Family projects
How to build it
STEP ONE The first thing to get done is the frame . You can get Dad to do a bit of DIY at home to build your own frame from wood . Here are some dimensions to help you .
step three Remove the caps from the bottles but don ’ t throw them away as you can use every part of the bottle to build the greenhouse . Then cut off the bottom of the bottle with scissors . We had a box for the caps , bottoms and bottles to keep it neat and tidy .
Length Height Width Roof height
2 metres 1.7 metres 1.5 metres 0.55 metres
We did our first frame from wood but it fell off the back of a lorry while transporting it from a function so I went to the Pomona wicker corner opposite the Pomona food court and asked Takawira to make us a steel frame . He did a great frame for $ 45 – it is very stable too ! If you want to go this route , call in at the Wicker corner and ask for Takawira .
step Four Tie the wire to the bottom of the frame and thread the bottles through ( bottom down ), pushing the bottles into each other so they stack up firmly . Make sure you use similar sized bottles on top of each other to stack well .
step six Use the cut off bottom parts of the bottles for the small parts of the frame and the roof too . You need to make a hole in them first to thread the wire through . The easiest way is to hammer a nail through the middle to make holes – you can make holes in the caps like this too .
STEP SEVEN For the door , we threaded wire through the bottle caps and only attached them to the top of the doorframe , so they blow in the breeze – it makes a very colourful door . step TWO Clearly , the most important thing to do is collect the bottles – you don ’ t have to collect 1600 before you start , you can collect and build over time . We used a variety of sizes of plastic bottles to build the house , like 2l coke bottles or the smaller water bottles . Make sure you wash the bottles before cutting . step Five Once you finish one line of bottles , tie the wire to the top of the frame and cut it . Then you can start another line . You do the roof the same way as you build a wall .
It might take you a while to build it , but when you have finished , you will be amazed at how many bottles you saved from ending up in the dump !
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