Despite our best intentions, plastic waste is inevitable in a busy household no matter how hard we may try to eliminate it from our lives. One of the things left behind in the recycling bin is lids. According to many recycling facilities, these small plastic lids are often dropped out of the industrial recycling machines and sent to landfill. One way to stop this is to make sure small lids are placed in a container with a secure lid before placing them in the yellow bin for recycling.
There are so many opportunities for imaginative repurposing of lids and the internet is full of ideas ranging from Pop Art earrings to tiny doll’s plates to giant wall murals. I now keep a small box of lids and interesting household plastics in my kitchen, waiting for inspiration to strike...
This month, I made a small bird feeder (or a Bee Bath for thirsty bees who can drown in deeper bird baths) using all the left-over lids from last month’s bottle flower project. If you don’t want to make a bird feeder, then simply make a colourful hanging mobile to dance in the breeze.
Materials:
Assorted coloured plastics: clean lids of all sizes, hooks & hangers, texta tops, cutlery, shower-curtain hooks, odd earrings, broken jewellery, bread tags and interesting bits from lost toys
Assorted beads, buttons or small shapes that can be threaded. I found a small brass bell!
Thin Wire. I use fuse wire, garden ties or thin gauge wire. (Wool or embroidery thread will also do plus a needle with a large eye.)
Pliers (I prefer needle-nosed for twisting wires together) or strong scissors
Drill – I prefer to use a 3mm bit as most wires/wools will pass easily through the hole and most beads won’t! If you do not have a drill, a sharp pointy thing like a nail, a dart or end of a sharp pair of scissors will usually make a hole in most plastic lids.
Instructions:
1. Wash and dry plastic lids to remove residue. (No one likes the smell of old milk or juice except flies!) Wipe items clean with metho or eucalyptus oil if sticky labels or other marks need to be removed.
2. Design Time: Assemble all materials together to work out the colour palette and the different shapes you have. Plan out how many pieces are needed. A bird feeder requires four equal wire lines that hold the birdseed plate horizontal when hanging down from a central hook.
Each wire can be a different design or identical – it is more important that the wires are the same length! I layered three larger lids together to create a stable ‘plate’ for the birdseed to sit on. If you are making a mobile – just choose one long wire/string of pieces hanging down.
3. Drill Time: Using a small drill bit, make a small hole in A: the centre of your plastic lids, B: either side of the centre (like a button), or C: either end of the lid in the sides. Do the same for all the other bits of weird interesting plastic things you have. A centre hole will make your lid hang horizontally. A side hole will make it hang vertically. Drill four holes equidistant around the Birdseed Plate. Drill a hole (if needed) in top hook. Hot Tip: I use an old bit of wood under the lids to stop the drill marking my table.
4. Wire Time: Push wire through the various objects, threading them together as per your original design. Adapt the design as you go. I use beads to create small stops after each lid, to stop it sliding downwards on the wire. I do this by pushing the wire down through the bead and then up again and through it twice. It is possible to do this step with a button too. Hot Tip: thread beads/buttons on the inside of vertical-hanging lids so the lid looks good on all sides.
When finishing off a length, I place a bead or button underneath the final lid and thread the wire through the bead/button twice, then twist the bead several times to secure the wire before trimming. Hot Tip: don’t trim the ends until ALL wire lengths are in place just in case any require adjusting. If using wool or thread, you will do a similar thing, wrapping around the bead several times, but then tie the thread off securely with a double knot.
5. Hang Time: Bring the finished lengths up to the top hook piece (I used a black plastic Kmart hanger from a pair of socks) and tie securely through a central hole. This may require some adjustment to ensure the birdseed plate hangs flat. Use pliers to twist the wires together and tuck under to prevent snagging. I added a large central bead hanging down in the centre, but this is optional.
Hang from a tree branch out of reach of cats and possums. Fill with birdseed to encourage small local birds to come and play. If you wish to use water instead, to help our native bees drink, you will need to plug the central hole with some PVA glue or a blob of glue gun.
When you are ready to recycle the different creations you make, simply remove the wire, buttons and beads, and place all the plastics in a yellow-lidded bin for Council to pick up.
The wire, beads and buttons are then free to play on another project!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Imogen Ross is a local artist who specialises in working imaginatively with her community around environmental sustainability, repurposing household objects and reducing the amount of waste we generate. If you are interested in Imogen coming to your school, community group or event to deliver creative upcycling craft workshops, please send an email to imogenross@yahoo.com.au