13 Creative Ways to Reuse Plastic Bottles

You don’t need a fancy bird feeder to keep the bird population in your yard well fed—a simple plastic bottle will do. Cut two openings in a large bottle to create a fly-through design. Fill the bottom with birdseed and hang for birds to enjoy.

Create your own herb garden using an empty plastic bottle. Pick a sturdy, clear bottle and cut an opening down the side and small holes on the opposing side for drainage. Lay the bottle down horizontally, with the cap on. Add small pebbles to the bottom, then fill with soil. Plant your herbs and insert markers for a pretty—and practical!—finishing touch.

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It’s not just the bottles themselves that can be repurposed — bottle caps are reusable, too. Clean and dry bottle caps and use them as paint pots. The raised edges keep paint contained, and the small size makes them easily portable if you want to paint a nature scene out in the wild.

Add a touch of whimsy to your yard with a set of DIY planters crafted from old plastic bottles. Cut the bottles in half and thoroughly clean them. Paint the outside with outdoor-friendly paint, adding fun details like a pattern or faces. Before you pour the soil, poke holes in the bottoms to ensure good drainage and promote healthy growth.

Make your own watering can out of an empty plastic milk container. Wash the container inside and out, then make small holes in the plastic cap through which the water will flow. Decorate the container with outdoor paint for a personalized touch.

Instead of purchasing special containers to propagate plant cuttings, take the no-cost route and reuse plastic bottles. Cut the bottle in half, filling the bottom with water and placing the cutting in. Put it in a spot that receives plenty of light until roots begin to grow, after which you can plant the cutting in soil.

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Collect plastic bottle caps so you can reuse them in a fun, kid-friendly art project—mosaic art. Grab a canvas or large piece of cardstock, and sketch your picture. Divide the collection of bottle caps by color and use hot glue to secure them in place with the top side down to create a cool mosaic effect.

This paint palette craft project is a fun way to repurpose colorful plastic bottle caps. You’ll need a piece of cardboard, an assortment of colorful bottle caps, hot glue, and a sharp craft knife. Draw the shape of a palette on the cardboard, then carefully cut it out. Attach the bottle caps using hot glue to resemble dollops of paint.

If you’re short on outdoor space, transform a fence into a vertical garden with the help of repurposed plastic bottles. Cut an opening into the bottles and fill them with large pebbles to prevent soil from falling out of the open bottles and to help with drainage.

Reuse plastic bottles by making them into a designated spot for loose change. Create a piggy bank design by wrapping the bottle with pink felt, adding googly eyes, and stones for feet. Use a sharp craft knife to cut a coin-sized opening through the felt and plastic bottle to easily drop loose change in.

Make your own self-watering planter with this no-cost hack: Cut the bottom of a plastic bottle so it’s about three inches tall. Sit a plastic pot inside, adding water to the bottom of the makeshift self-watering tray. This way, the indoor plant will draw water as it needs it and will stay hydrated even if you forget to water it.