Things to Make From Plastic Soda Bottles

You may not have a lot of extra cash when it comes to family-time entertainment, but you can always wash out several of those plastic soda bottles sitting in the recycle bin and get started with some crafts. Kids love to do them. More importantly, it serves as quality family bonding time. Extend the fun by teaching something new that includes the item made from the plastic soda bottle. Other projects make useful household items.

Bird feeder

Take advantage of the opportunity to teach your kids about the birds in your area when you make a soda bottle bird feeder together. Take a 2-liter soda bottle and cut quarter-inch slits 2 inches up from the bottom, directly across from each other. Insert a dowel across so that it sticks out an inch or so on either side. This is the bird perch. Cut quarter-inch holes 3 inches above the perch. Fill the soda bottle to the top with birdseed. Tie a 3-foot length of twine or cord around the bottle just under the cap, at the center of the twine. Tie the ends of the twine around a tree branch that is seen from a large window in the house. Observe which birds frequent the feeder. Take your family to the library and learn about those birds.

Cut plastic soda bottles 5 or 6 inches from the top, all the way around. Use different sized bottles to make sets of funnels. These household items help whenever you need to pour anything into a smaller opening. Don’t throw out the bottom part of the soda bottles--you can use them as storage for just about anything, such as Lego pieces, buttons, change or nails and screws in the garage. Grow seeds or just use the bottom of the bottle as a planter.

Save on your purchase of Easter baskets for the kids by using a clear 2-liter plastic soda bottle for the basket. Cut the bottle 7 inches from the bottom, all the way around. Punch holes an inch down from the top of the cut bottle and punch holes every two inches around. Weave a colorful ribbon, in and out through the holes, around and tie a bow. Attach a 10-inch piece of ribbon in two of the holes opposite each other for a handle. Fill the basket with colored plastic Easter straw and goodies. Make extras and use them to collect eggs during an egg hunt. Alternately, use orange or black ribbon to make these Halloween trick-or-treat containers.