How to Make a House Out of Recycled Plastic Bottles

Hello, in this instructable I will show you how we made a house out of plastic bottles. This is a fun project for you and your children. They will love to help you build an awesome house and learn about recycling. We used a big, 7 liters round plastic bottle , a 5 liters square plastic bottle and a few smaller ones of 1 and 2 liters. You will need some craft foam, wood glue, sand and acrylic paint. Have fun, you can make it!

Step 1: Glue the Plastic Bottles Together

For this step you will need your plastic bottles and hot glue. We started with the big bottle in the middle, and glued the other bottles around it. We tried to use different shapes and sizes alternating the square bottles with the round ones, the small bottles with the large ones. This step is very important because now you decide what shape your house is going to have. You can cut some of the bottles where they join for a nicer look. Make sure your glue gun is not too hot because plastic bottles can easily change shape when heated. You can decide now where the windows will go and you can even draw them on the bottles with a permanent marker.

Step 2: Wood Glue and Paper Towels

In this step you apply a layer of wood glue and paper towels on the whole surface of your house, except the windows and the top of the house, where the roof will be. We used wood glue that goes transparent when dry but you can use any wood glue. Let it dry over night

Step 3: Craft Foam

In this step we will use hot glue and craft foam for making doors, windows and other small ornaments like bricks or a small border on the lower side of the house. The border can help you conceal the bottoms of your plastic bottles and will make your house look nicer. After this step your house beginning to look more like a house and less like some plastic bottles.

Step 4: Wood Glue and Sand

In this step we will use wood glue and sand. Spread the glue on the surface of your house and throw sand over the wet glue. You can also use a tea strainer for straining the sand on the wet glue. Work small areas so your glue doesn't dry. Let it dry over night.

Step 5: Making the Roofs

In this step you will make the roofs of your house. You will cut the heads of your plastic bottles first so the roofs will easily fit. The easiest method of making the rooft is by making paper cones. It goes the same for the square bottles. The easiest way of making paper cones is by drawing a circle and making a straight cut from one side to the middle of the circle. From this point it's easy to make any kind of cone you want, wide or pointy and it will fit your plastic bottles nicely. For the square bottles just press your cone from one side and then from the other side, then cut the round edges so you will get a pyramid.

Step 6: Roof Tiles

For this step you will cut thin stripes of craft foam. The tiles, like in real life, are layed starting from the bottom of the roof and working your way up. Be patient, it's worth the trouble

Step 7: Painting

This is the final step. I know you think it looks nice even without the paint, but trust me, it can look even better. Use just a few colors and paint carefully. You can use stronger colors than we did depending on the purpose of your house. Let me know what you think and if you make one house from your plastic bottles please share it in the comment section below. Thank you