Various products from plastic bottles began to be in demand not so long ago, but have already managed to gain great popularity among connoisseurs of hand-made. Their popularity is determined by the availability of material, ease of manufacture of crafts and a long service life of finished things. Thus, anyone can make a lot of useful devices for the economy in a short time. In the hands of a person with a creative vision, a plastic bottle will gain a second life, being transformed into decorative elements or things necessary for everyday life. Next, we will focus on the use of plastic bottles in the country. This article will tell about what crafts from the above material can be and how to make them correctly.
Life-giving moisture for plants
For most people, the summer cottage is associated with the cultivation of seedlings and other various useful plants, which cannot be watered. Cucumbers are especially capricious and sensitive to lack of moisture. In the painstaking business of growing them, an excellent helper will be original devices made from used containers. Watering cucumbers from plastic bottles can be done in several ways. Let's consider some of them.
The first method of watering this crop will especially appeal to summer residents who rarely visit their possessions. It consists in the following: for the required number of plastic bottles, the bottom should be cut off and inserted upside down into the soil near each bush of cucumbers. Next, you need to fill all containers with water - and that's it, the job is done.
Water from such devices will leave slowly and nourish the growing vegetables with life-giving moisture for a couple of days. To extend the flow of water from the bottles into the soil for a longer period, you can wind cone-shaped nozzles, which are purchased in specialized stores, on their necks.
The second method of watering cucumbers is to use a hose, and the container itself will serve as a means for spraying water. The use of plastic bottles in the country in this form will provide moisture not only to the roots of the plant, but also its leaves. To do this, you need to make many small holes on the one side of the container along the length. Next, connect with the help of a special nozzle, the edge of the hose and the neck of the bottle. This device is laid directly on the ground and perfectly sprays drops of water on plants. Such an invention can be used to water the entire garden in the country, from time to time moving the tank to a new place.
House for seedlings
Each summer resident would like to have at his disposal a greenhouse for growing various crops. But, unfortunately, not everyone can purchase building materials for its construction. A great alternative to this is the use of empty plastic bottles. The implementation of this idea will require some time and skill. But the future greenhouse of plastic bottles will delight its owners for a long time. Everyone can make it, having previously familiarized themselves with the sequence of actions for its creation and having accumulated a sufficient amount of plastic packaging.
The first step in building a greenhouse will be the installation of a frame of the required size. For these purposes, you can choose any available material, such as a wooden beam or metal rods. Next, they begin to fill the space of the frame, and do it just by using plastic bottles. The sequence of filling the voids may be different. The easiest way is to string bottles with a cropped bottom on ropes or rods, which are then attached to the frame of the greenhouse and placed tightly next to each other. It is recommended to use light-colored bottles, otherwise the greenhouse will come out dark and unsuitable for growing plants. The resulting greenhouse made of plastic bottles perfectly retains warm indoor air and condenses moisture for plants.
Perfect solution
If for some reason the construction of a greenhouse in the country is impossible, then for growing seedlings, you can use a variety of containers. The simplest way that does not require any investment is to make pots or miniature greenhouses for window sills from them. And it is plastic bottles for seedlings that are considered the most common and sought-after material for growing country crops among all gardeners.
Most often, mini pots for germinating seedlings are made in a simple way by cutting off the top of the bottle. At the bottom of the resulting container, several holes are made for the outflow of excess water. But anyone who wants to improve this device can make it a little differently. And they do it this way: the bottle is cut into two parts, the upper part, with a lid, is inserted with the neck down into the lower part of the bottle and filled with soil. A small hole is pre-made in the lid and a piece of thick woolen thread is tucked into it. One end of the thread should be secured with a knot on the back of the lid and go a little into the soil, and the other should hang in the lower part of the cut bottle filled with water. This type of pots from plastic bottles will save summer residents from daily watering, as the necessary moisture will feed the root system of the plant through a wet thread.
Useful couple
Any subsidiary farm is not complete without cleaning its territory, so every owner of a summer cottage should have the necessary equipment for this. It is very easy and simple to make some of them with your own hands, namely a broom and a scoop. A broom made of plastic bottles is not inferior to purchased analogues and at the same time saves money for its owners. A step-by-step photo tutorial, presented below, tells how to make it right. Everything is so detailed and clear in the picture that it simply does not make sense to describe the procedure with words.
Making a scoop from a plastic bottle is even much easier and faster than a whisk. To do this, take a five or ten liter bottle with straight sides and cut out the shape of a scoop from it. The craft pen should be inserted in the same way as when making brooms from plastic bottles. These devices for cleaning the territory are very durable, they are easy to clean and do not break, which means they will serve their owners for a long time.
Stop pests!
People with summer cottages know firsthand about various pests of vegetable and fruit crops. Unfortunately, sometimes summer residents lose in the fight against them, and lose their long-awaited crops. To destroy or scare away some types of pests will help plastic bottles. Thus, from plastic bottles for the garden you can make very effective means of dealing with uninvited guests.
Consider how to make a mole repeller from plastic containers. To do this, you need a number of empty bottles, based on one product per three square meters of land. In each container, it is necessary to pierce the bottom, as well as cut 4-5 blades in the center of the bottle. Next, you need to pass a long and stable metal rod into the container through the hole on the bottom to the lid itself. The bottle will appear to be dressed on it. The other end of the rod must be firmly thrust into the soil so that it rises about 30 cm above the ground, not counting the bottle. The principle of operation of this repeller is that the bottle will rattle from wind flows, and since moles have excellent hearing, they will not climb to this site.
Another type of trap will help get rid of wasps, flies, ants and other insects. Despite the fact that it is quite simple to make, it is considered a fairly effective method in pest control. So, to make a trap from a plastic bottle, you need only one plastic container and a little sugar syrup. At the bottle, you will need to cut off the upper part and, turning it upside down, insert it into the lower half of the plastic container. The neck should not touch the bottom of the container. The lower part of the container should be filled with thick sugar syrup and put a trap in the place of accumulation of pests. When the insect gets inside the craft, it will not be able to get back. Such traps are updated as they are filled with insects.
Water for chicken
The use of used plastic bottles in the country is not limited to making things from them only for the garden. They can also be transformed into a variety of devices for animals and birds living in a summer cottage. Particularly popular with fans of raising chickens is the auto-drinker. There are many different methods for making a chicken drinker from a plastic bottle. The simplest of these is:
- For a 1.5 or 2 liter bottle with a convex bottom, you need to make one hole in each bottom petal. The holes should be small.
- Prepare a plate with small sides, you can take a tray from the flower pot.
- Fill the bottle with water and put on a plate.
After the container is installed in the plate, water will slowly pour out of it. As water is consumed by the chicks, it will be gradually added. Thus, this drinker for chickens from a plastic bottle can always provide the bird with fresh water.
Awkward animal
Growing poultry in the country can attract a predator such as weasel. To get rid of this unwanted guest and not to lose the entire population of chickens, goslings or ducklings, you need to make a special trap for the pest. In this case, you can also resort to the use of plastic bottles. You can get rid of affection in the country thanks to this rather quickly. Creating this trap does not take much time. It is necessary to start its production with the following actions:
- Prepare a 2 liter bottle, bucket or large deep pan with a lid, as well as a piece of meat (for bait.
- At the bottle, the bottom and neck should be cut to a thickening.
- To make a spear-shaped cut into parts with a neck and fix the bait on it. Next, insert the neck with meat into the cut bottle.
- The design is easy to install and fix on the edge of a table or chair.
- Near the table or chair, install a container for catching a predator (bucket, pan) and cover it a little with a lid so that it can slam when a weasel gets there.
The principle of operation of such a trap is quite simple. Weasel is an animal with a very good scent, so she will hear the aroma of meat in the trap and run after him from the bottom of the bottle, which will fall into the tank under the weight of the predator. You need to check this device more often, otherwise the animal will get out of it. The captured animal should be taken away from its site and released into the wild. The use of plastic bottles in the country in this design will help to catch not only affection, but also other predatory pests, such as rats, martens and other rodents.
Help the birds
Many summer residents love to feed various birds with all sorts of goodies. For these purposes, you can make a great feeding trough, which will be a feeding place for garden birds and perfectly decorate the space in the summer cottage. For these purposes, it is worth choosing a large capacity, about 5 or 10 liters, because it can accommodate not only small visitors, but also individuals of medium size. A plastic bottle feeder should be made in such a way that the birds are not afraid to fly up to it. The principle of work on the future device is simple and it consists in cutting out the bottle walls in the form of windows with rounded sides.
To give a more neat appearance to the “bird house”, it should be additionally decorated with decor items. Such a feeder can be decorated with any elements, for example, threads, dry reeds, artificial flowers. A feeder made of a plastic bottle decorated with paints will also look good. If desired, you can attach several thin wooden sticks to it, so that it would be more convenient for birds to get to the feed.
Beauty in the details
Stay in the country, should not be reduced only to working moments. Therefore, it is extremely important to equip its territory in such a way that it looks well-groomed and beautiful. The use of plastic bottles in the country as a material for decorating the house, yard and garden will help to equip the territory and turn it into an excellent recreation area. Consider a couple of original ideas.
Idea No. 1: Zero Gravity Pendants
To translate this idea into reality, it is necessary to cut the curly bottom from each small bottle (0.5l) in such a way as to obtain flower-shaped molds. Next, you need to connect each other with each other using a thin fishing line, sealing its ends. The style of connection can be different and depend on the desire of the master. If, for example, the suspension is used as a curtain on a door or window opening, then the elements must be connected in long chains. If you use it as decoration for trees in a recreation area, it is preferable to combine the elements in chains of different lengths. Converted in this way plastic bottles into crafts for do-it-yourself cottages can be of different colors, but they look more tender if they are made in bright colors.
Idea No. 2: “Rainbow Charm”
From plastic bottles of various sizes, cut the bottom in the same way as in the previous case. Finished elements need to be painted in various colors, depicting the middle, as in live colors. It is also necessary to make leaves for flowers that can be crafted from the middle of the container. Ready-made decorations should decorate the fence, poles, walls of the house in a chaotic manner. You can fix the elements with superglue, nails, as well as buttons.
Luxurious flowerbed
A beautifully designed flowerbed can be an adornment of any garden or yard. Do-it-yourself flowerbeds made of plastic bottles for a garden or any other site will not be difficult even for a beginner. Let's look at some simple options for decorating flowerbeds with plastic bottles.
Option number 1: "Magic Ribbon"
For plastic bottles of the same size, cut the neck off to a thickening. The amount of packaging required will depend on the size of the flowerbed. Along the perimeter of the flowerbed or around its circumference (if it is round) make a small depression in the soil, about 5-7 centimeters. Next, you need to insert the prepared container with the cut up. All bottles should be located close to each other and create a small fence. After this, it is necessary to pour soil into each container and plant flowers. It is best to plant low-growing flowers of the same color in bottles. Thus, the flowerbed will be as if bordered by a ribbon of flowers. If desired, you can make several of these borders inside the flowerbed.
Option number 2: "Decorative rings"
This type of flowerbed design will require some skill and the ability to work with cement. Nevertheless, anyone can make such flower islands. To do this, you will need the following materials: empty plastic bottles (1.5 l), sand, ready-mixed cement mortar for laying bricks and empty glass bottles.
Working process:
- Fill the plastic container with sand and tighten the lids.
- Lay the sand bottles on the ground in a circle at a short distance from each other. Under the first lower circle, a little sand should be poured. Plastic containers must be placed with their neck inside so that there is an untouched space in the middle of the circle. This is necessary for filling the soil under the plants. Next, it is necessary to lay cement on the bottles and between them, forming a ring of concrete.
- The next layer, in height, must be laid out of glass bottles and laid again with cement.
- Alternate layers until the formation of the flowerbed of the required height.
- After completing the work, you need to let the cement dry and after that, you can fill them with soil and plant the plants.
Such flower beds look great both in miniature sizes and in large ones. Their height allows you to plant long and curly flowers in them, which will beautifully fall on the walls of the flowerbed. In addition, another advantage of this building is its durability, which will allow you to admire the beautiful landscape for many years.
A variety of products from plastic bottles for the garden at the summer cottage helps to save money on the purchase of expensive building materials and other necessary accessories. Thus, you should be more careful about this seemingly unsuitable material. And instead of throwing away plastic bottles, it’s better to convert them into household items.