Recycle Rally is a free nationwide program that directly benefits K–12 schools and students by providing valuable incentives and resources to help make recycling easy, fun and rewarding.
We love projects that encourage upcycling, especially when the inspiration comes from the recycling bin! An empty plastic bottle is the base for this fun craft. And the result? A sparkling trophy to use as a special incentive in your classroom. Your students will love the chance to win this!
Supplies:
- Plastic bottle
- Nail
- Pipe cleaners
- Low-temp glue gun
- Spray paint
- Scissors
- Glitter (if you dare)
Once you’ve gathered the supplies, here are the steps to follow to create your trophy.
Step 1
Use scissors to remove the bottom of your plastic bottle.
Step 2
Punch two holes in each side of the plastic bottle (we used a nail), which will be used to connect the trophy’s handles.
Step 3
Twist two pipe cleaners together.
Step 4
Insert pipe cleaners into the holes on each side of the bottle and secure by twisting the ends. Shape the handles as you see fit.
Step 5
Place the mouth of the plastic bottle on the bottom of the bottle to create a trophy base. Secure with low-temp glue gun. (You want to use low-temp so you don’t melt the bottle.)
Step 6
If desired, paint bottle with spray paint.
Step 7
Once the paint has dried, add a light coat of spray glue. Immediately sprinkle bottle with some glitter.
Watch the magic come together on this trophy recycled bottle project in our how-to video:
