Mom Always Finds Out is honored to be part of Tom’s of Maine #GoodnessCircle of bloggers. As part of the program, I will be compensated for this blog post. As always, all opinions expressed are 100% honest and my own.

My family recently took a Spring Break road trip to visit some friends in California. I didn’t know at the time, but Sprouts opened a new grocery store in their town of Ventura while we were there. I am so excited for my friends to live close to a store that makes healthy living affordable with great prices on natural and organic foods and products.

Sprouts and Tom’s of Maine have teamed up for Earth Day. Go to Sprouts app for a special offer off any 1 Tom’s of Maine products.

Also, you don’t want miss out on their awesome Earth Day giveaway! 14 winners will receive upcycled Terracycle totes filled with Tom’s of Maine® product as well as a $50 Sprouts gift card. Scroll on down for details and the link to the contest entry form.

It’s time to go green by growing green! I love to crowd my windowsill with all sorts of plants. Growing a little indoor garden is fun, but I have to water it daily to keep it alive. Watering is usually not an issue, unless I leave town for a few days. I found a way to help solve the watering problem and upcycle empty plastic bottles at the same time.

Did you know you can upcycle empty plastic bottles into self watering planters? It’s quick and easy. I could make enough of these planters to grow an army of plants in no time.  If only I had enough window sills! These cute little planters are perfect to set out on tables and desks, too. 

The first self watering planter I ever made (pictured above) uses an empty Tom’s of Maine Body wash bottle. But any similarly-shaped plastic bottle should work. I especially like the Tom’s of Maine bottle because it is an opaque white color that looks really cute on the window sill. I thought about decorating it with paint or washi tape, but decided I like the look of solid white.

Until a few weeks ago, I did not even know Tom’s of Maine made a Body Wash. We use lots of other Tom’s of Maine personal care products like toothpaste and mouthwash, but somehow I have been missing out on the body wash!  So, I want to let you know about it in case you had not heard. Tom’s of Maine Body Wash is 100% sourced from natural ingredients and are free from artificial fragrances, preservatives, animal ingredients and animal testing.

All of that natural goodness, plus I absolutely love the scents. So do my kids! The younger boys still take nightly baths and have started using the Lavender Tea Tree body wash. Not only do they like how this body wash smells, but Lavender is a relaxing choice for bedtime. Tom’s of Maine Body Wash is also available in Orange Blossom, Creamy Coconut and Fragrance-Free Sensitive.

Once you have finished a bottle of Tom’s of Maine body wash, put it to good use by turning it into a self watering planter. This plastic bottle craft is a fun and simple project to make for Earth Day. I planted a small plant that was already growing, but you could also start seeds in this self watering planter.

If you are starting seeds, remember to water the seed from the top down until the seed sprouts into a small leafy plant and develops a root system.

Plastic Bottle Craft: How To Make Self Watering Planters

Materials Needed:

• Empty Plastic Bottle
• Exacto Knife (or sharp utility knife)
• Potting Soil
• Cotton String or Yarn *must be cotton to work as a water wick
• Small Plant or Seeds

Directions:

1. Remove any labels from the bottle. Clean out any residue from inside of the bottle.
2. Use an Exacto knife to cut the bottle in two pieces. Cut the bottle approximately 3.75 inches from the bottom.
3. Thread a piece of cotton yarn or string through the bottle cap hole. The string needs to be long enough to reach from the water in the bottom portion of the bottle, up through the cap hole and into the soil in the upper part of the bottle. The string will be a water wick that carries water to the plant soil as needed.Tip: I used 3 strings of cotton baker’s twine knotted together at one end, because one string of twine is not quite as thick as one string of yarn.
4. Fill the bottom portion of the bottle with water. Then, fill the upper portion of the bottle with potting soil and a plant. Place the top portion into the bottom portion of the bottle. Make sure the string (water wick) goes from the water up into the soil.

To check the water level, you can lift up the top part of the planter (you don’t need to lift it all the way out to peek in.) I have also noticed that I can faintly see the water level through the white plastic when sunlight is shining behind it. If you water from the top, be careful not to over-water or it will spill out.

Whether you decide to upcycle or recycle plastic bottles, keep in mind that all Tom’s of Maine packaging can be recycled through TerraCycle. Join Tom’s of Maine Less Waste Challenge to keep waste out of landfills and make the world a better place for future generations.

My family is cleaning out the toy box as part of the Less Waste Challenge. We are sending in broken toys for recycling with a free UPS shipping label we got from Tom’s of Maine. You can get one, too. See my blog post: What To Do With Unwanted, Used and Broken Toys for more details.

Comment below and let me know if you give this upcycled plastic bottle craft a try. Do you recycle your plastic bottles? What about recycling cardboard, glass and paper?