Snowman Candy Container: From a Plastic Coke Bottle

Today’s project upcycles one piece of very common household trash: a 2-liter coke bottle. We’re going to use it to create the cutest snowman candy container you’ve ever seen!

Make one for the holidays and fill him with your favorite candy (chocolate kisses perhaps) and gift him to someone you love, or keep it for yourself and your immediate family to enjoy.

He’s so stinkin’ cute you may just keep him out for all of winter to help you make it through those dreary, snowy days.

Materials Needed for the Project:

• Plastic coke bottle (2-liter)
• Red craft paint or spray paint (glossy)
• White craft paint or spray paint (glossy)
• Mod Podge (unnecessary if using glossy spray paint)
• Foam brush (unnecessary if using glossy spray paint)
• (2) Black buttons
• Small piece of orange felt

Coke bottles work best for this project because they have curves in all the right places. Keep in mind that smaller plastic coke bottles work, too!

Step 1: You’ll be cutting away the center portion of the bottle. Make your first cut 3 3/4″ from the bottom, this will be your “bowl.”

Step 2: Cut 5 1/4″ from the lid down, this will be the “lid” of your candy container.

The “lid” will sit nicely on your “bowl” because of all those curves I mentioned. Save the middle for another project or recycle it.

This is what it looks like all put together before you do any painting or decorating.

Step 3: Using a foam brush, paint the lid with two coats of red acrylic craft paint.

Step 4: Paint the bottom with two coats or white acrylic craft paint.

Step 5: Give both the top and the bottom one coat of Mod Podge. The Mod Podge protects the painted surface and gives it some gloss.

[NOTE: If it weren’t freezing out, spray painting these in glossy red and white would be a quick and easy alternative. You might still need two coats of paint, but the Mod Podge would be unnecessary.]

Step 6: Attach two button eyes and a carrot nose made of felt and you’re done–now wasn’t that a simple craft?

Fill the bowl with candy or some other treat (I chose Lindt chocolate–yum) and you’re good to go.

This would make a great project for your children or grandchildren, about ages 8-12. They might like to give the lid some stripes or polka dots, or even a bit of trim.

I just love upcycling materials that would require extra energy to recycle. With just a bit of energy exerted on our part, we keep the bottles out of the solid waste stream.

It works that way with vintage and antiques as well. When we reuse or upcycle vintage pieces, we keep them out of the landfill. And as Martha says, that’s a good thing.