Piping can be recycled and actually make great DIY Projects. With the many different alternative uses of piping the options are endless. Do you need an affordable (yet fun and creative) idea that will keep your kids busy and entertained for a few hours? This article is perfect for you then!
In our previous article, we discussed how piping could be used to make your own toy shooter. This article will discuss how piping can be recycled to make your own “kiddie car wash” that is sure to keep your kid entertained this summer.
Materials
- 8-10 ft. pieces of 3/4″ PVC pipe
- 11 PVC T-joints
- 7 PVC elbow-joints
- 4 PVC cross joints
- 4 PVC caps
- 1 hose connector
- 7 pool noodles
- 5 sponges
- colored nylon rope
- plastic table cloths (you could also use trash bags)
- drill & 1/16″ drill bit
- scissors
- hacksaw or PVC cutters
- permanent marker
Step-By-Step Process
Step 1
The first step in creating a kiddie car wash is to cut the PVC pipes. Cut 3 3-foot pieces, 26 2.5-foot pieces, 2 1-foot pieces and 3 6-inch pieces
Step 2
Next, use one of the 6-inch pieces and attach it to the hose connector. If you want added stability of that connection, consider gluing it together with PVC glue.
Step 3
The next step is to assemble the structure. The joints will be used to connect all the 2.5-foot pieces together. The 3-foot pieces will be used as the horizontal connectors at the top of the frame. The 1-foot pieces get capped off. The remaining two 6-inch pieces go at the top of the front, with caps on them and are used to stick the pool noodle on them.
Step 4
Once the frame has been built, you will need to drill holes in your structure. This step might be a little of trial and error. Starting with fewer holes, you can slowly add more as needed. Too many holes will cause the structure to blow apart because of the strong water pressure. Use a 1/16″ drill bit to drill the holes. You will most likely have an average of 4 or 5 holes across each 3-foot piece, 2 or 3 in the vertical 2.5-foot pieces, and then you can also drill a hole in the top of the caps on the 1-foot pieces.
Step 5
Once you have the holes and water worker the way you want, you’re free to decorate! Pool noodles (cut in half), nylon cord, a few sponges, and some plastic table cloths will work great. You can even make some DIY sponge balls to attach! Once you’ve finished decorating, all that’s left is to turn on the water and have fun playing!
Click here for a full tutorial with pictures.