Watering cans aren't always the cheapest tools available in a garden center. Although you can water the plants with a bucket, you risk dropping too much water and damaging them. Thankfully, you can easily build a watering can out of a plastic bottle, and most importantly, you help the environment by recycling items!
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Simple Watering Can
Step 1. Get a plastic bottle and remove the label
If it is dirty inside, fill it with water, close the cap and shake it before discarding the liquid. Repeat the process a few times until the bottle is clean; when finished, peel off the label and any residual glue.
Step 2. Decide on the arrangement of the holes along the side of the container
Use a permanent marker to draw a square on the bottle wall, just below the beginning of the curve of the bottle neck. You can also apply masking tape to delimit the square, the side of which should not be longer than your finger.
Step 3. Use a nail or a thumbtack to make the holes inside the square
Space them evenly as much as possible; you need five rows of five holes each for a total of 25 openings. If the plastic is very thick, you can heat the nail over a flame for 10 seconds; hold it with a pair of tongs to avoid burning yourself.
Loosen the nail to get it out of the bottle
Step 4. Cut an opening on the other side to pour the water into
Rotate the bottle so that the holes are facing away from you. Draw a "U" of about 2-3 cm on the wall of the container, so that the top of the letter is adjacent to the domed portion of the bottle itself; then cut out the design with a razor blade.
Step 5. Add decorations as desired
The watering can is more or less completed, but you can embellish it with some decoration; draws subjects related to gardening using indelible markers. You can also add stickers, but be aware that they may peel off if they get too wet.
Step 6. Close the cap securely and fill the watering can through the "U" opening
Make sure that the liquid level is 1-2 cm below that of the first row of holes; if you wish, you can also add water-soluble fertilizer.
Step 7. Tilt the bottle over the plants to water them
Hold the container to one side and tilt it so that the water flows towards the holes; make sure that the holes are facing down and the "U" opening up. When finished, return the bottle to an upright position.
If necessary, refill the container
Method 2 of 3: Large Watering Can
Step 1. Choose a large bottle with a handle and a screw cap
Those for detergents or milk are perfect. You can also use the bottles for water or those for juices as long as they have a handle; more importantly, the vessel must have a screw lid, as pressure vessels are not suitable for this project due to the water pressure.
Step 2. Clean the bottle and remove any labels
This step is very important, especially if you are recycling a bottle of detergent. The simplest way to proceed is to partially fill the container with water, close the cap, shake it and pour out the liquid. When finished, peel off the label and any residual glue.
Step 3. Drill holes in the cap using a nail
Leave the cap on the bottle and make several holes with a nail, needle or thumbtack. practice as many openings as you like.
- If the material is too hard to drill, heat the nail over the flame first, taking care to hold it with pliers to avoid burning your fingers.
- If the cap is very thick (such as that of detergents), use an electric drill with a 3mm bit.
Step 4. Consider adding a hole in the handle
In this case, you need to use a 12mm drill bit; the additional opening favors the flow of water and reduces the pressure.
Step 5. Fill the bottle with water
Unscrew the cap, pour the water from the tap or garden hose and at the end screw the cap back on; the amount of water depends on the weight you are able to carry, the more you add and the heavier the watering can becomes.
If you used the drill, you need to rinse the inside of the bottle to get rid of the plastic dust
Step 6. Use the watering can
Make sure the cap is tight; use the handle to carry it up to the plant, lift it off the base with the other hand and tilt the cap down.
Method 3 of 3: Thumb Controlled Watering Can
Step 1. Find a large plastic bottle or flask
You can use virtually any type of container for this project. A large bottle without a handle works just as well as a milk bottle with a handle, but you can also use a simple bottle of water.
Step 2. Wash the container
Fill it with water, close the cap and shake it before throwing away the liquid. Repeat the sequence a few times until the water comes out clean; when finished, remove the label and remove the adhesive residue.
Step 3. Drill a hole in the bottle cap
The size of this opening is not very important, but you must be able to completely cover it with your thumb; a 5mm hole is perfect. If you drill a hole that is too large, you cannot seal it tightly.
Step 4. Drill 6 to 15 holes in the bottom of the bottle
If it is made of soft plastic, you can use a nail or a thumbtack; if it is made of thicker plastic, you need to use a 1.5-3 mm drill bit.
Step 5. Fill the bottle into a bucket
Pour water into a large bucket, close the watering can with the lid, and then immerse it in the liquid.
- If the bucket is higher than the bottle, submerge it only 3/4 of the way.
- The watering can only fills up to the level of the liquid already in the bucket.
Step 6. Open the cap to water the plants
Carry the bottle up to the ones you need to flush and lift your thumb; in this way, you release the pressure and allow the water to flow out of the holes. When you want to stop the flow, just close the opening again with your thumb.
Advice
- Add some water-soluble fertilizer to the water.
- The best times to water the plants are early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
- If you want the watering can to flow more abundantly and quickly, drill larger holes; if you prefer a "light drizzle" or need to wet some seedlings, drill only a few small holes.
- Color the watering can with spray paint when finished; you can use the color you prefer, but the metallic ones (for example the gold one) are very beautiful!
- Decorate the project with acrylic paints, then protect it with a clear spray sealant specific for acrylic.
- If you are piercing the cork, consider arranging the holes according to a pattern, such as a circle, heart, or star.
