Bottle Flowers

I like to recycle "... the other man's treasure" and create unique somethings. I especially like to do this with my kids. Downside... it's messy to paint with young kids, I have to clean it up, and sometimes they touch something that they weren't suppose to touch. Upside... I have a new craft table with a shiny surface that is super easy to clean with a wet sponge! I also have smocks for the kids and an abundance of paper towels. I guess I should give a shout out to my hubs for the craft table and to my pops for the paper towels! ;) 

So today we decided to make some flowers. My favorite kind of flowers too; aka, the ones that don't die! 

Here's what you're going to need:

- the bottoms of water, soda, and/or juice bottles. You'll have to cut the bottoms off from the bottle as shown in the photo below. You can use the bottoms of 2 liter bottles too, but you'll be making another project with them; I'll explain that later! 

- other water bottles, to use as a vase, still intact with no lid

- paint. I used tempura, acrylic, and puffy paints 

- straws- any color will do and you can paint them green or find green straws. Flexible straws are good to flex the flowers in the vase, but not necessary. 

- single hole punch

- paint brushes 

Now to get started! 

- save bottles

- cut the bottoms off of the bottles, as I described above and use a single hole punch to put a hole in the bottle bottom, where you'll stick the straw through 

- use an empty egg crate to put paint in

- put smocks on your kids, or yourself, and start painting 

My kids have been patiently waiting to start! 

So here we go! 

And check out their art work!

Of course, they are very proud artists! And I am a very proud mommy! 

We had to wait for the bottle flowers to dry before putting the straws in the holes and placing them in the vase. So we waited overnight and completed our project in the morning! 

As you see, we used the 2 liter bottles bottoms too, but they were just too top heavy for the 16 oz bottle vase. Instead of trashing a beautiful paint job, I made them into ornaments and made my daughter very happy! 

I just tied a string through the hole and hung it on my cork board. But of course you can hang these anywhere in your home or office or gift them to the grandparents too! 

Hope you enjoyed this project! It's super easy and fun! It's a great family bonding activity too! :) 

Crafting Away!

Gigi