Quick and easy homestead uses for Plastic Bottles (PET)

Step 11 Additional Ideas

Here are some ideas that we haven't put together yet:

Chicken Waterer - this is similar to the hummingbird feeder: Humming Bird Feeder The difference is that you make it much bigger and juts fill it with water, no sugar.

Low-flush Toilet - Since we have a compost toilet, we can't do this one. But for those of you with flushing toilets, this would be great. Just fill a bottle with water and put it in the top tank, out of the way of any moving parts. It will help your toilet use less water.

Bird house - cut a 2 inch hole in a 2 liter bottle, paint it, and hang from a tree. It is a good idea to insert a small wooden dowel for a perch.

Keep updated on our ideas for this project: VelaCreations.com

Comments

[jlynne1]

Great ideas!
I especially loved the "brick" idea.
What a great way to recycle!!

[AmyLuthien]

I took several 2L bottles, drilled 4-5 small holes in each of the caps, then filled the bottles with water and put the caps back on. I then took all those bottles and stuck them cap-end down in the soil around my vegetable plants. It's a cheap way to water your plants while you're on vacation!

[velacreations]

yeah, we do the same thing, but for bee food. We stick the bottle upside down in a small hole in the roof of the bee hive. Works good.

[jasonicaudio]

 how bout a sprinkler for the yard or garden.
Cut a few  small holes in the side, and attach  your garden hose to the top of the bottle. duct tape might be needed. 
OR,
use a clear bottle, fill with different colors of sand, and have a sand art bottle.  
OR, 
you could raise frogs from tadpole to hopper. 

[ronmaggi]

I use 2 liter bottles to make my own soda. I'm thinking of making an I'ble on how if no one else has.

[ronmaggi]

make that re-use 2 liter bottles:)

[J@50n]

 yes there is one, but i'm sure your method is somewhat different.. post it anyway!

www.instructables.com/id/Make-your-own-Soda-----Cheap!/

[Jusme_Newby]

I like the idea but suggest NOT to add a perch. Birds can get in OK without one and predators have a harder time getting at the birds if there is no perch. Also, drill a couple of smaller holes (about a quarter of an inch) in the bottom for drainage and a couple in the side near the top for air circulation. Bluebirds like these if you make the entrance hole 1-1/4 inch. I've made a couple of these and I think the birds like them. But, that's Jusme.

[velacreations]

Thanks for the great suggestions. You could add a soft perch, like in some of the squirrel-proof feeders, but you are probably right, they don't need it. What size bottle do you use for the blue jays?

[Jusme_Newby]

Two Liter Bottles work fine but I think 3 Liter might be good too. And instead of painting them, I use Contac Paper.

[Patio Furniture]

RE: Step 10: Being in a hurricane prone area, we save our frozen goods by filling half the area of our large deep-freezer with pre-frozen ice blocks ( in all type plastic-ware.)....Some blocks can serve in the ice chest we work out of in the kitchen , thus allowing the ice chest to stay drier. Small previously unopened thawing water bottles serve as drinks!.. In extended outages, I bike to an area w/ electricity , with my emptied containers, fill and freeze. I kept us going after Gustauv and Katrina , for weeks like this and we had milk , eggs etc the whole time.....We use this trick in the laboratory also...when buying a new Ultracold , it takes a while to gather sample mass... even temps are maintained via frozen ice blocks , until we gather enough sample mass to remove the ice blocks.

[twighahn]

these also make good plant waterers. fill with water and put min hole in side near ground, not under.