Craft ideas using laundry detergent bottles.
Detergent Bottle Boats
These "Detergent Bottle Boats" are adapted from Crafts to Make in the Summer by Kathy Ross. The Millbrook Press, 1999.
Cut the top half off a plastic clothes detergent or fabric softener bottle leaving as much of the handle as possible. The bottom half of the bottle will become the boat. The boat can be decorated with permanent markers. Put a stick down into the hollow handle and use a rubber band to attach a laundry detergent cap to the top to make a crow's nest. Provide lots of corks to be made into people to man the ship. Details can be added to the cork using a permanent marker. (Cork people are very good swimmers.)
Ball Catchers
You can make ball catches out of the bottles. Here's a link with instructions.
By FlaKathy
Clothespins
Clean them up really good. Let the kids drop clothespins into the opening. Good for fine motor actions.
By Mildred
Birdhouse
Try cutting small holes in the bottle and punching a hole in the cap. Thread a sturdy wire or string through the hole in the cap. Paint or decorate the bottle, fill with bird seed and hang outside for your feathered friends to enjoy while the kids play outside.
By Jennifer
Camping Clean Up
Wash your hands when camping. My mother used to do this whenever we would go camping. It worked well, we could clean up before getting into the camper before meals.
You will need a clean, empty detergent, bleach or a gallon milk bottle, an old piece of pantyhose about 2-3 ft. long, depending on the height of those washing their hands, a bar of soap, a string with a larger nail tied to it on one end.
Insert the bar of soap into the pantyhose,s hake it to the bottom and tie off to enclose soap, then tie the other end of the pantyhose and the string with nail to the detergent bottle handle. With your nail, poke a hole into the bottom-side of the bottle, opposite the detergent bottle handle, fill your bottle with water, put the cap on and tie it to a tree branch.
You will want to have a towel near by. When you want to wash up, just pull the nail, lather up your hands with soap, then rinse and dry. Don't forget to put the 'plug' (nail) back so there is enough water for others.
By Mara
Storage Containers
My aunt still uses hers on her clothesline to hold clothespins. You could make a row of them and decorate them for the laundry room. Cut tops off of them, leaving the handle (or not). Use one to hold fabric softener sheets, solo socks or mittens, etc. I have a jar on my laundry shelf that I store anything I find in the laundry. My kids have to sit and stare at it knowing they have to earn it back from me. I also have a jar for money, I call it "Paying the maid" or "Paying the laundry lady".
You could do the same thing with craft supplies. WRite or make a label for each bottle and leave it handle side out toward the shelf and store crayons, markers, etc.
These are good to hang from trees full of bird seed or to use as a water scoop. Our well water is too cold to water our garden in the summer (Alaska) so we keep a large trash can full of water to water the garden. It warms up in the sun between waterings. A "detergent bottle scoop" would work well for scooping the water out.
By Tawnda
More Uses
Use them to put salt in for winter time. Since they already have a handle and spout, it'd work great! Also, you can find a way online to make your own laundry soap, and fabric softener. If you clean it good enough, you could even use it to put pet food in for easy pouring. Also, for the smaller laundry bottles, you could wash well, and use as a watering pitcher for your indoor or large outdoor plants. When it rains heavy, you could put it outside to collect the rain to use to water the plants instead of using house-water.
More Reading:
You can find more ideas for laundry detergent bottles on here:
Do you have ideas for making crafts with plastic laundry detergent bottles? Post them below.
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RE: Laundry Bottle Craft Ideas
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Post By Kim in Florida (Guest Post)
(06/11/2008)
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You can make watering cans out of them. Paint over the labels---use gesso as a primer then paint anything you like. Glue gems etc with E600 glue, then spray with acrylic sealer or clear varnish. Drill small holes in the lids then there ya go. We made these for a summer craft and they turned out gorgeous.
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Using the Caps for Pin Cushions
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Post By FREDA COOPER (Guest Post)
(01/03/2008)
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Take old hose and put into the cap cover with material and stick pins for pin cushions. Thanks, F.Cooper
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older bleach bottle craft idea
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Post By Teresa (Guest Post)
(09/23/2007)
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Does anyone know where to find an old bleach bottle craft idea for making a bassinet? it was made from a bleach bottle, draped with cloth diapers, decorated with bows, mini baby bottle, rattles, etc. it was then filled with, cotton balls, baby oil, shampoo, lotion, diaper cream, etc. it was given as a gift and keepsake.
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RE: Laundry Bottle Craft Ideas
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Post By (Guest Post)
(07/28/2007)
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These containers are good for diabetic's to throw away their lancets and needles. Our agency advises our clients to do this, instead of spending money on the "red" containers sold at the drug store.
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RE: Laundry Bottle Craft Ideas
I would be careful using these types of containers for feeding dogs, cats, birds, etc. as the containers hold the scent of the detergent/cleaning supplies for a long time. It would tend to make the foods taste like detergent/cleaning supplies.
Also I think it would affect if a little bird would want to make one of these containers a home...the smell could be a turn-off and possibly be dangerous to our little feathered friends.
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RE: Laundry Bottle Craft Ideas
You can use the Orange ones to make halloween pumpkins or jack0lanters for the cub scouts,or younger set.
Paint the lid bright green , make leaves from felt or crepe paper, attach to the green lid with floral wire. Curl up several green pipecleaners to look like the curly pumpkin vine. Allow the kids to make faces with black fun foam,felt or to paint 'em on. Or don't add a face at all. Fill the bottle with sand or kitty litter to weigh them down. Sit beside the porch,or bales of hay.
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