Did you know that you keep one of the most household versatile tools in your recycling pail? We're talking about the two-liter plastic soda bottle! With some scissors and creativity, you can repurpose the bottle to be used in a variety of ways. Here are some of my favorite household uses for a soda bottle.

Scooper If you need a scooper for grass seed or pet food, use a soda bottle. Cut the bottle in the middle at a 45 degree angle, and the end with the bottle neck becomes a perfect scoop.

Funnel The top of the soda bottle can be turned into a simple funnel. Cut the bottle in half and keep the top half. Just unscrew the top and you have a perfectly acceptable funnel

Watering Dish Not sure what to do with the bottom part of the bottle after you make a funnel? Cut it down so it fits under a potted plant. You can fill that with water, allowing the roots to soak up water. It's also less messy then watering the top of the plant.

Weights If you have a tarp down in your backyard, you will need to put something down on the corners to weight it. Fill an empty soda bottle with water; they usually weigh around four pounds when full. Place the full bottles onto the tarp to keep it secure--and when your done, you can use the bottles to water your plants. (Or you can use them for a workout, we won't judge.)

Toilet, um, "optimizer" Want to save money when you flush the toilet? If you have an older throne, place a soda bottle (go for the 20 oz size) with water and drop it in the tank. The bottle allows the tank to be refilled with less water, making it more efficient and requiring less water.

The best part of using soda bottles for other house hold purposes is that when you're done with the project, you can put them in the recycling pail and be done with them. How simple is that?

Flickr photo by Kevin Wong