DIY: 10 Ways to Turn your Trash Into Treasure

From the very first stitch, Wolven Threads has been on a mission to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly environment. Our goal is to show you that fashion does not have to come at the price of our ecosystem and that in fact, the two can work together hand in hand. Creating clothing from recycled plastic bottles is the best way for Wolven Threads to upcycle and reuse plastic trash. Designing clothes, however, is not the only way to help recycle our plastic, there are so many functional DIY (do it yourself) crafts that can be created using recycled plastic and we want you to know what they are! Below is a list ten creative ideas for turning your plastic trash into treasure.

 

Bird Feeder:

Take an old water bottle or soda bottle and make sure the label is off and the bottle has been washed and cleaned. Next, take the empty bottle and poke two sets of holes across the bottle that evenly line up with each other. Use an old wooden spoon or stick and poke it through the two sets of holes, there should be a little extra room (on one side) for the bird food to flow out evenly. The spoons are used so that the birds can perch and eat the food. Once you have the spoons or sticks inserted into the bottle, poke a hole in the cap and using a small metal bracket attach a little string to hang the feeder. Once you have successfully done this, pour your choice of bird seed into the bottle (do this outside because the seed will flow out the bigger hole you made) and pick your favorite tree to hang your new eco-friendly bird feeder.

 

Flower Pots:

Here one of the easiest ways to convert your old wasteful plastic into a new upcycled gift or household item. Take any size plastic bottle and remove the label. Next, evenly draw a line around the bottle of how tall you would like your pot to be. Once you have this line drawn (you can use a sharpie) cut directly on the line and remove the top half of the bottle. Once you have this complete, you can spray paint the pot holder any color you would like or leave the pot clear. Next, fill your pot with dirt and start planting.

Jewelry Organizer:

While this task calls for a few extra materials from the hardware store, it is a functional organizer that will never go out of style. For this project, you will need four empty 2L plastic bottles (or two 2L bottles to make a small organizer), a threaded rod, nuts, and washers. You are going to start by cleaning and removing any labels that are around the bottles. Once complete, you will cut the ends off of each bottle and smooth them down with sandpaper. Once you shape your trays to your liking, you will drill or punch a hole in the center of each one. Remember, the size of the threaded rod you purchase will be how big you need to drill each hole. Once this is complete, take your first plastic bottle tray and slide it all the way to the end of your threaded rod. Then, using a nut, measure where you would like to secure your next bottle tray. Once you have this measured, slide the tray over the bolt and secure it by screwing on a washer and then another nut. Repeat this until you have secured each plastic tray. Once you have connected each tray, you will screw on the last washer and secure your jewelry stand. Next, fill your jewelry holder with rings, bracelets, and necklaces. If you would like to attach earrings, you can poke tiny holes on the side of each tray to easily insert them.

Paint Stamp:

Whether you have children or like to complete DIY crafts, this is an easy way to create beautiful paint stamps from recycled plastic. All you have to do is take a soda bottle (making sure that the bottle contains raised plastic feet) and dip it into your favorite paint color. No cutting or taping required all you have to do is dip the bottom of the bottle into the paint color and stamp onto your next holiday card or painting.

Storage Containers:

An easy fix to any messy room or garage area. Take any size plastic bottle, take out container, or plastic coffee jar (Folgers works great for this) and cut a hole into the side of the plastic. Only do this if you would like the items within the plastic storage container to be easily accessed. If you are using an old Folgers coffee jar that has a plastic lid, wash out the coffee grinds, remove the label and refill the container with beans, rice, pasta, nuts/bolts, or crayons. For a sleeker look, feel free to spray paint the outside of the bottle or plastic jug.

Paint Pallet:

Using a large plastic lid and 8-10 plastic bottle caps, you can create a reusable and functional paint pallet. All you have to do is take the plastic lid and cut out a hole that will allow you to hold the top with your thumb. Then take the plastic lid and securely attach (with superglue) each bottle cap on. Once the bottle caps have dried, you will be able to fill each bottle cap with paint and start creating.

Shoe Organizer:

Gather together 5 or 6 two liter plastic bottles. Remove any label from the bottle and thoroughly clean it. Once this is complete, lay your shoes next to the bottle to measure where to cut. You want to make sure to draw a line to where the top of your shoes will land while laying next to the bottle. Once you have done this, take a pair of scissors and cut off (the top half of the bottle) where you marked your line. Your bottle will be able to stand on its own and now hold your shoes.

Wind Chime:

Here is an eco-friendly and simple way to decorate any outdoor space. You will want to start with a 2L bottle that is washed and cleaned. After your container is cleaned and the label has been removed continue by cutting off the bottom of the bottle. Once you have removed the bottom, you want to evenly poke about 8 or 9 holes around the bottom edge. Grab some fishing wire or small string to connect to the bottle. Tie about 7 inches onto each hole that you poked around the bottle. You can now use these strings to attach plastic shapes of your liking. Just use the remaining part of the bottle from the first step.

Fridge Magnets:

To create fridge magnets, you will need 6 or 7 bottle caps, glue, and some magnets from your local arts and crafts store. Once you have the materials, take your magnets and lay them on a flat surface. Then place the bottle caps on the magnets face down and mark around the bottle cap where it becomes flush with the magnet. Take the cut pieces of the magnet and turn the bottle caps over placing a small amount of glue along on the outside edge. Allow this to dry for about ten minutes. Once dry you can decorate the magnet or just enjoy its plastic color.

Tic-Tac-Toe Game:

Take your old bottle caps and make a game that your friends and family can play! Start by drawing your tic-tac-toe game board on a blank sheet of paper (hint*: reuse this paper each time to save trees). After you have this drawn, find two sets of 5 different color bottle caps for each player. You can add a drawing to the tops of your caps or leave them plain it is up to you.

 

No matter what DIY craft you choose, whether it's a bird feeder or a wind chime, you are helping to keep plastic waste out of our ecosystem. Don’t forget to tag Wolven Threads on Instagram (@wolventhreads) to show us what you and your wolf pack create!