This tutorial shows you how to make adorable hanging planters with recycled plastic bottles, doubling the value of these household items. It's like getting twice as much of what you were expecting, because sometimes once just isn't enough. With the Citi® Double Cash card, you can also earn cash back not once, but twice. Earn 1% when you buy and another 1% when you make a payment towards your purchases — big or small.
Things You\’ll Need
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Recycled plastic bottles (preferably with a rounded base)
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Olive oil or nail polish remover, if needed
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Utility knife
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Scissors
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Sandpaper, 120 grit
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Power drill
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Spray paint
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Twine, rope or leather
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Air plants or soil and regular plants
Tip
For this craft, you can use any type of empty plastic vessel, but a round base such as the one pictured will have the nicest lines.
Step 1
Peel away any labels. If you have any stubborn label patches that don't peel off easily, saturate them with olive oil or nail polish remover and then scrub the label off, or use any of these methods. Wash thoroughly and allow to dry.
Step 2
With a sharp blade, carefully cut off the top of the vessel to create your desired size planter. It doesn't have to be a perfect line.
Step 3
Using scissors, shape the front of the opening to form a slight curve. Sand any rough edges if necessary.
Step 4
After you have the desired amount of containers cut (I used three), drill a hole on both sides of the vessels at the top. Watch the location of the holes so the planters will hang evenly.
Step 5
Spray paint the outside as well as the inside and allow to dry. Then arrange your vessels in a vertical line spaced evenly apart. Cut a piece of twine that is long enough to thread down both sides of the vessels and has enough excess at the top for hanging. (I used about 4 feet of twine.)
Starting at the bottom vessel, thread one end of the twine through the right-side hole of each vessel. Tie a simple knot outside the bottom hole to secure the twine in place. Thread the other end of the twine through the left-side holes of the vessels and tie a knot outside the bottom hole.
Step 6
You can place air plants in the planters, or fill with soil and and plant some small plants like succulents. You could even use each vessel of the planter as a vase by filling it with water and placing fresh flowers in it.
Tip
If you plant regular plants in soil, put a few rocks on the bottom of each vessel since there are no drainage holes.
