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Six Projects to Make With Recycled Plastic Bottles and Jugs

SAFETY FIRST: Ask an adult to help with tools you haven't used before.

Recycle empty plastic bottles and jugs into these fun and useful projects.

TEN-MINUTE BIRD FEEDER

Cut four holes 2″ from the bottom on each side of a half-gallon milk jug. Below each hole, make a small hole and poke dowels or sticks through the feeder. Ask an adult to drill a small hole in the cap.

Attach a string or metal coat hanger, fill with birdseed and hang it up.

SELF-WATERING PLANTER

Cut the top third off a 2-liter plastic bottle. Ask an adult to drill a small hole in the cap. Pass a string through the hole. Fill the bottom of the bottle about half way with water. Place the top upside-down in the bottom and put in your plant. The string will wick up the water into the soil.

BALL TOSS GAME

Cut the bottoms off two 1-gallon milk jugs. Make a ball from rolled-up plastic grocery bags and tape. Enjoy a game of catch.

QUICKER BERRY PICKER

Cut a hand-size hole opposite the handle on a 1-gallon milk jug. Slide the handle onto your belt. You’re ready to pick and hold more berries.

FLYING SAUCERS

Cut the bottom from a milk jug about 3″ high. Cut three or four 3″ circles from the upper part of the jug. Try to sail the disks into the milk-jug bottom.

GARDEN SCOOP OR BOAT BAILER

Cut a 1-gallon milk jug at an angle as shown. This is great for spreading compost or removing water from a boat.


PHOTOS OF COMPLETED PROJECT

Check out these photos of the completed project sent to us by Boys’ Life readers. If you have a photos of a BL Workshop project, please use the form below to send them to us.


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10 Comments on Six Projects to Make With Recycled Plastic Bottles and Jugs

  1. cool idea ; )

  2. If you use the leather awl on your boy scout knife to punch a hole in the top of the handle of a gallon jug, liquid pours out of the jug smoothly, rather than the blub, blub, blub, that splashes everywhere!

  3. did bird feeder

  4. good idea

  5. Tenderfoot // May 25, 2013 at 7:50 pm // Reply

    I think it gives an amazing thought of reduse, reuse, recycle for young and old people across the world

  6. If you get the gallon milk jugs that have two circular impressions on each side of the front, cut a U shape out like the one shown for the berry picking jug. Cut out pink eyes and put blue dots in them, staple a couple of pink and white bunny ears to the top and you have an Easter basket.

  7. can a seed work in the bottle

  8. cool.

  9. I just wish I had some plastic bottles, because this looks fun!

  10. Cool projects

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