Background Info: This project is inspired by my seventh grade teacher's 'Trashionista Art'. I have changed this board to allow it to be hung on a wall with ease. The original piece involved using a very thick and large foam board; the only way it could be displayed was to place it on an easel. To remove this hassle, I substituted the foam board for a thinner and smaller one.

I actually did this project, and it resulted with great success. I created these boards (along with my mom) to fill in the empty spaces in both me and my sister's bedroom walls. This project allows a person to express themselves in an eco-friendly way. Along with that, this is a very fun family activity without so much out-of-pocket $$$$. Most of the supplies can be found either at home or a local crafts store.

Step 1: Supplies Needed

plastic bottles
scissors
kitchen knife
glue gun and glue sticks
acrylic paint (any color or multiple colors)
paint brushes (preferably different widths)
a foam board (any color and any size)
trash bag(s)
color palette
clear push pins

Step 2:

Collect about 50 plastic bottles, depending on the size of the foam board. The more, the better. :D

Step 3:

Using your knife, cut off the top quarter section of a plastic bottle (the section with the bottle cap). Afterwards, use your scissors to cut petals. Bend the petals downward.

Step 4:

Repeat Steps 1 and 2 with the rest of the plastic bottles. Recycle the bottom sections and the clippings from cutting the petals (being more eco-friendly here).:-*

Step 5:

Lay out a trash bag flat on a table and add some acrylic paint to the color palette. If you don't have one, use the trash bag or a paper plate.

Step 6:

Flip a flower over and paint the undersides of the petals. Repeat this with every plastic flower.

Be creative with them! If you have no ideas, some suggestions are the seasons and rainbows (sure, why not?) :-].

Clean the brushes when necessary. If you don't have art brushes, you can use basting brushes or your... fingers! Sure it might be a little sticky and you may not get the results you want, but an artist is always messy and splattered with paint. Trust me, having the courage to get down and dirty is 'awesomer' than you think. 0.0

Step 7:

Let them dry for at least one or two hours, to make sure when you touch the paint, it doesn't smear and ruin your designs. :'(

Step 8:

After they are dried, gather the foam board, glue gun, and glue sticks. Place them on a flat surface, such as a table or counter.

Step 9:

Collect the plastic flowers and arrange them on the foam board in any way you want.

Be adventurous!

A suggestion would be to leave an empty space in the middle to paint some words in it (an example would be the blue board at the bottom of the page).

Step 10:

Plug in the glue gun to an electric socket. When it reaches its maximum temperature (it takes a few minutes), start gluing the flowers to their places.

Don't take too much time with the glue. It dries very fast (within seconds) and your electricity bill will go up. A shoutout to all parents: that is no fun.... at all. XO