Recycling and upcycling is huge in Mexico making my time here a frugal experience. Even trendy 5th Avenita incorporates upcycling in its restaurant and boutique decor. One of my favorite hings to partake in down in the steaming, hot Yucatan is an ice cold bottle of Coca Cola (paired with a bag of pork rinds). They use the real sugar in soft drinks down here. You know, the good shstuff.
I’ve decided to display various ways to upcycle plastic soda bottles in the DIY section of my blog. Here is the first use I came up with, yet it is also probably the most popular use of a soda bottle.
Materials:
- Plastic Bottle
- Razor blade
- Paint
- Paint Brush (optional)
- Soil
- Plant
Cut the plastic bottle below the label. It is on an edge so this will help guide your cut.
I ran across the problem of the cut not being as straight as I would have wanted it on some of the bottles. To fix this, cut small slits on the top and folded them down. It creates a fringe effect and hides the uneven cut.
Pour paint into the bottom of the bottle and spread it around by tilting the bottle back and forth, creating shapes and designed as you go. My son helped with spreading the paint around.
I was more precise on the green bottle and used a paint brush to curve with the bottle design. Let dry.
Fill the bottles with soil and plant, succulents or flowers.
You can also use these containers for the kitchen, office, bathroom or whatever you chose. The possibilities are endless!
Slangshot 