stock.
Cut leaves from card stock.
If desired, make a gift tag.
Fill apples and zip closed.
You can also use the versatile apple containers to hold treats or a small gift. Photography by Grace Natoli Sheldon/RDA-MKE.
- 2 plastic soft-drink bottles of the same size
- Low-temperature glue gun and glue sticks
- Zipper to fit perimeter of bottle
- Spray paint (optional)
- Scraps of brown card stock for stem
- Scraps of card stock in choice of color for leaves and tag
- Embroidery floss in choice of color
- Tag punch
Instructions
- Clean bottles and let dry for Soda Bottle Crafts. Cut each bottle evenly around the perimeter 2-3 in. from the bottom; you’ll use the bottom pieces. (Recycle top portion.)
- If desired, spray paint the exterior of each. Follow manufacturer’s instructions and apply as many coats as needed for complete coverage, letting dry between coats.
- Unzip zipper. Use hot glue to adhere 1 of the fabric sides to the perimeter of each bottle piece. Apply a short, thin line of hot glue at top edge of bottle, then overlap fabric about 1/4 in. onto exterior rim. Glue the zipper in small sections, letting glue dry between each section. Be careful not to get glue on zipper teeth or slider.
- For stem, cut a small rectangle from brown card stock and fold in half lengthwise. Cut sides slightly curved. Fold ends about 1/4 in. inward, making a dimensional tent shape. Use hot glue to adhere to center of one end of apple.
- For leaves, cut pointed oval shapes, freehand, in various sizes from scraps of card stock. Use hot glue to adhere 2-3 leaves at the base of the stem.
- Use tag punch to punch a tag from scraps of card stock. Cut a 6- to 8-in. length of embroidery floss. Thread floss through tag hole and center of the tent-shaped stem. Knot end of floss, attaching tag to stem, and trim floss ends.
- Crafts from recycled materials can be filled as desired and closed with a zipper.
Tagged as:
Craft Tutorials,
Crafts for the Home,
Décor & Accessory Crafts,
Fall Crafts
Sweet project I love this. I am going to make mine with stem and leaves of vinyl that way, the will not get bent. Love!! Thanks so much for this adorable upcycle project!
Great tip with the leaves!
So cute. A woman in my church just gave me this magazine and I was wishing I’d seen this sooner! Our vbs is coming up next week and these would have been a perfect addition. We’ll just have to make them for back to school!
such neat ideas !!
A neat idea.
I love the soda bottle craft this is a wonderful idea,thank you so much for this.
can see these in orange for pumpkins too….. can see them in any color from long skinny bottles for pencil holders….many more options too.