How to Make a Sand Timer from Recycled Plastic Bottles

Co-authored by Florisa-Leila Ramos

Last Updated: November 11, 2024 Approved

Lots of things take two minutes or less, such as hearing one side of an argument, meditation, holding your breath, making a phone call, or giving your toddler a 'time out'. This timer is fun to make and fun to watch. You can use it to time lots of things, and creating this timer takes less time to make than many other activities.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making a Basic Timer

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1
Find two, clear plastic bottles that are the same size and shape. The shorter the bottles are, the more stable your timer will be. For a more realistic hourglass, try to use bulb-shaped bottles, such as Method or Orangina.
- Make sure that you take the labels off. Use soap and warm water to clean off any residue. Wipe the bottles clean with rubbing alcohol afterwards.
2
Take the caps off, glue them together, and let the glue dry.^{[1]
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Research source} Draw a ring of glue around the top the first cap. Be careful not to get any glue in the middle, or you won't be able to make the hole. Place the second cap on top of the glue. Make sure that the tops of both caps are touching. You should only see the underside/inside of each cap.
- Use a strong glue, such as super glue or epoxy glue. Regular school glue or hot glue will not be strong enough.
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3
Punch a hole through the middle of the glued-together caps.^{[2]
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Research source} You can use an electric drill to do this, or a hammer and nail. Experiment with different hole sizes. The larger the hole is, the faster the sand will flow through. The smaller the hole is, the slower the sand will flow through.^{[3]
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- If you are a child, ask an adult to help you with this step.
- Some caps have a plastic disk inside them. This can make drilling the hole difficult. Use a flat screwdriver to pop this disk out before you drill the hole.
The only difference is that now, you will have a second cap on top of your bottle. Don't worry about this one just yet.
5
Make sure that the sand you are using is very dry. If you use damp sand, the sand will clump up in your bottles. Even if you bought your sand from the store, it might be a good idea to spread it out on a baking sheet, and leave it out in the sun for 1 hour.
- Try using colored sand. You can find it in the floral section of an arts and crafts shop.
- Add some fine scrapbooking glitter to your sand to make it look more magical. Plain sand and gold glitter will look great together. White sand and iridescent glitter will also look pretty.
6
Start filling the second bottle with sand. If you don't care how long your sand timer takes, fill the bottle two-thirds of the way with sand. If you want your timer to run for a specific amount of time, then time yourself filling the bottle using a stopwatch.^{[4]
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Research source} For example:
- If you want your sand timer to last 1 minute, fill the bottle for 1 minute.
Keep the sand-filled bottle on the table. Turn the empty bottle upside down. Align the cap with the neck of the sand-filled bottle. Screw the cap unto the bottle until it is tight.
8
Test your sand timer. Turn your sand timer upside down. The sand should be flowing smoothly from one bottle to the next. If you have a specific amount of time for your timer in mind (such as 1 minute), pull out a stopwatch and stop timing it.
- Be careful when handling your sand timer. The glue holding the caps together will not be very stable. Hold your timer by the seam/neck.
Unscrew the bottles first, and keep the sand-filled one standing upright. If the sand is not flowing smoothly enough, make the hole larger. If the bottom bottle is taking too long to fill, empty out some sand. If the bottom bottle fills too quickly, you will need to add more sand. Once you have made the adjustments, screw the bottles back together.
Once you are happy with your timer, you will need to secure the necks together. Get some sturdy tape, such as duct tape, and wrap it tightly around the necks of the bottle. Start at the bottom neck, work your way up past the seam, and finish at the top neck. You may want to do this a few times for extra durability.
Turn your timer so that the empty bottle is on the bottom. When the sand flows all the way down, the time is up. Flip your timer over if you'd like to use it again.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Enhancing Your Sand Timer

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The squares need to be about 1 inch (2.54 centimeters) larger than the base of your bottle. Use a ruler to make the squares even.
If you are a child making this project, ask an adult to help you with this step.
If you need to, trim the dowels down. If you can't find any dowels, glue three wooden skewers together; this counts as one dowel. You will need 12 skewers total.^{[5]
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You can use acrylic paint or spray paint. They can all be one color, or even different colors. Make sure that you paint the edges of your cardboard squares as well.
5
Glue the cardboard squares to the top and bottom of your sand timer, and let the glue dry.^{[6]
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Research source} Cover the bottom of your sand timer with glue, and press it into the middle of the first cardboard square. Cover the top of your sand timer with glue, and press the other cardboard square on top.
- You can use any type of thick glue for this: school glue, wood glue, hot glue, or epoxy.
Place a drop of glue on the bottom of the first dowel. Press the dowel into the corner of the bottom square. Place a drop of glue on top of the dowel, and slide it under the top square. Make sure that the dowel is as straight as possible. Repeat this step for the other three dowels.^{[7]
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7
Decorate your finished sand timer further. You can leave your sand timer plain, or you can decorate it further. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Wrap some ribbon around the dowels.
- Cover the edges of the cardboard squares with glitter glue.
- Draw designs on the top and bottom cardboard square using glitter glue. Let the glue dry before you do the other side.
- Glue one some plastic rhinestones or jewels along the dowels.
- Add on some glow-in-the-dark star stickers on the top and bottom cardboard squares.

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Question

Why should I wrap the ribbon around the dowel?

Community Answer

To decorate them. It's not necessary.

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Can the cardboard be larger?

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Size actually helps stabilizing it. But, more size might not go with the look and, also, if it gets any bigger it may not be visible from certain top angles.

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Question

There are only four dowels used in it, so why do I want the twelve dowels?

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If you are using skewers to make dowels, you will need three skewers to make one dowel. 3 x 4 = 12.

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Tips

Try it with glass bottles, and a cork stopper in the necks to hold them together. Be sure to drill a hole through the cork first.^{[8]
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If you want a longer timer, use bigger bottles and put more sand in. Or you can use something else to make the hole smaller. (e.g. knife)

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For a larger timer: cut the top/domed part off of two liter-sized soda bottles, and glue them down onto cardboard disks/squares. Fill with the bottom bottle with sand, and assemble as per this article.

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Warnings

Be careful when punching a hole through the caps. If you are a child, ask an adult to do this for you. If you are an adult, you may want to put on a pair of heavy work gloves to protect your fingers.

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