Simple Decorative Garden Paving "Stone" Made From HDPE Plastic Bottles
1 Material
3 Hours
Easy
I have recently become a little obsessed with watching videos on how to melt HDPE plastic. The projects that I found on line required a mold to compress the plastic and wood working tools to shape the plastic.
I was looking for a simpler way to make the plastic into a usable item. My project didn't turn out exactly as I had pictured it but as soon as I save up some more bottles I want to try it again.
This is a practice shape that I melted and molded in a tuna fish tin. :-)
I had to cut the tin to get the plastic out and I didn't really have a usable piece of plastic but I liked the swirling of the colors.
The process is pretty simple. You start with HDPE bottles. They are the ones with a number 2 recycling logo on them. I used shampoo, lotion and milk bottles and a few bottle caps in my project.
The first step is to wash all the bottles and cut them into pieces. I have seen some folks chop their plastic up in a blender but you don't really have to cut it up that small.
All you need for supplies are your bottles, some parchment paper, a couple of cookie sheets, a knife or spatula, some hot pads and your oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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This video shows the hole process.
If you would like to see the entire post you can read it here.
For more upcycling inspiration please visit UpcycleDesignLab.com
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Comments
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3 comments
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Thanks for sharing this!! SO creative!
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I did a lot of research and improved on someone else's chart. Feel free to share It! I tried to get it posted on HT.
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Thanks for the info.
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Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
I’m curious about whether or not there are toxic fumes from the heated plastic. Also , would it be easier to manipulate if the oven were hotter?