Are you tossing out plastic bottles once you’ve emptied their contents? Or does this make you go, ‘Not a chance, I love recycling!’. Either way, you’re wasting valuable material that can be used to create masterpieces.

Upcycle instead.

Wondering how Coca-Cola containers and art are linked? Here are a couple of cool projects you can undertake using empty plastic bottles and a healthy amount of effort.

Air Gardens

Picture a hanging garden. Now use a plastic bottle and make it happen.

Cut out a rectangle on the side of your bottle. Place it horizontally and layer the bottom with a piece of cardboard. Without taking off the cap, fill up the container with soil and plant your seedlings deep in the mud.

Remember to poke holes at the bottom, in the plastic under the cardboard, so that the water can drain away. Also, don’t overcrowd your plastic pots! Two plants to a bottle is the ideal ratio. Any more than that, and you’ll have too many roots fighting for survival in the limited space available. Make a hole through the cap and near the base of the bottle. For the finishing touch, slip two pieces of rope through each hole and knot them at the ends. You can now hang up your little pot wherever you like.

Food Dispenser

You can use plastic bottles to help out your feathered friends. Of course, it would be amazing if bottles were ‘food dispensers’ for humans as well, but since that isn’t possible, let’s stick to making the birds happy for now!

Remove the label from your bottle and cut out a small square on the side. Fill up the empty space with some tasty treats that will make the birds drool. Before you do that, make a hole below the opening you’ve created and insert a pencil that runs through both ends of the bottle. This way, the birds will have somewhere to sit and relax while they gobble down their meal.

Easy Lawn Sprinkler

This item is probably the easiest to make. You need to have the right-sized swivel hose adapter to cover the mouth of your bottle. When you’ve successfully procured one, take a pin and poke approximately 7 to 8 holes on one side of the bottle. Link this setup to a hose and leave it out on your lawn, garden, or front door of that annoying neighbour you want to prank. Now, turn on the pump and watch as water spurts out of the holes and provides your lawn with all the moisture it needs.

Stay Creative

There are an abundance of DIY plastic bottle projects floating around the web. Find one that suits your needs and get started! You can create jewellery stands, chandeliers, lamps, and even different kinds of furniture, like stools, to show off to your friends. If you’re afraid they might steal your creations, you can even make a plastic-bottle wall to safeguard your masterpieces. Have fun creating!

 It’s totally legit.