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Overhead view of fully painted and completed airplane bottle craft against a blue backdrop.
Print Recipe

Upcycled Plastic Bottle Airplane Craft

The Plastic Bottle Airplane Craft Idea is a great way to upcycle and think of those in the aviation field for National Aviation Day. A plastic bottle, cardboard and paint are the stars of this air show.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Recycled Craft
Cuisine: Craft
Keyword: airplane birthday decoration, diy airplane craft, kids craft, national aviation day, plastic bottle airplane, upcycled plastic bottle
Servings: 1 plastic bottle airplane
Author: Shelly
Cost: $6

Equipment

  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Exacto or Utility Knife
  • Paint brushes of various sizes

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Measure and Cut a piece of cardboard that is about 2.5 inches wide and 14 inches long. Increase the length of the wings by 4 inches if using a 2-liter bottle. I used the side of my cereal box, it was the perfect size for the smaller bottle size.
    Then cut a second piece of cardboard that is 1.5 inches wide and 10 inches long. Increase the length by 2 inches if using the 2-liter bottle.
  • Now grab the copy of your free pattern to draw the final airplane parts on the cardboard (wheels, vertical stabilizer, and propeller).
    Cut the copied pieces out and then trace them onto the cardboard.
    Cut these cardboard pieces out with a scissors on the outside line. 
    Use the bottle cap of your bottle to draw a circle in the center of the propeller. Cut that circle piece out.
  • Cut slits in your plastic bottle
    Note: Before making the following slits in the bottle, draw them on the bottle with a permanent marker.
    Draw and then make a 2.75 inch slit with the Exacto or utility knife on opposite sides of the plastic bottle. They should be about two inches back from the bottle opening. The slits run straight down the side of the bottle for that 2 ¾ inch. This will be for the airplane wings.
    Draw and then make 1.75 inch slit with the Exacto knife on opposite sides of the plastic bottle. These should be about an inch from the bottom of the bottle and should run in line with the first slits you made. These are for the back horizontal stabilizer which looks much like the wings piece but is smaller.
    Make a 2-inch slit in the top of the plastic bottle above and parallel to the back stabilizer slits. This will be for the vertical stabilizer piece cut from the pattern.
  • Now, stick the edge of the wing piece into a slit on one side of the plane, through the plastic bottle and out through the other side of the bottle. Repeat this with the second piece, the vertical stabilizer piece. (It looks a lot like the wings but smaller.)Note: I had to stick a paint brush through the bottle to open up the slit on the opposite side of the bottle so I could get the cardboard through. 
    The wing piece will slip into one slit and then out the other in the front of the plane. The vertical stabilizer does the same in the back of the plane.
    The vertical stabilizer piece slips down into the slit in the top of the plane.
  • Take the wheel section and bend down on the dotted lines. This will be glued under the front section of the plane, under the wings. 
    The back end of the plane will sit on the countertop and the front end will sit up on the wheels. 
    If the cardboard wheels don’t stand up well, use a paper clip or small piece of cardboard and hot glue it between the wheels. 
  • Lastly, unscrew the lid of the plane and put the propeller over/on the mouth of the bottle. Then screw the lid back on. 
    OK, so the assembly is complete. You can leave it this way if you want or go ahead and paint the Plastic Bottle Airplane Craft Idea. I wanted to paint mine!
  • Go outside, put down some paper to protect the lawn and spray paint the top of the bottle, wings and tail sections. This will be the base color of your airplane. I used white but thought silver would look cool too.
    Let the plane dry, then turn it over and spray paint the under side of the plane, wings, and wheels.
    After it is completely dry, take it back inside and put it over paper again to do some more painting.
  • Now, have some fun painting your airplane with it’s own markings using acrylic craft paints and your paint brushes. You can use stripes, stars, or any design you would like. 
    I used bright blue, green, and yellow and made a couple stars on the wings. Don't forget to put in windows for the pilots in the front! 
    You can also use stickers and decals on your plane or write your name with a permanent marker.

Video

Notes

Note: Be careful with the Exacto or utility knife to make small pokes into the bottle to make the slits. If you pull hard, it can slit the whole bottle and is not as safe. It also works to start the slit with the Exacto knife and then finish it with the scissors.