Say you're driving to a party across town, and you decide to stop at a gas station to fill your car's tank. You're thirsty, so you head over to the refrigerated drink section. Choices abound from water to juice to energy drinks, but an ice cold soda sounds the most refreshing. Not only do you select a single serving bottle of soda, but you also grab a 2-liter bottle to bring to the party. As you pay for the soda, do you think about what you'll do with the bottles once they're empty? If you toss them into the trashcan, it could take up to 700 years for the plastic to break down in a landfill. If you recycle the plastic bottles, they will go to a plastics processing plant, which transforms them into new products [source: Energy Quest]. But have you ever thought about crafting something new from your used plastic bottles?
Reusing soda bottles for crafts is a good way to utilize creativity, save money and save the Earth. But you might ask, why soda bottles? The great thing about soda bottles is their versatility. You can use soda bottles for many different craft projects. You may remember using 2-liter soda bottles and water in elementary school science class to mimic a tornado, or maybe you have fond memories of building a soda bottle bird feeder at camp [source: SPSA]. These are just a few examples of the numerous creative crafts that can be made using old soda bottles. In this article, you'll learn how to make four different crafts out of empty soda bottles, including a dome display, a candleholder, a hanging mobile and a noise maker.
Tackling any of these craftsy plans would provide a fun-filled afternoon for the family. Just remember, as with any craft project, you should supervise children closely while they're working with the tools these recycled soda bottle projects require.
To start getting craftsy, click to the next page to transform your soda bottle into a decorative dome display.