If you drink a lot of bottled water, you probably wind up with a lot of empty plastic bottles in your trash or recycling bin. Give those bottles a new purpose by making some fun and creative crafts that will turn your trash into treasure. You don't need any special skills, and you'll find all of the equipment you'll need at any craft store.
Pencil Cups
Make pretty cups to hold pens and pencils using old plastic water bottles. Cut the top off a clean, dry, plastic water bottle using sharp scissors or a craft knife. Select a pretty fabric from the craft store and glue it to the outside of the bottle using polyvinyl craft glue. The piece of fabric should be big enough to cover the whole bottle. Leave an inch of fabric sticking out over the cut off top of the bottle, then fold and glue that fabric to the inside of the bottle. Once the glue is dry, you can use fabric paint, rhinestones or glitter to decorate and personalize your pencil cup.
Herb Pots
Rather than throw them in the recycling bin, reuse your old plastic water bottles to create an herb garden for your patio or kitchen window. Cut the tops off of a clean, dry, plastic water bottle with scissors or a sharp knife. Cut a piece of bias tape--fabric tape you can find in the sewing section of any craft store--so it's just long enough to go around the top of your bottle. Use craft glue to attach the strip of tape to the top of the bottle, folding the tape so both the inner and outer edges of the bottle are equally covered with fabric. Once the glue has dried, fill your plastic bottle with potting soil, and use it to plant a small herb plant or seeds.
Napkin Rings
Used plastic water bottles can enjoy a new life as handy decorative napkin rings. From clean, dry, plastic water bottles, cut circles from the centers using a knife or scissors. Each circle should be about 1/2 inch tall. Cover each ring with acrylic yarn. You can wrap the yarn around the plastic ring until it's covered, or, if you know how to knit or crochet, use a simple stitch pattern to completely wrap the ring in tightly woven yarn. These napkin holders are flexible and machine washable, and they make great gifts.
Star Ornaments
Transform the bottoms of clear plastic water bottles into shiny, star-shaped ornaments. Using sharp scissors, cut the bottom off of a plastic water bottle. Cut the bottle bottom into a star shape with your scissors by cutting triangle-shaped wedges out from the edges of the bottle bottom. You should end up with a piece of plastic that has several points and looks looks like a star or snowflake. Use a hole puncher to make a hole at the top of the star, then thread thin yarn or a wire through the hole to create a hanging star ornament.
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