Turn all of those water bottles and bottle caps you collected over the summer into a super fun dragonfly! This easy recycled craft is guaranteed to bring smiles when you child sees their handiwork hanging outside your window or in you garden.

Your kids will love collecting the buggy parts from the recycling bin. Let’s get started!

What You Need

• 1 plastic bottle (I used a 0.5l PET bottle)
• 1 plastic egg
• 6 small plastic bottle caps (1-inch)
• 6 lids from drinking bottles with valve
• 2 large plastic bottle caps (1 2/3-inch)
• 1 drinking straw
• 5 plastic beads (two faceted to use for insect eyes)
• 1 1/4 yards wire, plasticized

Crafty needs:

• Scissors
• Reamer/punch
• Mat
• Wire cutters (optional, I used scissors)

Step 1
Punch a hole in the center of each cap with your reamer. Be sure to place a mat underneath the cap before you begin.

Step 2
Take two lids and cut a piece from the straw so that it fits in between them. You need three of these lid/straw sets.

Step 3
Cut a 12-inch strand of wire. Knot a bead at the end. Now string all the lids and small caps together (lid > straw > lid > cap > cap > lid > straw > lid > cap). Make a knot at the end.

Step 4
Take the plastic egg to use for the head. Punch two holes for the eyes at the edges and another two for the hanging and knotting them together in the middle.

Cut an 8-inch strand of wire and put it trough the eyeholes. Knot two beads at both ends. Next, cut an 18-inch strand of wire for hanging the dragonfly and tie together with a knot. Thread it through the other two holes and make a loop.

Step 5
Take the plastic bottle and carefully punch a hole underneath the top. Cut the bottle lengthwise in long pieces. You’ll need four pieces. Cut them into the shape of a wing.

Step 6
Punch a hole in each of the plastic wings. Cut an 8-inch strand of wire and knot them together.

Step 7
Use the two remaining large caps for the body. They will hide all the knots.

Step 8
Tie together the wire from the head, wings, and tail. Cut an 8-inch strand of wire and knot a bead at the end. put a cap on it. Tie together with the rest of the body. Put on the second cap and bead, pull, and tie a knot.

Step 9
You may need to staple the wings together for stability.

Your dragonfly is ready! Hope you had as much fun making them as we did :)