Milk Jug Watering Can Craft

Give your recyclables a second life! Create a convenient watering can that happens to be the perfect size for your child with this awesome milk jug watering can craft.

We are on year two of growing a garden and I have to say, it’s hard work!! All that weeding and watering, and then to harvest it all at the end! Hard work for sure, but so worth it for that feeling you get by pulling up 50 beautiful garlic bulbs. (Yes, I was giddy over this!) Another aspect that I find to be invaluable is what our kids learn through the process.

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Garden Sensory Bin

We’ve had a busy summer and our garden has gotten a little out of control, but my kids are still gaining so much from having it. They go out there to help me weed, water, and they absolutely love harvesting from our plants! The green beans don’t even make it into the house because they pick them for a snack throughout the day when they’re playing outside. There are so many skills that can be learned through gardening, here are just a few:

Why Garden With Your Kids?

1. They learn commitment. Gardens are a serious commitment to maintain. You can’t just plant and check on them every month. It involves daily care! Letting your kids help you tend to the garden everyday helps them learn what it’s like to commit to something, and the satisfaction of seeing it blossom!
2. They learn about plants. My kids have learned so much about various fruits and vegetables throughout this experience. They’ve seen the ways I was successful with the garden, and the ways I have to improve. Learning about what to put in the soil to help the plants along, how to repel certain bugs from eating the leaves, when’s the best time to harvest. There is so much to know!
3. They try new fruit and veggies. If your kids are resistant to veggies, like mine, then this will appeal to you. Having a garden makes the new food experience go so much better! My kids were not green bean fans prior to last year’s garden, and now it’s their favorite summer snack!
4. They get outside and in the dirt. Spending time playing outside and in the dirt is an important part of childhood, and so good for them too! I love seeing my kiddos barefoot walking between plants and picking fresh veggies each week. Don’t underestimate the joy of some good old fashioned time in the dirt! 

My kiddos enjoy helping tend to our plants, especially watering them. But naturally, my large watering can is a bit heavy for them. We fill it up part way and that works fine, but I decided why not make them their own watering cans better suited for their size? So we made each of them one out of milk jugs! 

What You’ll Need for the Milk Jug Watering Can Craft

• Clean and dry milk container; quart or half gallon preferred
• Needle/pin
• Lighter
• Paint
• Mod Podge or Waterproof paint spray

1. Paint the outside of the milk jug

This craft is pretty straight forward. Get a milk jug, clean it, and then let your kiddo paint it. Easy peasy! Since it’s used for gardening I encouraged Miss 7 and Mister 5 to paint flowers or fruit/veggies on them. Then let them fully dry!

2. Poke holes in the cap

Next part is for the adults! Now we will poke holes into the milk cap. Nails create too big of holes, so we are sticking to tiny needles or pins. Since the milk cap is plastic, it’s easy to poke the holes through with some heat.

Take your needle and put the tip of it in the flame of a lighter for a few seconds to heat it, up then immediately poke it through the cap. Repeat this until the cap is full of tiny holes! If you have plastic stuck onto your needles at the end, simply heat it up once more and then immediately wipe it off. 

3. Seal in the dried paint

Once the paint has fully dried, you’ll need to make it waterproof. You can use either mod podge or an actual waterproof sealant spray. Mod podge should be sufficient though since the jugs won’t continuously be wet, but just need some protection for when water drips out during filling. 

We had a bunch of mod podge so that’s what we used! The kids took some paint brushes and spread a coat over the entire outside of the milk container. Then just leave it to dry again and you’re done!

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Garden Bible Verse Memory Activity

My kiddos couldn’t wait to try out their new milk jug watering cans! They were the perfect sizes for them to fill up without it getting too heavy. And the handle on the side makes it very easy to hold while pouring. The perfect little watering cans for little hands!

Pin for later