Fun with "Recycled" Bottles

Yay for National Craft Month!!  Russ and I decided that for our first National Craft Month project we were going to have fun with old plastic bottles.  This is mostly because we didn't have the supplies for the other ideas I had, so I went digging thru the recycling bin.

So, with the round shampoo bottle I found, we decided to make a piggy bank for Russ' farm themed room.  I took the lid off and painted it into the nose.  For the tail, I took a pipe cleaner, painted it pink, cut a hole, and glued it in.  I used heavy paper painted pink for the ears.  The feet are caps from soda bottles painted pink and glued on.  The eyes were painted on.  And last, but not least, a hole was cut in top for the money to go in.  As soon as we were finished, Russ had to run in his room and put money in it.  He was so impressed with his little piggy!

While I was doing the cutting and gluing (the parts that Russ couldn't help with), I gave him another shampoo bottle and he painted it.  His abstract paint job didn't much resemble an animal, so we decided to make it into a maraca.  I filled it with rice and glued the lid on.  Then, I found a dowel that fit down the hole in the lid (and ripped the cover off).  I glued the dowel into place.  It was a simple project, but you should see the look on Russ' face when he is playing with the things he makes himself.