Upcycled Auto-Watering Garden Aliens
by TheProcrastibaker in Living > Gardening
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Upcycled Auto-Watering Garden Aliens
These little guys are sure to abduct your heart. They're simply out of this world!
These aliens work just like watering globes such as aquaglobes, but they can be made from recycled green glass bottles!
They are perfect for smaller container plants such as herbs or flowers, and excellent indoors and out!
Did I mention they are easier to fill than normal garden globes? Yippee!
If you enjoy this instructable, please vote for it in the Gardening contest!
Here is What You Will Need:
Glass Sprite Bottle (other green glass bottles would work, but glass sprite bottles have the most alien-y shape and color)
Black Glass Paint (I used Martha Stewart Metallic Glass Paint in black nickel)
Small Tray for Paint
Sturdy Foam Brush
Contact Paper
X-Acto Knife or Silhouette cutter
Loaf pan
Tray to keep bottles from rolling around (I used an old silverware tray)
These aliens work just like watering globes such as aquaglobes, but they can be made from recycled green glass bottles!
They are perfect for smaller container plants such as herbs or flowers, and excellent indoors and out!
Did I mention they are easier to fill than normal garden globes? Yippee!
If you enjoy this instructable, please vote for it in the Gardening contest!
Here is What You Will Need:
Glass Sprite Bottle (other green glass bottles would work, but glass sprite bottles have the most alien-y shape and color)
Black Glass Paint (I used Martha Stewart Metallic Glass Paint in black nickel)
Small Tray for Paint
Sturdy Foam Brush
Contact Paper
X-Acto Knife or Silhouette cutter
Loaf pan
Tray to keep bottles from rolling around (I used an old silverware tray)
Make a Face
Using your contact paper and your x-acto knife, cut out a stencil of your desired alien face. Make sure it is about 1" x 1", or else it will be hard to get the stencil to stick without any bubbles or wrinkles.
I didn't include a template for mine, because I think all aliens should be different. Go crazy, make a fun and unique face for your alien.
This can also be done in Silhouette Studio using the provided shapes.
Clean your bottles with windex or other glass cleaner and let dry completely.
Stick your alien face stencils onto the bottles and press down all over.
Make sure there are no bubbles or crinkles next to the cut-out parts of the stencil.
I didn't include a template for mine, because I think all aliens should be different. Go crazy, make a fun and unique face for your alien.
This can also be done in Silhouette Studio using the provided shapes.
Clean your bottles with windex or other glass cleaner and let dry completely.
Stick your alien face stencils onto the bottles and press down all over.
Make sure there are no bubbles or crinkles next to the cut-out parts of the stencil.
Painting Faces
Place your glass bottles in a tray or container where they won't move or roll around.
Squirt a small amount of the glass paint into your tray or bowl.
Using your foam brush, carefully apply the paint over the stencil.
Let the paint dry about 5-10 minutes before removing the stencil.
DO NOT let the paint dry completely with the stencil still on, or it may peel off with the stencil.
Let the paint dry completely (about 1-2 hours) before proceeding to the next step.
Squirt a small amount of the glass paint into your tray or bowl.
Using your foam brush, carefully apply the paint over the stencil.
Let the paint dry about 5-10 minutes before removing the stencil.
DO NOT let the paint dry completely with the stencil still on, or it may peel off with the stencil.
Let the paint dry completely (about 1-2 hours) before proceeding to the next step.
Cure the Paint
Place your aliens into a loaf pan (or other oven-safe pan that they won't roll around in).
Make sure to let your aliens gradually heat up and gradually cool down.
Quick temperature changes could crack or injure your aliens!
Place the pan into your oven while it is OFF. Set the oven to 350 degrees and turn on.
After 30 minutes, turn the oven off.
DO NOT REMOVE THE ALIENS UNTIL THE OVEN HAS COMPLETELY COOLED DOWN!!!
This may take up to 2 hours, depending on your oven.
After you have cured them in the oven, let them air-cure further for about 72 hours before you use them.
Make sure to let your aliens gradually heat up and gradually cool down.
Quick temperature changes could crack or injure your aliens!
Place the pan into your oven while it is OFF. Set the oven to 350 degrees and turn on.
After 30 minutes, turn the oven off.
DO NOT REMOVE THE ALIENS UNTIL THE OVEN HAS COMPLETELY COOLED DOWN!!!
This may take up to 2 hours, depending on your oven.
After you have cured them in the oven, let them air-cure further for about 72 hours before you use them.
Let Them Invade Your Garden!
To use these guys, just follow the same instructions as you would for other watering globes, such as my Upcycled Wine Bottle Watering bottles.
After watering the garden where they will be placed, fill them up to the brim with water, and stick them down into the soil until they can remain upright on their own.
As the soil dries out, it will absorb the water stored in these aliens, and keep your plants moist between watering!
For more awesome projects, visit my blog The Procrastibaker.
If you enjoyed this instructable, please vote for it in the Gardening contest, and check out some of my other projects!
After watering the garden where they will be placed, fill them up to the brim with water, and stick them down into the soil until they can remain upright on their own.
As the soil dries out, it will absorb the water stored in these aliens, and keep your plants moist between watering!
For more awesome projects, visit my blog The Procrastibaker.
If you enjoyed this instructable, please vote for it in the Gardening contest, and check out some of my other projects!