Turn plastic bottles into magnolia brooches

How to make one...

Note this is definitely a project that needs an adult.

1.Preheat your oven to 160 degrees Celcius.
2.Using a knife, over a cutting board and holding onto the larger part of the bottle, cut the bottom off a 600mL bottle. We found that this size is the best and the smaller the bottle the thicker the plastic and the harder it is to cut.

3.Trim the bottle base into a flower shape with a pair of scissors. Cut wedges out that line up with the moulded grooves.

Then you need to round off the wedges into petal shapes.

4.If you are colouring with nail polish you need to paint the inside of your flower now.

5.Prepare a baking tray. Use an old baking tray and cover it with alfoil (just in case it’s one of Mum’s favourites). Place your bottle flower on the tray and into the oven. Close the door and watch as the petals curl up. It won’t take very long (30 seconds). Then, using oven mits, remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool. It also won’t take very long. Once you turn off your oven, leave the door open a little and the exhaust fan on. This is just to be safe. We didn’t detect any chemical smells as they aren’t in there long enough to create a problem but you don’t want your dinner to taste like plastic.
6.If you are colouring with acrylic paint. Cover and protect your work surface and the children. Paint the inside of the plastic bottle. You need to apply it thickly and as evenly as possible. It will take a long time to dry. Paint them in the morning and finish then off in the afternoon. If you want them to last, you need to cover the paint with a layer of clear sealant. We used a product called Mod Podge which you can apply with a brush.
7.When the paint is completely dry, add a spot of craft glue to the centre of your flower. Pour the tiny seed beads onto the glue. Gently push them into the glue then wait a minute for it to set. Tip out the excess beads and allow to dry completely.

8.Turn your flower over and attach the brooch pin to the back using craft glue.

Our goal for our Mother’s Day posts was to come up with ideas for jewellery that Dad and the kids could make and you would actually want to wear. Our first project is these magnolia brooches. Can you believe these beautiful brooches are made from plastic Coke bottles? Well here’s how to make your own. To prove the point, we even enlisted a Dad to make them for our tutorial. It’s my Dad and he says ‘they are do-able’.

Things you need...

— 600mL plastic soft drink bottles

— Scissors (not your best pair as cutting plastic is not very good for scissors)

— Serrated or stanley knife and cutting board

— An oven

— Cheap nail polish OR acrylic paint (and painting supplies)

— If you are using acrylic paint, you also need Mod Podge or other clear sealant

— Craft glue

— Gold seed beads (tiny little beads)

— Brooch pin (you can find these in the jewellery section of craft supply stores like Spotlight or Riot)

Total cost: $6 and you can make 7 brooches and a heap of other flowers.

A choice to make...

We came up with two ways to colour the brooches. You can choose which one you use...

1.Nail polish. PROS: It works really well and gives you an excellent finish. It dries quickly. It’s cheap and comes in lots of wonderful colours. CONS: It stinks. I’m assured by a doctor that it’s not bad for you unless you are exposed to it 24/7 but the smell gives me a headache. It’s up to you if you want your kids using nail polish. If you choose to do it this way, do it outside where you have good ventilation and it won’t stink out your house. Once completed, you should leave them outside for a couple of hours to air out and then the smell will be gone forever.
2.Acrylic paint. PROS: It’s less stinky and more kid-friendly. CONS: It takes ages to dry and a little effort to get it to cover the plastic without streaking. You will also need to seal it with Mod Podge to stop it scratching off.

Turn plastic bottles into magnolia brooches

Friday, 20 April 2012

MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS