Another way to do this is to leave an inch when cutting offf the top. That makes a hinge. I poke a hole on the bottom just below the cut and on the top just above the cut. through this I put a twistie tie. Keeps it shut when it's cold and before seeds germnate (keeps things moist) then just untwistie tie and open it up with the hinge. Can use them year after year. I bought a cheapy sodering tool to use when making bottom holes and the holes for the twistie ties. Do this outside so you don't breath the chemicals.

Update on these planters need to find a better way to hang them after months of heat the tie wraps have worked throw and some are hanging by a thread but i must say all grew super well peppers best here are some pic Dont think ill do the 4 jugs again ill just do the pail upside down pots nexted year they sure gave me tons of bell peppers and japinos and way more cherry tomatoes then i know what to do with for less space great and the upside down shades the plant from our very hot texas sun hehehehe I did water ever other day and very little fert .All my dill died and im starting new batch. Angie

I don't remember where I got these instructions, but I have 3 versions saved. I hope it comes thru okay. Bottle Butterflies! step 1Materials You really really need: *Old plastic bottles (esp 1 liter ones...they have a bigger surface for more butterflies, but any bottle with straight sides will do) *Push pins (thumbtacks) *A piece of wood that you are able to push the thumbtacks into *Acrylic paint *Sandpaper (220 works best for me! :D) *Polymer clay (browns and blacks mostly) *Strong glue (I have used hot glue, but it doesn't seem to be strong enough. I suggest gorilla glue or some kind of epoxy) *Paintbrushes *Sharp scissors or an exacto knife You only sorta need: *Clear spray varnish (preferably oil-based) *Pearl Ex-which is a mica-based powder that makes the wings shimmer! *Black wire *Small black seed beads *Gel acrylic medium (matte) step 2Prepare the bottle To prepare your bottle for being turned into a butterfly, first wash the label off. I do this by soaking it in my sink with some dish detergent, and then picking any bits off that don't come right off. If there is still a thin strip of gluey goo stuff, don't worry about it. Cut around the top of the bottle to get the top off-all you want to use is the straight part of the bottle-no curves. Do the same to the bottom. As soon as you have a cylinder of plastic, cut down the side with the gluey goo to create a rectangle of plastic. Now, you have to sand the plastic so that your paint will stick to it well. The side you will sand is the side that was on the outside of the bottle. I use 220 grit and sand in a circular motion until the bottle appears "frosted" or matte. You can also work to 400 grit, but I only use 220 because i want my bottle to be rougher, so that the paint sticks better. step 3The set-up Now you want to figure out what kind of butterfly you want to paint. I just google imaged pictures of butterflies to get ideas...there are some incredible tropical butterflies out there! I have also made local butterflies, such as monarchs, as well. Once you get an idea of what kind of butterfly you want, print out some pictures of them. Then, cut out the outline of the butterflies, and trace them onto your plastic with a permanent marker, making sure that they are set up so that the tips of the wings are parallel to the top of the plastic, so that when you fold the wings, they wont be all funny! (see picture) To trace easily, weigh the ends of the plastic down with something heavy. Now, you need to pin your plastic to your piece of wood. To do this, lay it down flat on the wood and push in pins wherever you can find space-but NOT inside or on the butterfly shapes! You want your plastic to lie fairly flat so don't hold back on those pins! :D (Good workout for your thumbs too) step 4Painting the base layer Now you will paint a base layer for your butterfly. If you have gel acrylic medium (matte), paint it on first. Your brushstrokes should always go from the center of the butterfly out towards the wings. Let this layer dry before moving on. Base layer: You will want a base layer to block some light and make a better surface to paint on. I suggest using a light color of paint, because white is a colloid and will look more solid. If you know the color of the bottom of the butterfly's wings that you want to paint, go ahead and use that color. Again brush from center to wings, but stay inside the lines! Some practice will make you better at this. Let your layer of paint dry before adding the next layer; I use a hair dryer set on LOW to speed this up because I tend to be an impatient artist. :D Next layer: background Look at the picture of your butterfly, and paint the butterfly on your plastic with that color. If your butterfly is 2 colors, like a monarch, paint it the lighter color (It's easier to paint over). step 5Add the details To really make your butterfly look good, you should add some details. Veins, in particular, really add to the finished effect. Use a very fine-tipped paintbrush for your veins, and either a lighter tint or a darker shade of the color of your background to make the veins. Since I'm doing whimsical butterflies for this example, I just put dots wherever I felt like it, but if you're painting a realistic butterfly, it's best to look at your picture as a guideline. Again, using a fine paintbrush will make your butterfly that much better! While your masterpieces are drying, make your butterfly bodies: Look at your picture, and form a body like the one in the pic. I use a toothpick to add details like lines to it, but that's optional, depending on how realistic you want the butterfly to look. To make antennae, cut short lengths of the black wire and stick them in the body. To add eyes, use black seed beads and press them into the clay. You can also make eyes out of the clay as well. Fire your bodies; most polymer clays bake at 275 degrees F, but check the temp and bake time just to be sure. step 6The last details If you want your butterfly to shimmer like some real butterflies do, Use pearlex powder to add some sheen. Take a clean paintbrush and make it damp, and dip it into the powder. Then, in careful strokes, add some sheen to your butterfly. When your butterfly is dry, cut out the outline with sharp scissors. Then, you need to spray them. I use oil-based enamel spray to make them shiny, but if you don't want shine, you can use matte spray. DO NOT SPRAY BODIES!!! Oil-based finishes and polymer clay react in such a way that the polymer clay just stays sticky and it's really annoying. Anyways, when you get your butterflies sprayed, and they dry, you are ready for the last step: putting it all together. Use super glue or epoxy to glue the body too the area inside the wings. Ta Da!!! Lovely butterfly! step 7Uses for your beautiful bottle butterflies There are many uses for the lovely butterflies you have just created: · glue a loop of wire onto the back and make an ornament or a gift wrap tag thing *glue a push-pin onto the back and make it a wall decoration-just push it wherever you want · glue a dowel with a sharpened end to the back-awesome plant stake! · glue it onto painting (what I usually do) It adds a great 3-D, whimsical touch · glue it onto a picture frame · glue a suction cup onto the back-window decoration!

Very fun hands-on project for kids, while teaching how easy it can be to recycle things with thought and planning. Gonna send the link to my sis-in-law who teaches middle school age kids. As to how long it'll last, probably a few years at least. Maybe 15 or 20. Something to consider though. Too bad the bottles last 1000 years in landfills, mainly because they are packed too tight for air to get in for the decomposition process. ~tenderlee