We love melting plastic cups.  (Remember our recycled plastic cup washer necklace?)  Knowing that number 6 plastic is shrink plastic, Erin from Life in the Nuthouse stocked up on clear plastic cups in a rainbow of colors, which she proceeded to use for every event until they were gone.  Saving up 96 cups, she shrunk and assembled them into a chandelier-like suncatcher that casts amazing colors onto floors and walls when light passes through it. (Check out her blog posts to see pictures of its colorful shadow!)  If you don’t want to use as many cups, you can always experiment with arranging a smaller number in different ways to get an effect you like.  [how to make a recycled plastic cup rainbow suncatcher]

Project estimate:

  • Plastic cups, $1 and up
  • Yarn or string, on hand or $1 and up
  • Cardbord box, on hand
  • Spray paint, on hand or $1 and up

Total:  $1 and up