Recycling plastic bottles : Pop Bottle Craft

Firefly Craft

Your kids will love to make this pop bottle craft this summer! A green pop bottle is transformed into a firefly using a glow stick. My kids just love glow sticks, and this is a fun and different way to enjoy them. Kids love to make each lightning bug unique! Once made, they can be saved each year and then a new glow stick can be added inside. The kids love flying these around the yard at night! 

Things Needed:

1. One 20 ounce green plastic soda bottle, empty and cleaned out (label removed)
2. One glow stick
3. Three 12 inch pipe cleaners in green or black, for the legs
4. One 12 inch pipe cleaner in gold, silver, or black (for the antennae)
5. Two yellow pony beads (for the eyes)
6. Construction paper or card stock (for thorax and wings)
7. Glue
8. Scissors
9. Black paint

1. Begin this pop bottle craft by cleaning out a green 20 ounce soda bottle. Remove the label by soaking it for awhile in warm water. Wash well and allow it to dry completely.

2. Twist three 12 inch green or black pipe cleaners around the middle of the bottle as shown. Give them a twist to secure, and then bend them to look like legs.

 

3. Cut a rectangle of construction paper or card stock to wrap around the pop bottle. Don’t have it wrap completely. Cut the rectangle slightly smaller so it ends where the legs show (as shown). Glue this paper on to the body to secure.

 

4. Fold another piece of construction paper or card stock in half. Cut a wing-like shape, using the fold to create mirror images of the wings. Glue these on top of the firefly’s body.

 

5. Paint the bottle cap black and allow it to dry. Screw the cap on the firefly. Glue two yellow pony beads to the sides of it, to be the lightning bug’s eyes. HINT: Make sure to screw the cap on first before you glue on the eyes, otherwise they eyes may not be in the right position. Then, wrap a 12 inch gold pipe cleaner around the neck of the bottle, twist to secure, and curl the ends to be the lightning bug’s antennae.

 

6. Crack to activate a glow stick and place it inside. I find just having it loose inside is fine. I have tried using clay to adhere the glow stick to the cap but it never seems to hold up well. If you glue the glow stick in, you won’t be able to re-use the firefly again very easily. Enjoy the pop bottle craft! 

source: www.crafts-for-all-seasons.com