Turn six empty plastic bottles into a set of bowling pins you can use indoors or outside. Paint them white, add red stripes, and you’ve got a recycled bowling set ready for the backyard, basement, or classroom.
Materials
Supplies:
- 6 clear plastic bottles (water bottles or soda bottles, any size)
- White acrylic craft paint
- Red ribbon or red duct tape
- A few coins or small pebbles (optional, for weight)
Tools:
- Scissors
No acrylic paint? White contact paper or white duct tape wrapped around the bottles works too. For the ball, crumple a sheet of aluminum foil into a tight ball and wrap it with rubber bands.
Steps
- Remove the labels. Peel all labels off the bottles. Soak in warm water if the glue is stubborn.
- Paint the inside. Squirt a few tablespoons of white acrylic paint into each bottle along with a few drops of water. Screw the cap on and shake until the inside is completely coated. Add more paint if needed.
- Drain and dry. Pour out any excess paint. Stand the bottles upside down on newspaper to drain, then let them dry overnight. The paint coats the inside, so the outside stays smooth and clean.
- Add the stripes. Cut two strips of red ribbon or duct tape and wrap them around the neck of each bottle, just like real bowling pins.
- Add weight (optional). If your bottles tip over too easily in the wind, drop a few coins or pebbles inside before sealing the cap.
- Set up and bowl. Arrange the six pins in a triangle (3-2-1 formation). Step back, roll your ball, and try for a strike.
Grownup help needed: None. This craft is fully kid-safe.
