Upcycled Plastic Bottle Penguin Kids Craft

This adorable little penguin is perfect for crafty kids of all ages! Using nothing but a few simple supplies and a little bit of creativity, you can create your very own plastic bottle penguin to add to your holiday decor. He’s the perfect addition to any winter-themed decorations and makes a great gift.  Plus, while it involves some painting, it is a super fun idea for the kids to make!

Plastic Bottle Penguin

Our DIY plastic bottle penguin craft is a fun way to recycle your old plastic bottles into something useful. It’s also an easy project that kids will enjoy doing with their parents. You can even make it as a gift!  This adorable little guy will look great on any desk or shelf or even as something useful like a plant holder. I love how adorable this little guy is and know everyone else will too!

If you want to use up even more of your old plastic bottles, this upcycled plastic bottle Santa boot is a great addition to your holiday mantle or table centerpiece.  Here is another Santa boot idea that is based on an empty bottle.  So cute to add to your holiday tables!

What Size Bottle Should I Use? 

When making this plastic bottle penguin you can use any type of soda bottle. Depending on how you are making your penguin will help you to decide what size soda bottle to use. Smaller bottles are good for smaller spaces while larger bottles, like a 2-liter soda bottle, can be used when the penguin will be displayed in a larger space.

The thing to remember when choosing a bottle is that you want it to have a slight curve at the “waist” to give it a more natural look.  Of course, any bottle can be painted to create a lovely penguin look for your winter decor.  

What Paint Should I Use on the Plastic Bottle?

You want to make sure you use acrylic paint when you are painting the plastic bottle. Most other paint will not stick to the bottle. If you find that the paint does not stick to the bottle, you can rough it up a little bit using sandpaper. This gives the paint something to stick to.

The exterior of the bottle was sprayed with white spray paint, but you can use basic craft paint for it if you prefer.  Spray paint is really to give the bottle a base so it is no longer translucent. 

If you want this plastic bottle penguin to last longer, you can add sealer over top of the paint. There are different kinds, like spray sealer or brush on like Mod Podge.  This helps the paint to not chip and the craft to stay nice for longer.  Plus, it adds a bit of a shiny gleam on the bottle that is great when displayed. 

What Other Ways Can I Decorate My Penguin?

After painting the penguin, you can add more decorations. Kids will enjoy adding glitter, sequins, or other fun trinkets.  Another idea is to add snow along the bottom of the penguin. What is a penguin without snow? You want to make sure not to add the snow underneath the bottle. It might make it hard for the bottle to stand.

If you are feeling extra creative, you can use another soda bottle bottom and make it into an igloo. After cutting the bottle down, making a flat even edge along the cut edge, paint the bottle white and outline blocks with black paint. Then add some snow around the igloo.

What Can This Be Used For?

This adorable plastic bottle penguin can be used for a lot of things around the house.

• Pencil Holder- Place it on a desk or in an office and use it as a pencil or pen holder. You can use it to hold other things that you might need on your desk.
• Plant Holder- Kids can make this as a present for everyone on their list. Depending on the type of plant you are adding to the plastic bottle penguin, you will need to add drain holes to the bottle. The plastic bottle penguin can also be used as a vase for cut flowers.
• Decorations- You can place this penguin on the mantle, on a shelf, or near the tree. You can add small decorative stones, like the kind that are used for plants, in the bottom of the bottle to keep it from falling over.

Supplies Needed

How to Make a Plastic Bottle Penguin

Cut two empty soda bottles in half.  Discard the spout ends. 

Place the bottles over each other to create one smaller bottle with ends on both sides. 

Spray paint the bottle white and set it aside to dry. 

Once the bottle has dried completely, begin using a black marker to draw the penguin’s body and outline. 

Paint a black line about 1″ below the “face” and 1/4″ above the face.

Fill in the bottom half of the bottle with black paint, then add black paint up to the line above the open face you drew.  Set it aside to dry. 

Once dry, use a black marker to draw on two circles for the eyes. 

Then an orange marker for the triangle nose. 

Paint the top of the penguin blue. 

Then use the blue paint to add a scarf around the “neck” and hanging down over the body then set aside to dry. 

Once dry, add a bit of shiny pipe cleaner around the top of the penguin at the base of the blue portion to create a hat. 

Glue a blue pom pom on top of the penguin. 

Now, add a few dots of white on the hat and scarf as decorations. 

Set aside to dry before displaying on your mantle. 

More Easy Kids Crafts

If you love penguins as much as I do, then you are going to totally love the ideas below.  Check them out then bookmark the ones you love the most.  You can also easily print out their tutorials or even pin them to a holiday crafting Pinterest board. 

Finished Project Gallery