Plastic Jug Crafts

[Shawn]

Bobbing Bird

These pint-sized penguins, made with a bit of foam and little more, are sure to waddle right into your child's heart.

Craft knife
1-liter plastic soda bottle
Fist-size ball of clay
White athletic sock
Rubber band
Wooden spoon
Black Foamies craft foam
Laundry soap bottle cap
Rubber ball
Scissors

Step 1: Use a craft knife (adults only) to cut a flap in one side of a 1-liter plastic soda bottle. Place a fist-size ball of clay inside the bottle (this will keep it from toppling over too easily), then pull a white athletic sock up over the bottle from the bottom. Twist a rubber band around the bottle neck to hold the sock in place and use the handle of a wooden spoon to tuck the sock top into the bottle.

Step 2: From black Foamies craft foam, cut a rectangle that wraps three quarters of the way around the bottle and extends about two thirds of the way up from the bottom. Trim the edges to resemble penguin wings and attach them to the sock with mounting tape. Next, cut out colored-foam eyes, a beak, a bow tie and feet and tape them in place. Top off your bird with a laundry soap bottle cap hat.

Step 3: Next, cut out colored-foam eyes, a beak, a bow tie and feet and tape them in place. Top off your bird with a laundry soap bottle cap hat.

Step 4: Now, try your luck at making the penguin waddle. The trick is to roll a rubber ball so that it knocks the bottle smartly without tipping it over

from Family Fun

[Shawn]

Stick Vase

Sticks gathered during a nature walk decorate a woodsy vase that even young children can make in minutes.

Sticks (1/4 inch in diameter)
Garden clippers
Empty plastic jar
Thick rubber bands
Raffia or ribbon
Glue and pinecones (optional)

Step 1: Break or snip sticks to about an inch longer than the jar.

Step 2: Put two rubber bands around the jar, one inch from the top and bottom. Now begin tucking the sticks under both rubber bands, placing them as close as possible to each other.

Step 3: Once the jar is surrounded with sticks, slide the rubber bands together at the jar's middle and cover them with a decorative bow.

Step 4: Glue on a few pinecones, then fill the vase with flowers. For campers uninterested in flower arrangements, this vessel also makes a fine pencil holder.


From Family Fun

[Shawn]

Little Squirt

Recycle an empty dish-soap bottle into a wet 'n wild water toy.

Dish-soap bottle
Scrap plastic
Waterproof markers
Scissors
Plastic detergent jug (28-ounce size)
Plastic belt
Paper fasteners

Step 1: Thoroughly rinse out dish-soap bottle and plastic detergent jug.

Step 2: Using a marker, design interchangeable heads on the scrap plastic and cut out with scissors. (Pictured here are gaping jaws, with the option of substituting an elephant or dinosaur face.) Place a face over the bottle's neck and secure with the screw-on nozzle.

Step 3: Decorate the body of the bottle with markers.

Step 4: To make the holster, cut the spout off the plastic detergent jug. Add stars cut from scrap plastic (secured with paper fasteners) and thread the plastic belt through the handle. Then fill up Squirt with clean water. Ready, set, aim!


From: Family Fun

[Shawn]

Whale Scoop

Pour, splash, and otherwise play in the sink or tub with this "creature of the deep" water toy.

Clean plastic gallon milk jug
Permanent marker
Scissors

Turn the gallon jug onto its side so that the handle is at the top. With the marker, draw a mouth shape on the base of the jug, extending partway up the sides. Cut along the lines with scissors, creating a wide-mouthed scoop (a parent's job). Using the marker, outline the edge of the mouth and add eyes and a blowhole.

[klcrn]

Here is a very simple way to make a birdhouse from a gallon milk jug--you'll need:

one plastic gallon milk or juice jug;
pair of scissors or sharp knife,
small stick or piece of broken pencil about 6 inches long.

You can use the lid or discard it.

Cut a hole about 2 inches in diameter in the jug just where it starts to curve downward-I cut one of the corners but it really doesn't matter.

Approx. 1 1/2 inches below the large hole, make a tiny hole and push your stick or other piece of wood though the hole-it should be a tight fit to provide a stable perch for the birds.

Use the handle to securely hang your house somewhere out of direct sunlight-it will work like a greenhouse and get very hot if not in the shade. I put mine under my awnings-protects from sun, wind and rain.

Remove the old houses after the nesting season and replace with new ones each spring.

Now the hard part-sit back and wait for the new tenants!!

This works best if put out at the begining of spring when the birds are looking for nesting sites. Small sparrows just love my houses-I've made new houses every year for the last 12 years and have had a nest in them every year-one year a pair raised 4 sets of babies in one season!!

What an easy way to recycle-take less than 5 minutes to make and about 10 mins to hang- and at the same time you can help out our feathered friends.!!


A Proud American