I love a craft that uses recycled products (especially those horrible plastic containers we all have lying around). So, when my daughter asked to make some fairy lights, I immediately went to our recycle pile and started thinking.

My kids and I made some suncatchers with clear contact paper and colored tissue paper a while ago and we had some cut-up tissue paper left over. So, I thought we’d try using those, with some clear glue and a clear plastic bottle… and wah-lah!

They’re very simple. Start by gathering your supplies:

Here are some tips regarding finding the right bottle. First, make sure it’s clear and remove the label or any glue residue. The best bottles have smooth sides. You can do it with bumpy bottles, it’s just easier when they’re smooth. Depending on their shape, you might have to remove the top and/or bottom. That’s up to you. All of ours have open bottoms so we can put the lights underneath.

From someone who’s made a handful of these, I’ll say that peanutbutter jars are the best! They’re smooth and no need for cutting. Just flip them over.

Next, prepare the table for some messy glue-time. We used plastic jar lids to hold the glue and small paintbrushes. Coat the surface first, then using your sticky brush, pick up some colored paper and apply. Put more glue on top to hold it and just keep going!

You can have a little light nearby to check on your progress and see how your fairy light is looking.

If you want, you can also add some fairies to your fairy light. I found some fairy silhouettes online and printed them out in different sizes to see what would work best. Then we had to see where the fairies would be seen - obviously it’s easier to see them through the lighter colors. We then glued these on inside the bottle, but you could glue the fairies down first, and then add the tissue paper on top. It’s up to you.

For some fairies we drew windows for them to sit it. For others, we left them blank so they only show up when lit from within.

For the lights, little battery-operated tea lights work great. We also had some of these wireless nightlights that worked great (Buy here on Amazon).

Now grab that recycling bin and whip up a whole fairy village. Have fun!