Things You Didn't Know...

Instructions:

For my basket, I used a 16-ounce plastic bottle, but you can modify this project to use any size bottle.

Start out by using the utility knife to cut the bottom 2- to 3-inches off of the plastic bottle. This will b e your basket so you can make it as deep or as shallow as you like. Make sure it is an even, clean cut. An adult should do this for any child!

Next, use the utility knife to make two small slits on the side of the basket, directly across from each other and about a half to one inch down from the top. Poke an end of the chenille stem through each slit so about an inch hangs into the inside of the basket. Fold up the ends of the chenille stem and secure them with a little bit of glue.

Now you can decorate it! I would suggest covering the top edge with ribbon or even dimensional paint to cover any sharp edges. Decorate the outside of the basket with any craft supplies you have on hand. I cut small egg shapes out of craft foam, decorated them with dimensional paint, and then glued them around the top of the basket.

Finally, Fill the basket with a little bit of Easter grass and a treat or two. These make fun decorations or gifts!

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Create a backyard sprayer for the kids to run through on a hot summer day. Cut three 1-inch holes along one side of a 2-liter soda bottle. Angle the slits so that the water squirts out in different directions. Fasten the garden hose to the bottle with duct tape and turn on the water to cool down the kids.

Make an environmentally friendly bug trap for stingy insects. Mix a 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup of sugar in a 2-liter soda bottle. When it is dissolved, add a cup of apple cider vinegar and a banana peel that's cut into small pieces to fit through the neck of the bottle. Seal the bottle and give it a good shake. Fill the bottle halfway with cold water. Drill a 3/4-inch hole near the top of the bottle and hang it in a tree close to where the insects are a problem. Replace the trap as needed.

Zero in on weeds when spraying herbicide. Cut a 2-liter soda bottle in half. Set the top half over the weed to be sprayed and direct the spray through the open in the top of the bottle. Pick up the bottle when the spray settles on the weed, and move to the next one.

Fashion a watering can from a 1-gallon jug with a handle. Drill or punch 10-12 small holes just below the spout of the jug on the side opposite the handle. Fill the jug with water and replace the cap.

Make identification tags for every plant. Cut strips from the side of a 1-gallon water jug that are the same width as the seed packet and at least twice the length. Fold the plastic strip over the seed packet and staple it to a chopstick to create a marker for the garden row.

Feed the birds. Use a half-gallon jug and carve a hole in the side to remove the section where the handle is located. Drill a small hole just beneath the opening to insert a short dowel for a perch. Drill through the bottle cap and insert a piece of strong twice that is knotted at one end so it won't pull through. Fill the jug with birdseed up to the level of the perch and hang in a tree.