Try to keep the cut as level as possible, but don’t worry if you curve a little bit. You can even out the line in the next step. If you need a smaller vase, you can also cut the bottle at the lower point. Be very careful cutting the bottle. Keep your fingers away from the blade and always cut away from your body.
The edges don’t have to be perfectly even. Just avoid any large bulges or curves that are out of line with the rest of the border.
Make sure the bottoms of these strips are even with each other, or the folds won’t be even later on.
When you’re done, the strips should be nearly flat as they extend from the bottle.
You can start going to the left as well, but once you pick a direction you have to stick with it to work around the whole bottle.
The strip may not stay put immediately. Tuck it in tightly so it stays secure. As you work around the bottle, you’ll get used to the correct motion to make the strips stay in place. Depending on how far you cut the bottle down, each strip may cover 3 strips instead of 2. This is okay. Tuck the plastic under the third strip as well.
Make sure no strips pop out while you’re working. Go back and tuck them back in if any come loose. Check that the folds are all even with each other. Make sure the folds are all roughly the same length and shape. If any are loose or out of shape, pull them out and tuck them back in so they’re consistent with the rest of the folds.
If you have a large bouquet, then place a few rocks at the bottom of the bottle so it doesn’t tip over. If you have many flowers, then continue this project with multiple bottles to create a nice flower display.
Be very careful when cutting the bottle. Keep your fingers away from the blade. If you don’t have a utility knife, you could also use scissors. Press one tip through the plastic. Then snip around the bottle to cut off the top.
You can make other designs too, but be careful about making them complicated. Remember, you still have to cut the design out. If you don’t want a design along the top of the vase and prefer it to be straight, then skip this step.
Check that the bottle edges are smooth when you’re done. Round out any uneven spots with more trimming if you have to.
If you spray paint, make sure to do it in an open area and cover anything that could get paint on it. The bottle may need 2 coats of paint. Apply the first coat and let it dry. If you can still see the plastic through the paint, then add another coat.
This is a great activity for kids. Give them a pack of stickers and let them decorate the vase however they want. Since it’s plastic, you don’t have to worry about them breaking it.
