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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

My Strange, Upcycled Faux Bamboo Vase.

A faux bamboo vase.  What do you think?


I know you deduced what I used:


I have a humongous collection of these things, and have been working on cute ways to use them craftily.



Wanna make the vase?  Here's the simple DIY!

I discovered the nut of this idea by accident.  Playing around with these Rx bottles one day, I found that they nest into each other with a little physical force.  May require you to say "Oof!" while squishing them together.


Once they're nested, they are surprisingly secure!  The action creates a vacuum seal (doncha love science?) and they will stay put quite well until you pop them apart.


Now let's make the vase!

Decide how many Rx bottles tall you want it to be.  Drill flower-stem-sized holes in all but one bottle.


My husband suggested a good method - place the bottle upside-down on an old dowel and drill from the outside.  Worked great!


If you don't want to bother with the dowel setup, place the bottle right-side-up on a block of wood and drill from inside the bottle.  The main thing is to support the surface you're drilling.

And hey!  That's the DIY part done!  Wasn't so bad, right?

Now, fill just the bottom compartment with water.  Stack the bottles into a tower.


Add a stem or two of something minimalist...I used sprigs of an ornamental bamboo from the back yard.


Place in a sunny window.  All done!



Notice I used a taller bottle at the base of one stack.  If you group several vases, it's nice to use different-height bottles within your stack - that way, the joints are staggered for a more organic look.

There you have it - my strange upcycled faux bamboo vase.  Latest addition to my Rx bottle projects.  In case you missed it, this was the first one:


I have approximately seven hundred and fifty eight more bottles.  Still thinking!

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31 comments:

  1. CentiMay 9, 2012 at 5:20 AM

    I totally love the bamboo look! But tell me, aren't you afraid of tipping them over?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Michelle L.May 9, 2012 at 6:30 AM

      Great question - but when you only fill the bottom bottle with water, the vase is remarkably stable!

      Delete
    2. CentiMay 9, 2012 at 6:35 AM

      Ah, I see! =)

      Delete
  2. PCMay 9, 2012 at 7:04 AM

    That's such a awesome discovery - they look brilliant!

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  3. Maple GirlMay 9, 2012 at 7:11 AM

    You could slice them into rings, smooth the edges and make a spiffy pseudo chain thingy. (Just thinking out loud.)

    Love the Faux Bamboo!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carol, The Answer Is ChocolateMay 9, 2012 at 7:38 AM

    You little genius you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. SaraccinoMay 9, 2012 at 7:42 AM

    Love science too!

    They look cool!

    But tell me... how did you save hundreds of these bottles? I belived my stash was good but you beat me... mh... about several hundred times ^^

    ReplyDelete
  6. AmyMay 9, 2012 at 8:10 AM

    So creative. I never would have thought to try to attach them (love the action shot). At first glance I thought they looked like giraffes' necks because of the horses prancing nearby..just first glance. Great imagination. Will call dr for more meds! ;)

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  7. AmyMay 9, 2012 at 8:17 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  8. Betsy@My Salvaged TreasuresMay 9, 2012 at 3:09 PM

    I always knew that one of these days someone would come up with a way to reinvent the plastic medicine bottle; I should have known it would be you!! CVS needs a few of these to cheer up their counter.

    ReplyDelete
  9. MelissaMay 9, 2012 at 4:29 PM

    That is truly brilliant!! Awesome - really.

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  10. AnonymousMay 9, 2012 at 4:33 PM

    I love the way that the "bamboo" is opaque enough to let some light through! That is an added bonus, I think!

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  11. ShannonMay 9, 2012 at 5:20 PM

    I love these. Too bad Kroger, Rite Aid and Express Scripts use different bottles (that don't stack or have the cool tops with holes). I am getting my mom to save hers from Wal*mart because they use the same bottle design. I am looking forward to more bottle upcycles!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShannonMay 11, 2012 at 7:05 PM

      I just made one and I will make plenty more when I get more stacking bottles. I like to give paper flowers to people and this will be the perfect vase for them. If I could still get my medicine at the store, I would transfer to Wal*mart just for the pill bottles.

      Delete
  12. UnknownMay 10, 2012 at 11:10 AM

    That is totally clever Michelle! Such a great reuse project, and perfectly timed for when everything is coming up flowers!

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  13. JillMay 13, 2012 at 4:09 PM

    Another fabulous upcycle Mich!! Love it!
    Just stopped by to let you know that I featured your Sea Anemone jewellery on my round tuit post this week!

    Thanks again for linking up! Hope you have a great week!
    Jill @ Creating my way to Success

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousMay 16, 2012 at 4:40 AM

    Mich, your timing on this was impeccable! My friends and I are way into a game that involves building a bamboo farm, and her birthday is this week. When I saw this project, I forwarded it to the crew who all said, "Yes! We must make one for her!"

    Believe it or not, none of us are medicine-takers, so I had to go to the local pharmacist and ask for 4 bottles, which they generously gave me. I also had no drill. (Yes, this is the simple recycle project that requires two things, neither of which I had!) So I heated a nail (held with rubber-grip pliers over the gas stove flame) and popped it through the end of the bottle. Other than a mild smell of melted plastic, it was quick, easy, clean, and easy. And it was easy. My partner insisted on a few drops of glue for security, which I agreed to since I had to transport it.

    I popped a flower in from my garden, set it in a square vase with sand, beribboned it, stuck a balloon in the sand, and voila, it was done.

    I have pictures, if you want!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 2, 2015 at 7:11 PM

      Hi Dena,
      I just found this and noticed that it was posted all most 3 years ago! If you will, would you please send me pics of what you made from this idea of faux bamboo vase? I am on Pinterest as Kim McNelly-Stokes or if you want to, you can email them to me at tjkl90@hotmail.com I really am looking forward to seeing what you made, too!! I LOVE THE FAUX BAMBOO VASE, Michelle!!! This is the perfect thing to use my old bottles with. Thank you so much for this awesome idea

      Delete
  15. RoseMay 21, 2012 at 9:06 PM

    Oh my goodness, that is too cool! I also have a ton of those bottles and really don't have a use for them after the first several. That really looked like a glass bamboo vase! Brilliant!

    ReplyDelete
  16. creativejewishmom/saraMay 24, 2012 at 10:54 AM

    You are just brilliant! Now I think you need a faux bamboo screen to use up the rest, and I'm sure you could even figure out how to make a folding screen, or use them in some way sort of like lincoln logs that don't interlock? Thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday, you've earned a feature!

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  17. KathrynMay 25, 2012 at 6:29 PM

    This is awesome! I am going to have to save up pill bottles to make this. Thanks for sharing this with us:)

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  18. Viki BanaszakMay 26, 2012 at 11:40 PM

    Very cool ideas! Thanks

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  19. majeralMay 27, 2012 at 8:19 AM

    Thanks I take lots of meds and keep saving the little things. Have you seen the bottles form Puritan Pride? They come in all color really bright red, greens blue yellow any ideas?

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  20. UnknownMay 28, 2012 at 5:46 AM

    Amazing, I applaud your creativity, seriously! now this is art, really = art from the heart, it is not always paint on a canvas- ART comes in many many forms. Again, good for you and thank you so much for sharing. I found you from creative Jewish Mom blog and now I am subscribed to your blog. Can't wait to see how you "top" this....lol.....thank you! Tom

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  21. LisaMay 28, 2012 at 12:04 PM

    Fantastic. Your projects are always so creative!

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  22. StepThruCrazyJune 1, 2012 at 4:25 AM

    That is amazing! They really look like bamboo stalks! Now I'm going to have to raid the medicine cabinet (aka basket on top of the fridge) and see what I can find.

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  23. shellSeptember 14, 2012 at 3:15 PM

    This is excellent! I had no idea from the photo that this was made from pill bottles.

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  24. Kris 1/2 Owner of the "Butterfly Ridge" in OhioJanuary 25, 2016 at 8:42 AM

    Thanks for the idea and special thanks for taking care of our world!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Tammygurl64February 20, 2017 at 10:52 PM

    This is cool. I have tons of crisp, clear, multicolored bottles (dk green, dk blue, amber, and a few red. My friend fussed at me for keeping them so I threw many away until this past Christmas season when I considered making Christmas lights by drilling holes in the lids so you can easily rearrange the colors if you like. I also considered attaching them to a small flashlight to use when experimenting with light painting photography (I'm a beginner). I've used the super tall ones for keeping quarters or other loose change in my purse or shampoo when going on weekend trips. I was so pleased to find this and can hardly wait to show this to my friend who thinks keeping these bottles is just saving junk. Your cases really look great! Thanks for sharing your idea. I can't wait to see what a green bottle bamboo vase looks like! :-)

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  26. Tammygurl64February 20, 2017 at 11:07 PM

    I think this is brilliant! I have tons of old crisp, clear, multicolored Rx bottles (dk green, dk blue, amber, and a few red). My best friend fussed at me for keeping them so I threw many of them away until I decided I had good colors for Christmas lights. I thought I'd drill or melt a hole in the lid with a screwdriver and put the light in the lid's hole allowing for easy rearrangement of the colored bottles. I also thought I'd attach some to a small flashlight and experiment with light painting photography (I'm a beginner). The really tall ones are great for coins or to put shampoo in for a weekend trip. I've found many uses for old Rx bottles but I can hardly wait to see what green bamboo vases look like. You did a great job with this. Thanks for sharing! :-)

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  27. Aubi'sgrammie15May 6, 2017 at 11:48 AM

    Couldn't you use a bottom pill bottle and put some gravel in it to make the bottom more secure from falling over? Just a thought. But it is an awesome idea you have shown and just like everyone else I'm going to locate some pill bottles and give this a try. Love it a.d thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete