Recommended for lower elementary school students! A collection of plastic bottle craft ideas made with everyday materials.
Crafts with plastic bottles packed with amazing potential! Here you’ll find heart-thumping ideas that make you think, “I want to make this!”—like a Bubble Maker you can enjoy with lower-grade elementary school kids, and a Rolling Engine that older kids will get totally absorbed in.
The materials are all easy to find around the house, so it’s great for getting started right away.
Nurture imagination through making, and enjoy the fun of playing with the finished creations.
Let’s dive into a variety of plastic-bottle crafts!
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Recommended for lower elementary school students! A collection of plastic bottle craft ideas (21–30) made with familiar materials
Korokoro Engine
Here’s an idea for a rolling engine you can make with just three things: a plastic bottle, rubber bands, and a pair of chopsticks.
First, cut the chopsticks into a 5 cm piece and tie together three stacked rubber bands.
Place the chopstick piece at the center of the rubber bands, then tie it so that one end of a loop tucks underneath the end of the other loop.
Once it’s tied securely, insert the chopstick through the bottle’s mouth into the inside, and thread the remaining chopstick piece through on the opposite side.
After that, twist the chopstick several times—and you’re done! Lay the bottle on its side and see if it rolls.
You can glue colored paper on it to make it look like fireworks, attach a paper plate to turn it into a UFO—once you’ve built the engine, the ways to customize it are limitless!
handheld vacuum cleaner
A practical DIY idea: a plastic bottle handheld vacuum! It’s recommended for anyone who wants to try electronic projects.
Attach a cup holder fitted with a motor and propeller to a plastic bottle with the bottom cut off.
Use soundproofing tape to secure it firmly.
After that, connect the motor and a battery-powered switch with wires, and you’re done.
To ensure it actually sucks properly, precision in making the propeller is crucial.
Carefully check ruler markings and build it to the exact dimensions!
wind chime
It’s easy to make in about an hour, so it’s great for people short on time.
First, cut a plastic bottle in two.
The cut edge is sharp, so cover it with masking tape.
Hang a string inside the top half of the bottle and shape it like a wind chime.
For the sound-maker, a bell, a metal piece, or even a hard piece of charcoal will work—hang whatever you like.
If you attach a small strip of paper at the bottom with the word “summer” or “ice,” it will look even more like a wind chime!
Target-throwing game with disposable chopsticks and clothespins
Let me introduce a target-shooting game that launches with a burst of energy using chopsticks and a clothespin.
Prepare two chopsticks, a clothespin, tape, and a plastic bottle cap to make it.
For the launcher, clip the clothespin’s metal spring onto a chopstick, then tape the clothespin’s handle and the chopstick together to form the base.
Cut a slit in the plastic bottle cap and fasten it to the chopstick with a rubber band.
Make a target out of a milk carton and draw point values on it.
Set a marble-sized ball on the finished launcher and try aiming at the target.
Have fun seeing how many points you can score!
“Wankoppu,” which sounds like a dog’s bark
This is a craft project: a dog mascot made from a paper cup that emits a sound like a real dog when you pull a chopstick attached to its tail.
The key is how to attach the pipe cleaner tail.
Attach a clip to the end of the pipe cleaner, thread it through a hole made in the paper cup, and secure it so that impacts resonate through the cup.
Once this part is complete, decorate the rest using a small paper cup, origami paper, and so on to create the dog’s appearance.
Then, by pinching the pipe cleaner in the gap between the chopsticks and pulling, the pipe cleaner’s vibrations are transmitted to the paper cup, producing a sound that resembles a dog’s bark.
