As a crafter you probably try to recycle as many things as you can, rather than throw them in the trash, but when it comes to something like pop bottles it can be challenging to find something new to make out of each and every one. To help use up some of those empty bottles why not make garden spinners that are colorful and unique? The spinners are cheap, easy to make, and will add a splash of color and interest to any area of your yard.
Remove the label from a two-liter bottle. Make sure the inside as been rinsed out and is dry. Lay the bottle on a wadded towel to help keep it from rolling around while youre creating the spinner design. Use colored plastic tape to decorate the bottle. The tape, usually electrical tape, is available in many colors. Youll often find a pack with assorted colors at a dollar-theme store. Youll also find many different tapes at a home improvement store. Choose the different colors you want and get started decorating the bottle.
Start at the area where the bottle top extends down to the bottle itself. Wrap one piece of tape around this area of the bottle. Just below that strip add another strip, in a different color. Continue adding another piece, and another, until the bottle is covered with tape. The very bottom and very top of the bottle are left as-is and will not be wrapped in the tape. There are many different designs you can create using different tapes. Make a wide stripe across the top, by using two strips of the same color, then make a thin stripe by using one strip in a different color than the wide stripe. Continue making one wide, then one narrow stripe, or create even more designs. The pattern you decide on is your own choice. Use two colors, three colors or even more. Use a tape measure to mark vertical lines, from top tape to bottom tape, every three-quarters inches. Use a knife to cut these slits into the bottle. Push the bottle down hard and the cut strips will push outwards. Bend each strip in the center to give shape to the spinner. Its important that each strip be bent in the same area. Now go around the top of the bottle and create new folds. At the top of each strip fold it, at a 45 degree angle, to the right. Go around the bottle and make this fold on each strip. Now to the bottom of the bottle and do the same thing, but the opposite direction. Fold each strip at a 45 degree angle to the left. Making these left and right bends in the plastic will ensure that the wind catches the bottle and really spins it. Cut a length of fishing twine and fold it in half. Poke a hole in the center of the soda bottle cap and push the ends of the twine through it, from top to bottom. The easiest way to do this is to hold a nail in a pair of pliers, using a potholder. Heat the nail then quickly push it through the top of the cap. Under the cap use a dot of glue to hold the twine in place. Instead of this method you can purchase a ball bearing spinner at a fishing supply store and attach it. Thread a piece of wire through the hole in the spinner, twist the wire and push the ends through the cap, then spread the wires to hold the ends in place on the underside of the cap. After the wire or twine is connected to the bottle its ready to hang. You can further embellish it, though, by cutting shapes from the tape and sticking them around the top and bottom of the bottle. The shapes can be of butterflies or just geometric shapes. Another choice is plastic-coasted stickers. Position them on the bottle top and bottom and create themes of grass and flowers, pebbles and shells, or other combinations. Hang the spinner on a tree limb or other area in the yard or garden. When the wind catches the side slats of the bottle it will spin. When the wind blows hard the bottle will spend rapidly causing a whirlwind of color. Theyre beautiful, very unique and really cheap to make.
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