Turn your shampoo bottle into a caddy!

Have you ever walked out of your home forgetting something like your wallet or your keys? Have you tried to have a designated bowl by the door so you don't forget these things, but then end up with a bowl that contains random things like gum, baseballs, or markers? That's the problem we have at our place. So when I saw this post by ProjectSunlight (after seeing it on the Today show), I figured I'd give it a try! If you want to reuse and make your own caddy, here's what you'll need:

1. An empty bottle (you could use a shampoo or body wash bottle but the flatter and taller, the better!)

2. Scissors and/or a knife

3. Sandpaper

4. A marker

5. Paint, fabric (with spray adhesive), markers, whatever you want to use to decorate it!

Start by taking off the top of the bottle. This will be a little tricky, I'll be honest. I drew a line where I wanted to make the cut, however scissors just didn't do it. I had to use a large kitchen knife and saw at it like a piece of wood. Once you cut through the front of the bottle, the sides and back of the bottle will be a piece o' cake.

Next, draw a square on the back of the bottle about 1-2" from the top. Keep in mind you can always make the square bigger but not smaller. If you have doorknobs, you'll need a wide square.

Once you're done drawing your square, draw lines halfway down the side of the bottle (you can put your phone or wallet up against and see how much space from the bottom to give). Draw a line across the front of the bottle (it helps to remove any labeling you might have).

Just like before, take your scissors or knife and cut out the square and the lines.

Use sandpaper to smooth out the bottle, so you don't have stray pieces of plastic sticking out.

Now you're free to decorate however you want. I tried putting on fabric but it didn't look good at all. It's such an awkward shape, I just couldn't get the fabric to fit on the bottle so I opted for permanent marker instead.

Put it in your kitchen, by your front door, your bathroom, wherever you want, and enjoying using your new/reusable caddy!

TOTAL COSTS: Free!

Shampoo bottle, scissors, knife, sandpaper, and markers all on hand

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 30 minutes

20 minutes to draw, cut, and sand the bottle

10 minutes to decorate 

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 3 out of 5

The hardest parts would be cutting off the top of the bottle and making sure the hole was big enough for your doorknob. I had to make quite a few adjustments before I was able to slip it on. Other than that, this would be a great project for kids to help with, as they learn how to reuse items and can decorate the caddy to their hearts content!

Comic Wallet

Here's a post by Keri Smith that I came across that would be perfect for a.) kids who love comic books or b.) grown-ups that love comic books that don't have a lot in their wallets! Note that there aren't any slits for credit cards - this is as basic a wallet as you can make.

Here's what you'll need:

1. A comic (since I don't have any comic books, I just Google-imaged "Harley Quinn" and used one of her comics)

2. Scissors

3. Clear packaging tape

4. A ruler (optional - this is only if you have a physical comic book that you will be cutting up)

First, take your comic and cut it into a 5 1/2" x 6 1/2" square. I just took an image, put it in a Word doc, sized it up in the program, and printed it out on white cardstock.

Next, put two layers of clear packaging all over the comic.

Make sure to do this both on the front and the back.

Trim off the excess tape with your scissors.

Once the entire page is covered with clear tape, front and back, fold the wallet in half so the 6 1/2" side  is the long side.

Tape the two sides with clear packaging tape and cut off the excess tape.

If you realize you've taped it the wrong way... like some blogger did... ahem... just take your scissors and cut the sides open, refold, and retape the right way.

And voila! Your very own comic wallet!

TOTAL COSTS: About $5
$4.99 for packaging tape (but I got mine from the UPS store which was WAY overpriced!)
Printer, paper, and scissors on hand

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: About 20 minutes
15 minutes to tape front and back
5 minutes to print comic, cut it out, and tape sides shut

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5
If you can cut out a comic, cover the paper in tape, fold it, and then tape the sides, it's a piece 'o cake! Would be a great project for a kid to do!