Credit: Courtesy of Diane Gilleland
Recycling plastic bottles is a noble alternative to trashing them, but you'll save even more resources by giving those empties a new life in your home. Of course, who wants a home decorated with plain bottles? Perk up your plastic with this idea for pint-sized desk organizers from Diane Gilleland at Craft.
She used 20 oz. soda bottles rescued from her recycling bin and cut the bottom off right where the base narrows, leaving her with a palm-sized cup complete with five feet on the bottom for sturdy storage. A few quick coats of lime green spray paint and a ring of scrap felt hide the plastic look (and any rough edges) for a colorful finished storage system that's just the right size for organizing paperclips, erasers, rubber bands, and thumbtacks. But you don't need to limit yourself to the office: make a set to organize small nails, screws, and other hardware on your workbench; one for spare bobbins, buttons, and beads in your craft room; and to keep jewelry, spare change, and cufflinks safe on your dresser.
If you've managed to successfully give up plastic bottles (great job!) you can use a similar technique on glass or small cans—though you won't have the same flexibility when it comes to adjusting the size, so choose empty containers in the size you need. Look for special spray paints formulated for glass, or check out our other posts on dressing up recyclables for reuse—we'll show you how to use yarn, tile, and fabric to stay organized without investing in pre-made plastic systems.
