Bottle sense for crafters

 How many of us discard those Coke Bottles after a weekend and do not think about all the other uses one can have for it.  Here is only a few of my ideas with them.

1.  I wash the bottle out with not too hot, warm water to get rid of the sticky cold drink inside.  I let it dry overnight with the lid unscrewed.  Take off the label.
2.  I cut now the bottles open.  It must be cut just on the right place to make use of the whole bottle.
2.a)  The first neat and straight cut must be just where the smooth middle part starts.  You will have a funnel now for old oil and liquid or powder stuff, but we are going to use it for something else today.
2.b)  The second neat and straight cut must be just where the smooth middle part stops.  You will have a clear, smooth ring and a longish base that can be used for a quick inexpensive flower arrangement or a pot plant holder, but we are going to use it for a neat little "This and That" or Sweets holder.
   

Now that the bottle are in three parts, we start first with the top part and cut out the flower shape.  

 3.  I marked out the flower petals with a marker just to make sure they are even.  For this star-type flower, I marked every 'rib' in the bottle right in the middle close to the rim and the other marks will be just where it disappear into the neck of the bottle.  That will be the marks for the star-type flower.  I cut them with a little curve from the mark at the rim to the mark close to the neck.  You should have 10 petals.

4.  Now I push each petal a bit open and paint them in nice colors.  You can stuff a piece of clothe to fit into the center to make a flower head if you want to, but we use it for candle holders without it.

Now in my "recycling search" I have seen these type of flowers painted in brilliant colors and then made to stand on wire stakes and then they were placed in the garden to give it color in spots that have none.  I even saw them in large home made Cast Concrete pots and as decoration (Also in the garden) and the flower petals where then cut into different shapes to give different flowers.

Well, as it was near Christmas, I made it to look like candle holders and each child got one and we serenaded for the family.  It just protect their hands from the dripping wax. I painted them in nice colors and for a temporary decoration any craft paint will do.

Now for the middle part.

5.  I take the middle clear smooth ring part and  I mark out my bands before I cut it open.  I made the bands about 1.5 to 2 cm and then I cut the ring open.  It curls up immediately if you cut it.  I then cut each band out.  You should get 4 bands more or less out of each one.

6.  I place the bands around another bottle and paint them too with nice brilliant colors and made my own designs and forms on them.  After they dried they can be use as a colorful serviette holder or a funky bracelet or two.  The softly curl around any size arm.  If you want to make the paint more permanent, then I would suggest that you paint some varnish or acrylic sealer over it.

Now we still have the bottom part.

7.  I mark now out every second rib, just about a thumbs breadth from the bottom where it goes into the lower part, and form a nice even oval  or u shape up to where the rim is.  I will curl a bit. The secret is that from the bottom where you marked it, it should have a straight part for at least 3-4 cm before you make the shaped part.

I paint then polka dots on it or you can do serviette decoupage on it to fit a certain theme.  Once it is dry you just fold the flaps one over the other to form a neat closure.  If that curved top parts are painted in a flower color, then it will look like a flower's petals overlapping when closed.



                       










This is ideal to put some party snack in , or have some sweets in it as a gift for granny or it can even hold the odds and end that you have everywhere cluttering the drawers.  It is also ideal for the crafter to keep that bits and pieces of lace, buttons, hooks, findings and such in and for the men it is handy to keep the screw and nails in.  I use mine too in the kitchen and keep my sugar in it.  It is easy to pour out if you just open one flap.

I hope you have find this handy and share it if you did.