I was surfing the net as usual and I was on Makeit-loveit.com. I totally noticed how Makeit-loveit.com came up with a way to repurpose an old lotion bottle as a solution for obnoxious cell phone charging cords, but the idea is easily adaptable to a ton of other uses. I thought this Do-It-Yourself electronic charging container was pretty flippin cute. of course you can use any kind of container, any size you want. I usually plug my phone into the wall and let it lie on the ground or on a counter-top while it charges, which is the normal thing to do. But this little holder just makes things so much easier, I cant tell you how many times my mom gets pissed when my phones just lying on the ground where she can step on it or on the counter by the sink where it can fall into a sink full water.
Its not only for electronics, duh! You can keep whatever the heck you want depending on the size of bottle you use, Examples you ask? how about hair clips, toothbrushes, even your hair straightener if you can find a big/narrow enough bottle!
You can also leave it for display if you think its cute enough or you can store it when its not in use so you can just pull it out when you need to use it. You can keep it in your bathroom or vanity counter, hang it on the hook on your wall, or keep it out of sight and hang it from an over-the-door hook in a bathroom cupboard.
To make the container, you need:
1. A plastic bottle (they used a lotion container, but a large shampoo or conditioner bottle would work just the same. The size in their photos is most likely too small if you’re planning to use it for styling tool storage; most tools will probably require the jumbo 33.8 oz. bottle size that you find at most super stores or wholesale stores.)
2. Scissors
3. A square of sandpaper
4. Exacto knife
5. Items to decorate with, such as fabric, sticker paper, Mod Podge or glue (if using fabric), paint, stencils, crystals, etc. (all optional)
What to do:
1. Clean out the bottle so that it is completely clear of any product
2.Trace the shape and size of the tool you plan to use the container for on the outside of the bottle. This will let you know how tall you need the container to be. You will probably need to at least cut off the neck of the bottle that tapers in in order to be able to easily remove your tools.
4. Using your scissors cut off the excess material from the top of the bottle and around the cord opening (if applicable) that you traced in steps 2 & 3.
5. Sand the outside of the bottle so that the surface is smooth enough for patterns or fabrics to adhere to. Sanding will also fade out any existing designs or writing on the bottle.
6.Once you have your desired shape and smoothed surface, it’s time to get creative with your decorating!
Here are just a few of the different ways you could cover your container:
a) Fabric: The people over at makeit-loveit used fabric that they applied with Mod Podge for the holder in the picture. They advise coating the area of the container that is to be covered with Mod Podge first, then applying the fabric, and then painting another layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric to get it to stay. Then hang to dry and make sure it doesn’t touch anything.
b) Sticker Paper: Print a pattern or design onto adhesive sticker paper (you can find this at most office supply stores), cut out the shapes and sizes you need to cover the surface area of your container and apply like a sticker!
c) Glitz It Up: You could cover your container in your favorite crystals (this would be quite time-consuming, but the final product might be worth it!)
d) Good, old-fashioned paint: Spray paint the bottle for a light, clean finish.
e) Stencils: Stencil a pattern and fill it in with paint or paint pens
- If you have a pretty bottle and you’re able to remove the label, just use that! There’s nothing wrong with keeping it a solid color.
Tips:
- Use the exacto knife to trim any edges (especially if you are using fabric to cover the bottle).
- Let your project dry completely and clean it off before putting any items inside.
