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!
- Plastic bottles transformed! A collection of simple yet amazing craft ideas
- Craft ideas using plastic bottle caps [for boys]
- Fun for elementary school kids! A collection of craft ideas using plastic bottle caps!
- Stylish plastic bottle crafts. Packed with surprising ideas!
- Fun crafts using straws
- For summer vacation homework! Simple and amazing crafts for elementary school students that you’ll want to make after seeing them
- Paper cup crafts that elementary school kids will love! A collection of fun project ideas
- Handmade instruments with plastic bottles: try making flutes, percussion, and traditional ethnic instruments.
- Elementary School Students: Simple One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas
- DIY science projects that elementary school boys will love: ideas you can make with everyday materials
- Handmade games: DIY craft ideas you can make and play
- [For Kids] Today’s Handmade Craft Ideas
- Simple yet amazing crafts: craft ideas that elementary school students will want to make
Recommended for lower elementary school kids! A collection of plastic bottle craft ideas using everyday materials (41–50)
Handmade maracas
This craft is inspired by maracas made with paper cups that produce a cheerful rattling sound when lightly shaken.
The steps are simple: put beads or finely cut pieces of straw into a paper cup, then cover it with another paper cup as a lid.
What you put inside is important—consider how different fillings change the sound as you make it.
Decorating the outside is also a key point; aim for fun decorations that match the light, lively sound of the maracas.
How to make a paper-cup kendama
This is a paper-cup kendama made with a paper cup and plastic bottle caps.
First, poke a hole in the center of the bottom of the paper cup and thread a 60 cm piece of yarn through it.
Be careful not to hurt yourself when making the hole.
Tie a knot at the end of the yarn so it won’t slip out, and secure it to the outside bottom with cloth tape.
Tie a knot in the other end of the yarn as well, place it between two plastic bottle caps facing each other, and fasten them together with cloth tape.
That’s all it takes to complete the main body! After that, customize it with stickers or markers in any design you like.
It’s great because even kids who struggle with a real kendama can have fun and play together!
paper cup trumpet
This is a craft using a paper cup that can produce a trumpet-like sound when you pull the string sharply.
First, make a hole in the bottom of the paper cup, thread a string through it, and secure it with a short, folded toothpick so the string doesn’t slip out.
Then, when you pull the string vigorously, the impact on the string is transmitted to the paper cup, creating a trumpet-like sound.
You can pull the string with your hand, but using chopsticks is also recommended—try it out and see how the sound changes.
Since just building the mechanism can look simple, it’s also important to add your own decorations to the paper cup.
paper plate
This is a hand-spun top you can easily make by combining a paper plate and plastic bottle caps.
Lightly fold the paper plate in half to create a crease, then use the intersection of the creases as a guide to find the exact center.
Next, attach a plastic bottle cap to both the top and bottom of the plate at the center, and you’re done.
After that, decorate it however you like.
Since changing the weight will affect how it spins, it’s best to add decorations like pen-drawn patterns rather than heavy items.
Try experimenting with different hand and finger movements to see how they change the way it spins.
bracelet
Let’s make a stylish bracelet out of a plastic bottle.
First, prepare a 500 ml plastic bottle and cut it into a tube at your preferred width.
Press the cut edge against a heated iron to round it, then let it cool.
Color it with nail polish and add sparkly stickers, and you’re done! It’s very simple, but be careful when using the iron and, if possible, work with an adult.
Try different designs to create your own cute, original bracelets!
