25 Awesome Ways to Reuse Plastic Bottles

From water bottles to 2-liters to detergent jugs, there are so many cool ways to reuse plastic bottles! Here are 25 awesome ideas.
From water bottles to 2-liters to detergent jugs, there are so many cool ways to reuse plastic bottles! Here are 25 awesome ideas.

From water bottles to 2-liters to detergent jugs, there are so many cool ways to reuse plastic bottles! Here are 25 awesome ideas.

We know that the best way to reduce plastic waste is to just use less plastic, but sometimes we end up with a plastic bottle, despite our best efforts. Maybe you were out running errands, got really thirsty, and gave in to the call of bottled lemonade. Or maybe you ran across an empty bottle on a walk. There are also some plastic bottles that are hard to avoid, like the ones that hold laundry detergent.

Recycling plastic is good, but recycling is really just downcycling. Plastic gets recycled into lower-quality plastic, so reusing is even better than recycling when it comes to our plastic waste. Luckily, there are lots of really cool ways to reuse plastic bottles. Whether you’ve got a water bottle, an empty 2-liter, or an empty milk jug in your recycling bin, we’ve got projects below for you!

How to Reuse Plastic Bottles: Candle Holder

Ways to Reuse Plastic Water Bottles

1. Make Flowers – Turn old water bottles into pretty flowers!

2. Candle Holder – You don’t want to burn a real tea light in a plastic bottle holder, but it’s perfect for a battery-powered tea light, which doesn’t burn so hot.

3. Zipper Case – Aren’t these zip cases made from old water bottles a fun way to reuse plastic bottles?

4. Cat Planter – How cute is this? Make a kitty planter from an old bottle. I wouldn’t put food plants into it, though. You don’t want that plastic leaching into your basil plant. Stick with succulents!

5. Stone Fairy House – The bottle is the frame for this magical fairy house.

6. Ball Bounce Toy – Amuse your kids with this cool toy made from an old plastic water bottle.

7. Bottle Run – Your toddler can play with this magnetic bottle run on the side of your fridge while you make supper!

8. Fairy House Night Lights – This tutorial actually works for all kinds of plastic bottles, but she used mostly plastic water bottles here.

9. Self-Watering Planters – This is billed as an herb planter tutorial, but I’d stick to non-food plants in low-grade plastic like this.

10. Make Wind Spirals – Turn old plastic water bottles into beautiful garden decor.

11. Bangle Bracelets – Use cut up plastic bottles as the foundation for yarn-wrapped bangles.

DIY Terrariums: Miniature Rainforest

Ways to Reuse 2-Liter Bottles & Plastic Jugs

12. Mini Terrarium – Turn a clear 2-liter into a rainforest in a bottle.

13. Do some weaving – How cool are these baskets woven from strips of old 2-liter bottles?

Plastic Jug Watering Can

14. Watering Can – Turn an old milk jug into a handy watering can. It’s so easy!

15. Plastic Bag Dispenser – I know, you use reusable grocery bags, too, but you probably still need storage for the errant plastic bags that make their way into your house!

16. Hanging Lantern – Like the tea light holder, you want to choose a cool bulb for these lanterns, like a CFL or LED, so they don’t melt the plastic.

17. Hedgehog Garden Decoration – You actually need a 2-liter and two water bottles to make this cute hedgie.

18. Sculpture – This is more inspiration than tutorial, but I am floored at these gorgeous succulent sculptures made from empty plastic bottles!

19. Solar Water Heater -If you’re looking for ways to reuse plastic bottles – like, a LOT of plastic bottles at once – this project is the one for you. You might need to hit up friends and family for their empties, too.

20. Bird Feeder – You can easily find old wooden spoons at the thrift store and make this a totally recycled project.

21. Cartesian Diver – Turn an old 2-liter bottle into a cool science experiment!

Ways to Reuse Shampoo Bottles: Sponge Holder

Ways to Reuse Detergent and Soap Bottles

22. Sponge Holder – Turn an old shampoo bottle into a hanging solution for your kitchen sponge.

23. Desk Organizer – Turn old plastic laundry or dish soap bottles into handy desktop organizers.

24. Fairy Houses – Carve sweet fairy houses out of empty detergent bottles.

25. Elmar the Elephant – Transform an empty detergent bottle into an adorable children’s toy!

Do you have any other fun ways to reuse plastic bottles? Any bottles you’ve saved that don’t have a project listed above? Let us know in the comments!

1 thought on “25 Awesome Ways to Reuse Plastic Bottles”

  1. My roommates and I use so many water bottles, and we never know what to do with them when we finish drinking them. I will have to show them this blog so we can do some DIY girls’ night!

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