Back to College 2 Liter Bottle Send Off Gift

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It’s that time!  My daughter is leaving to head back to college now.  It’s always a happy and sad time when she heads back.  Happy because she loves her field of study and sad because of the distance.  We miss her!  This year I created a fun mini send off gift for her and one for her new roommate.  Last year, her roommate graduated, making this her first year with a new roommate.  Her previous roommate ended up becoming her best friend, so I’m hopeful that she’ll get another great roommate this time too.  Showing up with a gift in hand (as well as something for herself) might help break the ice and have her feeling even more confident about this new school year.

The first thing you’ll want to do is drink, serve and/or share a whole 2 Liter bottle of Dr Pepper.  That empty bottle is what you’re gifts are going in!  To make this project even easier, I used a heat knife.  Plug it in and when it warms up it will cut through the plastic of the 2 liter bottle much easier.  Yay to that!

Find the seam of the label and make a straight cut there, just through the label.  Remove the label completely or leave one end attached being careful not to tear it during the project.  Keeping the illusion of an untouched bottle makes the puzzle of this gift work, so don’t mess up the label!  (I say buy a few 2 liter bottles in case you make a mistake.  Been there.  Done that.)  Cut an opening that is wide enough to insert gifts but that is not wider than the area of the label.

Need more help? Here’s a video!

How to Make a 2 Liter Soda Bottle with Gifts Inside VIDEO

I thought that it was sad to drink all the Dr Pepper and not add any back, so I added this 12 oz. can of Diet Dr Pepper.  This is going to be a fun surprise!  Next, I added Pringles too!

I added some pencils and even decorated this plain notebook to match them.  How cute is that pink pom pom ribbon?  So cute!  I’m packing this gift with things that will help get my student and her roommate through a night of studying: pencils, a little notebook, Dr Pepper and snacks!

Once everything is added to the bottle I used clear packaging tape to reseal and cover the area that I cut.

It gives the bottle an almost untouched feel.

Yep, I sealed it up and forgot to add the pink strips of paper.  I just cut the tape and opened it back up.  This is a pretty forgiving project and a real surprise to the recipient.  Just wait to see how long it takes them to figure out how to get to their gifts inside!