There is something inspiring about taking an item that was once considered “trash” and turning it into something useful by giving it a new purpose. These adorable hanging planters are made with recycled plastic bottles. They can be used in various ways and add interest to an empty corner or wall.

Things You’ll Need

  • Recycled plastic bottle (preferably with a rounded base)
  • Olive oil or nail polish remover, if needed
  • Utility knife
  • Scissors
  • Sandpaper, 120 grit, if needed
  • Power drill
  • Spray paint
  • Twine, rope or leather
  • Air plants or soil and regular plants
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.

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. Wash thoroughly and allow to dry.

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.

Using scissors, shape the front of the opening to form a slight curve. Sand any rough edges if necessary.

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. Spray paint the outside as well as the inside and allow to dry.

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 each 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 each hole.

You can place air plants in the planters or fill with soil and and plant some small plants. You could even use each vessel of the planter as a vase by filling it with water and placing fresh flowers in it.

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Note: If you plant regular plants in soil, put a few rocks on the bottom of each vessel since there are no drainage holes.

Enjoy your beautiful new planter knowing that you created something you can be proud of, helping out the environment in the process.

via ehow