If you are looking for fantastic DIY Planter ideas then you will love this fantastic recycled bottle planter. This lovely Unicorn planter is a fabulous recycled craft project and one I'm sure the kids will love to make.
Are you a fan of recycled craft ideas? We sure are and we have plenty of crafts you can make here on The Inspiration Edit using recycled materials. Check out our recycled bug badges! You'll love them!
Whether your making homemade flower planters or your making a planter to grow fresh herbs, here is a fantastic bottle recycling idea you will love!
Jump to:
💖 Why You'll Love This Craft
- Creative and Fun: Turn a simple plastic bottle into a magical unicorn planter – it's the perfect craft for unicorn fans!
- Eco-Friendly: A fun way to recycle bottles, giving them a new life while teaching kids about sustainability.
- Personalizable: Kids can paint and decorate their unicorn however they like, making each planter unique!
🎨 Supplies Needed
- Plastic bottle
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Sharpie
- Glitter paper
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brush
RELATED POST: MOTHERS DAY FLOWER POT CRAFT FOR KIDS
🖌️ Homemade Planter Ideas - Bottle Recycling Unicorn Planter!
Wash, clean and dry inside of the plastic bottle. Bottle recycling is such a good thing to do and using empty bottles to grow plants or herbs is great for the environment.
- Step 1: Use a temporary marker pen to draw your unicorn shape on the bottle. Keeping the bottom side of the bottle intact and leaving the determined height of the unicorn planter (from the bottom), trace the ears and horn layout on the top side.
- Step 2: Cut out the bottom along the traced pattern.
- Step 3: Use white acrylic paint to paint your cutout bottle unicorn. Allow the paint to dry entirely.
- Step 4: Apply a second coat of white paint if needed. Allow the paint to dry again.
- Step 5: Trace and cut out the unicorn horn from golden glitter paper. You can use black acrylic paint to draw the eyes on the bottle or you can also draw the eyes on a paper and cut them out.
- Step 6: Attach the unicorn horn onto the bottle. If you’re using paper eye cutouts, glue them below the horn, keeping at least 2 cm gap between the eyes and the horn.
- Step 7: Cut out some flower patterns from coloured craft paper.
- Step 8: Attach the flower cutouts along the top open side of the unicorn, right below the unicorn horn and ears. Your bottle recycling planter should now be ready!
Now you can add some soil and seed and begin to grow your plant!
You may want to grow herbs! We have a great tutorial on how to grow fresh herbs you may love! Growing herbs is really simple and easy and is something the kids could get involved in.
You may also love the following planter and recycling ideas!
- Mothers Day Flower Pot Craft
- Amazing Upcycling Projects Using Baskets
- Garden Seed Bombs Activity
- DIY Wooden Pallet Projects
💡 Pro Tip: Set your finished unicorn planter on a removable drip tray or saucer—this catches excess water, helps you track watering frequency, and prevents overwatering mishaps.
🧑🎨 Expert Tips for DIY Unicorn Planter
- Drainage Layering: Use a base of small pebbles or sand to create a drainage layer that prevents waterlogging and promotes healthy root aeration in your planter.
- Hole Reinforcement: Puncture evenly spaced drainage holes in the bottle’s bottom, then cover them with a piece of landscape fabric to let water escape without losing soil.
- Weight Distribution: Add a layer of heavier stones or gravel before soil to lower the planter’s center of gravity, ensuring it stays upright even with tall or top-heavy plants.
- Soil Blending: Combine quality potting mix with perlite or coarse sand to achieve a balance of moisture retention, nutrient availability, and air circulation for robust plant growth.
- Water Flow: Angle the bottle slightly during planting so excess water naturally guides toward the holes, reducing the risk of stagnant moisture and root rot.
- Edge Sealing: Smooth and seal any rough cut edges with waterproof silicone or tape to protect against cracking and maintain the bottle’s structural integrity over multiple seasons.
💭 FAQs
Succulents or small herbs thrive here—they need minimal soil and fit the narrow bottle shape, ensuring roots don’t overcrowd or rot in limited space.
Add a layer of small pebbles or broken terra-cotta before potting mix. This creates a barrier so excess water pools below, preventing root sogginess.
Yes—use non-toxic acrylic paint and let it cure fully (24 hours) before adding soil. This avoids chemical leaching that could stress plant roots.
Hang under a covered patio to protect paint and soil from heavy rain. Rotate periodically so sun-loving plants get even light exposure.
DIY Planter Ideas Bottle Recycling Unicorn Planter
Equipment
- Scissors
Materials
- Plastic bottle
- Pencil
- Sharpie
- Glitter paper
- Acrylic paint
- Paint brush
Instructions
- Use a temporary marker pen to draw your unicorn shape on the bottle.
- Keeping the bottom side of the bottle intact and leaving the determined height of the unicorn planter (from the bottom), trace the ears and horn layout on the top side.
- Cut out the bottom along the traced pattern.
- Use white acrylic paint to paint your cutout bottle unicorn. Allow the paint to dry entirely.
- Apply a second coat of white paint if needed. Allow the paint to dry again.
- Trace and cut out the unicorn horn from golden glitter paper.
- You can use black acrylic paint to draw the eyes on the bottle or you can also draw the eyes on a paper and cut them out.
- Attach the unicorn horn onto the bottle.
- If you’re using paper eye cutouts, glue them below the horn, keeping at least 2 cm gap between the eyes and the horn.
- Cut out some flower patterns from coloured craft paper.
- Attach the flower cutouts along the top open side of the unicorn, right below the unicorn horn and ears.
- Your bottle recycling planter should now be ready!
🖌️ Related Crafts
Love these crafts! Don't forget to pin them on Pinterest or leave a comment and let us know how you got on!
Did you make this craft? Leave a review and comment below! Alternatively, bookmark it in your browser or save to Pinterest.
MORE CRAFTS YOU MIGHT LIKE:
FROG LIFECYCLE CRAFT ACTIVITY FOR KIDS
20 STAR WARS CRAFTS KIDS WILL LOVE
Leave a Reply