Ever since I started crafting home décor or making something useful out of waste, single-use plastic has been a pain to work with. I didn’t have a handy tool that could cut through plastic bottles or containers neatly to give me something to work with, so I ultimately sidestepped the material. All I desired was a tool to help me cut clean, long strips of plastic bottles to weave things. Alas, none existed; until now. Meet BottleLoom, the world’s first home bottle strip cutter, which helps you recycle plastic bottles by shredding them into long workable strips with multiple applications.
BottleLoom, by Hong Kong-based design team New Creativity, is made out of titanium and turns plastic trash into treasure for DIYers like me. No more cutting through single-use plastic with ordinary cutter knives (which believe me are a different problem altogether), only precision cutting with BottleLoom. You can use these strips as garden twine, craft supplies, or ever emergency repair strips.
The titanium EDC is really tiny and can fit in the palm of your hand. The workings of the BottleLoom are simple: trim off the base of the bottle neatly (for this, you will have to use a craft knife) and make a small clean incision along the circumference of the bottle. Then, insert the trimmed edge into the BottleLoom gap and pull steadily. The gap has a hidden blade that slices the plastic bottle into one uniform strip.
This step will very much feel like unraveling a woven sweater. At the end of it, you will have a long strip which can be used to weave décor items, baskets, or whatever your imagination can run wild with. I would rather go with weaving baskets or making pretty Christmas trees out of plastic, wouldn’t that be neat?
Since the contraption is rather simple and tiny, you don’t need to have a workshop space for it to work. It will work on your coffee table, workspace, or even bedside table. You can use it directly by hand if you are only recycling a couple of bottles. But if you are going to undertake a larger project with dozens of bottles, you should opt for the fixed version. This version lets you install the fixing screws and hooks on the edge of a table and work for it.
BottleLoom comes with three plastic wire width options. The thinnest is 2mm, then there is 4.2mm and the widest is 7mm. A large 1-liter bottle can provide about a 22-meter-long strip.
The wear-prone elements such as the blade are replaceable. The team has included 5 spare blades to extend the lifespan of every BottleLoom. Now that’s something I can get behind because often craft blades either get damaged or blunt with multiple use and require frequent replacement.
Also Read: Hanboost Ultrasonic Cutter is a Versatile Tool I Need in My DIY Kit
What’s even better is that the hidden blade makes it safe to use for kids. You can enjoy crafting things with your kids while teaching them the importance of recycling.
According to the design team, a single plastic strip has a weight holding capacity of 30 kilograms (66 lbs.). I do know that plastic has great tensile strength but I am unsure of the design team’s claim that multiple strips can even pull a small car with enough strands. Regardless, this should be enough to create a nice wicker-style objects from small furniture to décor items.
Currently crowdfunding on Kickstarter, BottleLoom can be yours at a super early bird pledge of HK$460 (roughly $60). I would recommend you get behind this project, but only if you consume a lot of drinks that come in single-use plastic bottles and have a knack for crafting things. Otherwise, it would end up gathering dust in some corner.
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