Activity
Lighthouse in a Bottle
(Provided by FamilyFun.com)
Turn a plastic water bottle into a decorative lighthouse — just the thing to brighten up a rainy summer day. When you finish, think of how you can become like a lighthouse to brighten someone’s dark day, just like the kids are doing at Project Lighthouse in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
WHAT YOU NEED
- 1.5-liter sport water bottle
- Craft knife
- Aluminum foil
- Red acrylic paint
- Black tape
- Play-Doh or clay
- Flashlight
- White craft foam
- Clear packing tape
Time needed: Under 1 Hour
Step 1:
Use a craft knife (adults only) to cut the bottle in half. Glue aluminum foil inside the cone-shaped portion of the top half (this creates a reflective dome), then use red acrylic paint to coat the outside of the foil-lined section.
Step 2:
When the paint is dry, apply 3-inch vertical strips of black tape, spaced evenly, around the unpainted portion of the bottle top.
Step 3:
In the bottom half of the bottle, pack a baseball-sized ball of Play-Doh or clay. Stand a flashlight upright in the clay and press down to secure it in place. Cut a notch down from the bottle's edge to allow access to the flashlight's switch, as shown.
Step 4:
Next, wrap an 11 1/2- by 10-inch sheet of white craft foam around the bottom half of the bottle (the foam will extend about 4 inches above the bottle) and note approximately where the flashlight switch opening is. Remove the foam and cut out a switch opening. Re-wrap the foam around the bottle and secure the overlapping ends with clear packing tape.
Step 5:
Finally, fit the cut edge of the bottle top just inside the foam sleeve and securely tape the foam to the bottle with colored tape.
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