Recycled Holiday Garlands Series

by Diana Durkes

Quick! Give me that bottle! We’ll need it for the last in our garlands series today, with our furniture and accessories makeover specialist and Contributor, Diana Durkes. Diana gives “New Life to the Tossed and Found” at her blog, Fine Diving.

Recycled Plastic Bottle Garland is a wonderful reuse project, that can help you add sparkle to your greenery, indoors or out.

Materials and Tools:

• Empty plastic water and soda bottles in 16 oz and liter sizes
• Heavy duty scissors
• Serrated knife, such as a bread knife
• Craft wire
• Hammer
• Large nail
• A plastic cutting board or other cutting surface you don’t mind getting holes in
• Heavy work gloves

Instructions:
1. Start by rinsing and draining the used bottles.

2. Wear your work gloves while you cut and work with the cut plastic (do as I say, not as I do). Using the heavy duty scissors, cut the bottom off each bottle. You’ll find some bottles are thinner and easier to cut. For the thicker ones, the serrated knife makes easy work of it, but be careful when using a large knife–safety first.

3. Then cut between the molded ribbing on each of the bottom pieces. When you manipulate each “petal” and fold it out, you’ll end up with a shape that resembles a flower.

4. To attach each flower to the next, punch holes in each one and use the wire to fasten them together. Use the hammer and nail and make two sets of holes on opposite sides of each plastic flower.

Then place one flower on top of another, line up the holes and thread the wire through both. Twist the wire on the back to hold them together securely. Repeat with more plastic flowers until they form a chain.

5. I especially like the way this recycled garland caches the light when used on our evergreens outside.

Thanks for making something pretty out of what otherwise might go to waste, on Day #13
of 30 Days of DIY Designer Ornaments. Next time, some inspiration from the Arts and
Crafts movement….

Diana Durkes is a creative recycler and a confessed alley shopper. She gives a makeover to one found item each week, and publishes the before & after on her blog, Fine Diving.

She also writes the Tossed and Found column for Time Out Chicago and pens the blog Garage Sale Warrior for the Chicago Trib’s Chicago Now.