10 Crafty Ways Parents And Kids Can Reuse Plastic Containers At Home

One thing I really struggle with as a parent is just how much waste a family produces. While some waste is unavoidable, I am always trying to reduce how much winds up getting thrown out in our home. Now that we know many household plastics can't actually be recycled, finding other uses for all those food containers, jugs, and bottles is top of mind for many parents. My artsy daughter helps me with this immensely — she has a keen eye for scouting her next art project from the day's discards. Thanks to her, I now see every plastic container as a potential upcycle DIY project. 

One silver lining is that there are tons of ways to reuse plastic containers around the home. Save tubs, bottles, and jugs for craft projects that will introduce your kiddo to the magic of transforming trash into treasure. Or, turn those single-use plastic containers into kid-friendly storage that will bring a little organization and simplicity to your playroom or craft station. Here are 10 ideas to put old plastic containers to good use in your home.

If you use those laundry detergent containers with the dispenser right on the bottle, encourage some childhood independence by turning it into a bubble refill station. Fill it with a homemade bubble solution by pouring in 4 cups of water, ⅔ cup dish soap, and ⅔ cup glycerin. If you don't have glycerin, substitute sugar and warm the water so the sugar dissolves. Kids can decorate the jug and fill their bubble solution containers from the filling station themselves, and you'll save money by making your own large-batch homemade bubbles.

My daughter has always loved teeny, tiny toys. The smaller, the better. Fun as they are, preventing all those itty-bitty pieces from being lost forever is borderline impossible. If your kiddo is like mine, you could spend a small fortune on new store-bought containers trying to keep tiny toys together. Instead, consider whether a plastic container destined for the bin could be upcycled to organize the pieces. Have your kiddo decorate the container with craft paper, label it, and voila, small toy sets stored and saved!

Ring in the season without waste (and without breaking the bank!) with holiday decoration DIYs from upcycled plastic containers. Cut the bottoms off plastic bottles and let your child paint them as snowflakes for the winter holidays or flowers for spring and Easter. Or, decorate a food jar like a snowman or a jack-o'-lantern and use it as a candy holder. A large plastic jar or jug is also perfect for a DIY snow globe.

There are lots of ways to transform a water bottle into a simple bird feeder. One kid-friendly option is to grab a plastic bottle, a plastic lid with a small ridge, a few zip ties, and some string. Cut out two openings on the bottom of the bottle to allow the birdseed to spill out onto the lid. Then, connect the bottom of the bottle to the lid with zip ties. Have your child pour bird seed into the bottle, then tie a string around the bottle cap to hang on a tree.

Gift wrapping is another especially wasteful part of modern life, but we all want to give a well-wrapped gift. Instead of spending as much on the gift bag as the gift itself, let your kiddo craft their own gift box using an upcycled plastic container. This is a great way to use leftover craft supplies, too. Let their imagination run wild as they cut, glue, and decoupage to their heart's content. Teachers, friends, relatives — any receiver will love the effort, and no one will miss the fancy wrapping.

This is a craft you can make with your kiddo that they'll use again and again. Fill an old bottle with water and things like glitter, feathers, beads, googly eyes, or even little toys. Add food coloring to the water and thicken it with clear school glue or liquid soap for a more viscous effect. These bottles also make a great calming activity — let them shake their energy (or frustration) out with the bottle and then encourage them to observe what's inside as it slowly stills and sinks to the bottom.

Our family's craft supplies are just about entirely organized with repurposed plastic containers. Large peanut butter jars hold markers and colored pencils, and food storage containers of various sizes hold crayons, beads, and glue sticks. Old baby wipes containers are great for storing craft sticks, ribbon, swaths of fabric, and more. Sour cream, cottage cheese, or yogurt tubs make the perfect containers for homemade Play-Doh. We also like to use plastic lids as little paint palettes, and plastic spice jars as water cups for paintbrushes.

Have your kiddo design their own boat by cutting a plastic bottle in half, tying two bottles together, or simply taking a shallow plastic tub and adding decorations and a sail. Or, take a milk jug or a laundry detergent bottle to fashion an elaborate ship. Even a plastic lid can be made into a raft. Infuse a little learning into this craft by testing how much weight the boat can hold before it sinks, and compare it to other upcycled plastic boat designs. They can also make various sails and test how well each one works.

Sometimes the very best toys are the ones you make yourself. Sure, an elaborate Super Soaker is awesome, but your kids will have fun making and testing their own versions using old water bottles. Poke a hole through the bottle cap and hot glue a straw to the cap from the inside. Then size the straw so it fits almost to the bottom of the bottle. Add water, twist the cap back on the bottle, and squeeze. You can also take a bottle sprayer and connect its tube to the water bottle if you want to give your soaker a hand trigger.

Teach kids about the importance of recycling while showing them the magic of growing their own garden using old plastic containers. Large yogurt tubs are great for this project. First, have your kiddo paint and decorate the yogurt containers, labeling them if desired. Then, poke drainage holes in the bottom of the tubs before filling with soil and seeds or starter plants. And don't forget to use the yogurt lids as plant saucers underneath the DIY planters. They'll be so proud of their homemade planter pots, and you'll save a fortune on their new garden.