JOIN USTurn designer with your empty bottles
Ruth Dsouza Prabhu shows us how to use old bottles for amazing designer projects that can brighten our homes. Here are a few simple ways in which you can recycle bottles and give your home some decor elements to be proud of.
Many of us are pack rats without really knowing it. We tend to store those pretty bottles and knick-knacks hoping that we will use them one day. Bottles of different sizes are something most of us have in our homes.
They are remnants of soft drinks, pickles, jams and what not. We always promise ourselves that we will get refill packs for their contents, but never do.
If you have a collection of such bottles at home, here are a few simple ways in which you can recycle/upcycle them and give your home some décor elements to be proud of.
Bottle planters: All you need are some large-sized bottles – ideally beer bottles. Of course smaller versions can be made of flavoured milk bottles as well. Get yourself a roll of cord and a set of acrylic paints. Cut out lengths of cord from the roll, dip each one into a different colour of paint and set them out to dry.
Once completely done, take some Fevicol or any strong glue on a brush and rub some onto the surface of the bottle. Twine the coloured cord around the bottle and press it down in place.
You could choose to do the whole bottle this way or work half way through and then stick on some craft accessories like flowers and beads.
Another version of a bottle planter can be made by mixing together different coloured sequins onto a paper plate.
Randomly squeeze some Fevicol out onto the surface of the bottle and then pick up some sequins by hand and drop them onto the bottle till all the glue is covered. Stand the bottle up straight and tap the edges a bit to get rid of extra sequins. Let it dry, fill it with water and put in a money plant.
If you have one or two-litre plastic soft drink bottles at home, you could think of making this: Use a cutter and slice the bottle in half. In the portion that has the screw on top, fill in some soil and a plant of your choice. Choose something that does not grow too tall. In the other portion of the bottle, fill in some water. Unscrew the cap of the bottle and insert it into this base. Voila, you automatically have a planter and water system in place. This is something that can be placed anywhere in the house, in places that need brightening and you never have to worry about making a mess.
Childhood memories
Snow globes: As children, we have all been fascinated by the scenes in snow globes – common ones were that of the pretty boy and girl or Christmas scenes. Here is your chance to make a snow globe of your own. Select any wide-mouthed glass jar – Nutella jars work well as do peanut butter jars.
Next, go hunting among your curios for a small curio made of ceramic. You could use metal, but chances of it corroding are pretty high.
Open the lid and stick the little curio to the inside of the lid with super glue and set aside to dry. Fill the jar with baby oil or water mixed with one or two drops of glycerin to give it density.
Drop in some glitter, screw the lid with the curio back on and turn over. And there you have your very own snow globe.
Bottled pulses: Now here is a project that you can use in multiple ways – a paper weight, a bottle to brighten up a dull corner, dining table décor, etc.
You need a few equal-sized glass bottles; pint bottles of beer with clear glass work great.
Peel off the labels by immersing the bottles in soap water for a while and dry them. Ransack your kitchen and get out pulses of different colours – dals like toor, masoor, moong work great. Also get pulses like green gram, channa, etc. Basically look for a range of colours. Use a funnel and fill the bottles up in layers with each of these pulses. You could use modeling clay to seal the top.
Funky frames
Jam bottle frames: This is a unique way of showcasing your photographs. Pull out all the jars that you have in varying sizes and widths. Get the labels off and ensure they are dry. Pull out a selection of photographs. Vertical ones for tall jars and horizontal ones for wide jars.
Hold these photos against the bottle and make sure to measure them to fit the length of the bottles.
Some bottles come with a slightly narrower opening, this should be taken into consideration. Cut the photos to size.
Hold a photo upside down and roll it with the picture side facing out. Place this in the jar against the glass.
Do this with all your bottles and screw the cap back on. Turn the bottles to have the lids facing down and enjoy your new photo frame collection.
Each of these ideas can easily be developed. All you need is some basic craft material and a wild imagination.