Introduction: How to Make a Rake/Broom Out of Bottles
If you think you create a mess at home, whether it is in the kitchen, living room, your room, maybe even outside, then this is the solution for you. This is a quick way to make a rake/broom out of household materials, so a run to the nearest 99 cent store is unnecessary. A quick disclaimer, the entire project is not made out of bottles, only the bristles are.
Step 1: Gather Materials
For this, you will need the items listed below:
- Empty bottles, preferably soda bottles
- Round stick
- Piece of cardboard
- Scissors
- Tape
- Pen/Sharpie
Step 2: Measuring
Take the cardboard strip, which is either bent in half horizontally or has remained straight, and place the plastic bottles vertically along the side of it. Take the number of bottles that end up being placed along the sides and divide it by two, that will give you the number of bottles needed.
Step 3: Cutting the Bottles
Each bottle is going to be cut in half horizontally. That will removed the top of the bottle, leaving only the bottom which is then going to be split in half vertically. When that is done, it leaves behind two bowl like shapes. Around five vertical cuts should be made along the halves of the bottles, each dangling strip will then become the bristles.
Step 4: Some More Cutting
Before the bottles can be put on, place the stick in the center of the cardboard and trace an outline of it. Afterwards, cut out the outline and that will give you a spot to place the handle.
Step 5: Securing the Handle
All that this step requires is for you to take the handle and place it in the hole. This should give a tight fit, so the handle should not be able to move. If, however, you feel that the handle is too loose you can secure it with tape by taping together the underside of the cardboard and handle. Tape can also be wrapped around the handle to make it larger, therefore having a more snug fit.
Step 6: Securing the Bottles
Each bottle should have a flat surface where there are no cuts, take some tape and roll it up so that it is double sided. Once that is done, apply the tape to the bottle halves. Each half of a bottle should be placed right next to each other, as to avoid gaps in the rake when in use. Depending on whether the cardboard is bent or not, the area for placing the bottles will vary. With a straight piece of cardboard, you can place the flat surface of the bottle directly onto the cardboard; with a bent piece, the tape will need to be near the flat surface of the bottle, but not quite there yet.
Step 7: Finalizing
Once everything is on, make sure that everything is secure and does not have a chance of randomly falling off. I did not utilize glue for this, since I did not have any, but it is recommended to use a hot glue gun to make sure everything stays in place. For aesthetic purposes, you can paint, draw, or add designs to the handle and cardboard once everything is on.