Recycled Bottle Houses
Turn those large plastic bottles into these adorable Recycled Bottle Houses. Most of the work on this cute project will be done by an adult but children can have input on color and decoration.
Supplies
Big Plastic Bottles
Nail Polish Remover
Permanent Markers (fine point & wide)
Box Cutter
Decorating materials like stickers, embellishments etc.
Instructions
I made these bottle houses for my daughter’s beloved My Little Ponies and other small dolls.
It’s super easy and a nice fun project to do together. the involved big person has to: find a big plastic bottle or two, like these bleach containers. rinse them and dry them well. If there’s still a bit of sticky gunk from the label, it’s best to get rid of it with nail polish remover. I was lazy and didn’t want to get up, so I skipped this. not a good idea.
Using a fine permanent marker, draw in the doors and windows. It’s better if you first check to make sure that the toys you’re making this for will be able to fit in the door and look out the windows. Involve the little one by asking advice as to where to put these fixtures.
Use a box cutter to cut out the shapes. In one of our houses, IÂ made two chairs and a table by cutting and folding the pieces inwards.
Now use bigger permanent markers to color the edges of the windows and doors. It would be better-looking if you also colored them inside, which I didn’t do. Again, ask your munchkin what colors to use and how to color.
It’s also nice to decorate a bit. Here I put a picture on the wall. The fish is actually a sticker.
Finally it’s the child’s turn. If you’re working in an area that you don’t care too much about (meaning if you don’t mind permanent marker scribbles), s/he can draw flowers or other things. I confess that I was relieved when my daughter didn’t want to draw. Instead, she went wild with stickers , and voilà ! a couple of little houses to play with, without spending a cent!
When IÂ showed my husband our works of art, he was shocked not only for our amazing talent (!!) but also because in the architecture course that he teaches, the students have an assignment to take an everyday object and transform it into a living space. Lots of them do the same exact thing I did. Who knew?!
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Contributor
Cucicucicoo: Eco Sewing & Crafting proposes all sorts of DIY projects to creative minds of all ages who love to make things without harming the environment. Repurposing materials is a great way to save the Earth while expressing yourself though all types of creative means! Come check out the tutorials for kids and adults at Cucicucicoo.com!