Artist Claudia Gianini is known for transforming plastic bottles into creative and useful crafts. In this post, she shares an innovative project: how to make a napkin holder using recycled plastic bottles. This tutorial can also be adapted to create an eco-friendly card holder, allowing you to make the most of recyclable materials.
Necessary Materials
To create your napkin holder or card holder, you will need the following materials:
- 1 smooth two-liter bottle
- Scissors
- Utility knife
- Ruler
- Overhead projector pen
- Relief ink in light blue, dark blue, red and yellow colors
- Thinner
- Thick iron plate
These materials are easy to find and ensure that your project is done in an economical and sustainable way.
PET Bottle Preparation
Start by cleaning the PET bottle with thinner to remove the glue from the label. Then, use the ruler and overhead projector pen to mark a circle 14 cm from the bottom of the bottle. This step is crucial to creating the base of your napkin holder or card holder.
Using the utility knife, make a hole along the marking and cut out the bottle, removing the bottom and the spout. You will now have a central piece of the bottle to work with. Trim any burrs with the scissors to prepare the piece for the next steps.
Shaping the Piece
Identify the side line of the bottle and make a crease along it. Then, make a notch on one side to make it easier to form the cone. Take the side opposite the notch and fold it inwards, creating a double cone shape. Leave a space for finishing and crease the end to secure the cones in place.
Use scissors to round off the edges of the piece for a smoother finish. Next, heat the iron plate over low heat. Test the temperature by placing a piece of PET on the plate. When the piece starts to move, the plate is ready. Heat the tapered part of the piece and the edges on the plate, moving it in a circular motion. Be very careful when handling hot objects to avoid burns.
Finishing and Painting
Once you have shaped your piece, it is ready to be painted. Use the relief paint tubes to make random marks all over the piece, creating the desired pattern. Painting not only beautifies the piece, but also protects the surface of the PET.
Adapting for Card Holder
If you want to create a card holder instead of a napkin holder, simply use a 600 ml PET bottle. The process is similar, but the smaller size of the bottle will result in a more compact piece that is suitable for storing cards.
Benefits of Recycling in Crafts
Using PET bottles to create crafts offers multiple benefits. Firstly, recycling PET bottles helps reduce the amount of plastic waste in the environment. By transforming these materials into useful and decorative items, you contribute to reducing pollution and promoting sustainability. In addition, crafts with recycled materials are a creative and economical way to produce personalized objects, reducing the need to buy new materials.
Creative Exploration with Recycling
In addition to napkin holders and card holders, you can explore other craft possibilities with PET bottles. Try creating vases, lamps or even sculptures. Each project not only recycles materials, but also gives new life to objects that would otherwise be discarded. Creativity has no limits when it comes to recycling!
Learn more about the work of artisan Cláudia Gianini and get inspired by her projects
Learn how to make other arts by recycling, Click here.
Check out interesting facts about recycling clicking here.
