Upcycled Laundry Detergent Watering Can

Our efforts to be eco-minded inspire us to think creatively, especially when it comes to repurposing trash and transforming it into treasure. During the past few months, we created a small garden patio with living wall planters to green the Honest office space (edible gardening tips coming soon!) and we needed an easy, portable watering solution to bring our plant pockets to life. So, Honest Melissa transformed an empty laundry detergent bottle into a DIY watering can.

Bonus: Upcycling the detergent bottle has many positive uses and benefits beyond keeping trash out of landfills and saving a few extra dollars here and there. Here are some of our faves:

• Honest Sarah says the watering can proved perfect for small hands, making it a great way for kids to get involved with chores, tend to the garden, or simply enjoy outdoor showers and water play. It even can be turned into an art project by letting the little ones decorate the bottle.

• Facebook Friend Jay shares, “the bottle can be altered to make a plant watering/fertilizing system. Just bury the top upside down with holes in it and put enriched water in the cut off top. It gives a slow, even watering system.” Jay also suggests filling the bottle with rocks to create DIY dumbbells (no gym needed).

• Another community member says, “My hubby uses it not for a watering can for plants, but to quickly rinse off after a day at the beach.”

• Speaking of the beach, Honest Jen says you can cut the bottom off (leave the handle in tact) to make an easy scoop for playing in the sand.

• Or, instead of creating showers, reuse the detergent bottle to save water. Simply place a weighted jug in a toilet tank to displace water and reduce use.

Now for the fun stuff.

To get started, you’ll need these materials:

(1) Empty laundry detergent bottle

(2) Pencil

(3) Small drill bits

(4) Drill

The rest is a piece of cake. In fact, it only takes about 15 minutes from beginning till end.

Step 1: Rinse out any remaining detergent from the empty bottle until there are no suds.

Step 2: Map out where you would like to drill the holes on the bottle cap. The pencil marks can be erased if you need to reposition the dot.

Step 3: Stabilize the bottle and apply light pressure to drill the holes into the cap.

Honest Melissa’s Tip: When choosing your drill bit, opt for something smaller, around 1/8". When I used a larger bit, the cap cracked down the middle on my last hole. The smaller hole size also makes for a gentler, lighter stream of water.

Step 4: Using a larger 1/2" bit, drill a hole just above the top of the handle. This will allow for a smoother flow of water and relieve the pressure when you turn it upside down.

Voila!

How will you use your detergent bottle?