21 Creative Ways To Upcycle Plastic
Instead of throwing out your plastic bottles and letting them pile up in a landfill somewhere, why not put them to good use? We have 21 DIY crafts, projects, tips, tricks, and life hacks to make sure that you get your money's worth!
1. Homemade Shrinky Dinks
Some people might remember shrinky dinks from their childhood — tiny pieces of toy jewelry made from shrinking plastic. What fun it was to put the plastic in the oven and watch intently as it curled slightly and then began shrinking until it ended up as a tiny charm. Take a trip down memory lane and relive this excitement all over again! This fun shrinking effect works great on plastic packaging. Learn more here.
2. Cell Phone Holder
Most electrical outlets are located very low on the wall, which can make it difficult to find a place to put your cell phone when it's charging. Leaving an expensive phone on the floor where it might get stepped on or someone might trip over the cable is never a good idea. But there is a very simple solution to this problem and you can make it yourself. All you need is an empty shampoo bottle. See for yourself! Learn more here.
3. Iron-On Decals
A lot of us have a plastic bag stuffed with other plastic bags, tucked away in a closet somewhere. If we remember to reuse them, fantastic. Or just drop them off at the plastic bag recycling stop — more and more grocery stores have one. But you'd be better off taking the particularly colorful bags out of the heap and saving them for this because they can transform into something truly special. Learn more here.
4. Drink Guard
Everyone knows this problem: you're at an outdoor party and BOOM, a gust of wind blows some debris into your open glass. Now you can keep all the yucky things out of your cup with the following trick. Learn more here.
5. Flame A Fire
All you need to start your own fire is two large plastic bottles. Cut the bottom of the first bottle and remove the lid. By sliding the second bottle into the first bottle, you can create a flow of air by pushing back and forth, which will help to flame the fire.
6.—14. | Clever Ways To Reuse Your Plastic Bottles
Plastic bottles may not have the best reputation, especially given their effect on the environment, but here's your chance to turn a negative into a positive! Instead of just throwing out your old bottles, you can make further use of them with these handy tricks. Learn more here.
15.—19. | Even More Plastic Bottle Tricks To Make Recycling A Ton Of Fun
Remember the days when we used to throw absolutely everything in the garbage and it ended up in a landfill? Fortunately, over the past few decades things have gotten a lot better — paper, glass, and plastic packaging are now being recycled and used to make new products. Plastic bottles are a good example of a recyclable item, and throwing them in the recycling bin instead of the trash really does help the environment. But why not do the recycling part at home and save all the extra work and energy? Here are some nifty ways you can reuse plastic bottles at home! Learn more here.
20. Beachy Waves in Just 5 Minutes
Any woman who has ever used curlers or a curling iron before knows just how time consuming, frustrating, and downright difficult it can be the get the perfect look. If you want fast results, this is the trick for you. Having the same hairstyle every day can be so boring, so trust yourself, let loose, and give this trick a try! Learn more here.
21. Bottle Telescope
On clear nights, far from the glow of the surrounding street lights, the evening sky comes alive with the glitter of distant stars, planets and, of course, the moon. It's hard not to want a closer look, to find out what else is hiding in the vast reaches of space. A telescope can help with this, but they can be very expensive. How about making your own? If you're not aiming for a career as an astronomer, this DIY telescope is an affordable way to have some fun with stargazing without breaking the bank! Learn more here.
With so many great ideas, hopefully now you'll think twice before tossing out your plastic!