Just Paint It: Recycle Arrowhead Waterbottles into Candleholders

This is such a fun project – perfect for Spring and Easter! It’s also a great craft for kids too because it not only involves paint but recycling Arrowhead water bottles too. It’s never to soon to teach children the value of recycling, is it?

Do you recycle? In this day & age I think a lot of us assume everyone recycles. But Arrowhead Water gave me some troubling facts.

U.S. plastic beverage bottle recycling rates are only at about 30%
2.8 Billion plastic bottles ended up in California landfills in 2011
Even though a package says it is “100% recycleABLE”, that does not mean it is made with recyclED plastic. It just means it CAN BE recycled. In fact, most containers are not made of recycled plastic.

Arrowhead is launching a ReBorn bottle that is made with 50% rPET, which is fantastic. They’re taking the plastic that we recycle and using it to make brand new water bottles. Amazing, isn’t it?

While Arrowhead is doing their part to create new bottles, I wanted to show you another way to create something new from water bottles – Glittered Candleholders.

Cut the top part of the bottle off. Wipe the outside of the plastic with rubbing alcohol and allow to dry.

I also saved other parts of the bottle and will share those projects in the near future.

I used glass paint – Gloss Enamels by Americana – the same paint I used on my faux stained glass window.

I wasn’t sure how the paint would do on plastic but it worked great. I used both glitter & frost. The frost is nice but the glitter is really pretty. And sparkly.

I was pretty much smitten with one coat but I painted two. You can’t have too much sparkle, can you?

To cover the neck I glued a strip of ribbon around it.

So simple. So sparkly.

Add a faux gilded easter egg here and there and you have a pretty spring centerpiece for your table or mantle.

You could embellish the ribbon with crystals or these little dollar store foam stickers.

Before you recycle your next set of water bottles, set a few aside and make some quickie candleholders. Any left-over plastic goes into the recycling bin, of course.

You know, recycling is one of the easiest and most beneficial ways we can all help the environment. Sadly, only about 30% of PET plastic bottles get recycled. For recycling to work, we all have to do our part.

Unfortunately, not all plastic bottles are made with recycled plastic. It’s Arrowheads goal to continue increasing the use of recycled materials in their bottles, but they need everyone’s help. Currently, there isn’t enough recycled plastic available for Arrowhead to make 100% rPET bottles.

Make recycling a part of your family’s routine.

Follow Arrowhead ReBorn Bottle on Facebook and watch The Beauty of Recycling video to learn more.

Thanks to Arrowhead Waters for sponsoring today's project.

Colleen

about Colleen