A way to (quite literally) breathe new life into a gorgeous glass bottle, or to reuse a common plastic product that was destined for recycling. The best thing about this step is that it’s much easier to plant the base of a pole vs a delicate root ball. Moss – Clumpy mosses bring a lot of initial texture and depth, and they don’t tend to grow too much ( Mood Moss is a personal favorite of mine, with its long-leafed windswept look). Or, you could opt for a sheet moss (e.g. Hypnum Moss) which isn’t all that impressive at first but can grow to fill the space. Bacteria can build up in moist conditions and sometimes you will see mildew and mould appearing inside your bottle. Pretty unpleasant but there is an easy fix. The best way to disinfect and sterilise your bottle naturally is with distilled vinegar. It’s non-toxic, mildly acidic, a good disinfectant and a fantastic DIY cleaning product all round the house.

Put one teaspoon of baking soda in your empty bottle and fill with warm water, give it a good scrub and leave to soak for at least 15 minutes or overnight and then rinse out with cold water Vinegar Plastic Water/Soda Bottle Terrarium– A great one to do with the kids, plastic soda bottles are cheap and super easy to get started with. For maximum volume and versatility, start with a 2 liter bottle. There’s several DIY and natural options that you can use with stuff that you probably already have in the house. The three options that we like are baking soda, vinegar or Milton. Baking sodaFor an everyday clean fill your bottle halfway and give it a good swill. Getting past the spout of some bottles is the hardest part of cleaning it so to get inside to give your bottle a good scrub you’ll find it much easier with a bottle brush. With a wider mouth bottle you can do without or use a regular dish brush. Make sure you give the cap and under the seal and the threads a good going over too.

Easily removable base: Gas canisters screw in and should be easily accessible for removing after. Some makers have removable bases that require a screwdriver to release. Connect bottle to the launch kit (This can take some practice because it takes some leverage to get the rubber stopper into the mouth of the bottle). It’s time to raid your recycling bin to make adorable Soda Bottle Bats, just in time for Halloween! Kids love this craft because they get to transform an ordinary soda bottle into a crafty masterpiece for fall.Top tip: Don’t use any other type of vinegar as it may linger on in an unwelcome manner! No-one wants their water smelling like chips. Number of BPA-free bottles included: Most will offer a one-litre bottle in the box with a maximum fill capacity of 850ml. But some brands like Aarke and Mysoda offer two, making life easier if you’re pre-chilling or want some on the go or for families. But in practice, a glass bottle terrarium is generally a very different build to a plastic bottle terrarium.

We generally used a single bottle for ours. We hot glued foam board fins on. We made nose cones out of paper and taped them on (they didn't last once they got wet but they also won't hurt anybody if they fall on you). Use the scissors to cut bat teeth and wings from the construction paper, then attach them to the bottle with glue. Step 4 Either that stale coffee is smell is just too overpowering or things have been left a little too long and things have got pretty funky in your bottle. Maybe you’ve left the bottle for ages in the car or at the bottom of a bag. It smells really bad and you can see lots of mould inside! Don't worry - you can return your bottle to its former glory with these method below. When it comes to the kinds of plants and environment, bottles are a natural choice for a closed terrarium.We figured out that a garden hose in some areas has about 90 PSI pressure so we just slide a bottle down onto a PVC pipe that we had heated up (like with a candle) and pushed to make it swell a bit. Push the bottle down pretty hard on to that and turn on the hose. You end up with about the right amount of water and compressed air in the bottle. The bottle releases once the pressure gets high enough. I know, it's not very accurate but it's super-simple. I'm sure there's instructables showing this technique. Put 2 tablespoons of distilled (white) vinegar in your bottle and fill half way with warm water. Put the cap on and give it a good shake. Use your brush to give it a good scrub, then rinse with water and leave to dry completely before using. Fancy making your own Pepsi? You can also buy syrups that replicate your favourite pop – think cola and lemonade. These can be added to any fizzy water, so you can enjoy them with whichever soda maker you choose. What to look for in a soda maker Regardless of what you choose for your project, each container will no doubt come with its unique nuances and challenges. Glass bottles, on the other hand, you can’t be doing that… So, they end up being more challenging builds as you try your best to create the most beautiful terrarium possible through an opening that often doesn’t allow for typical planting.