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How to Make and Decorate a Rocket out of a Soda Bottle

Soda bottles can become sky bound rockets, with pretty simple hardware. Most of the items are either things you have on hand or can get easily. Decorating your flying projectile adds another level of creativity and personal touch to the rocket. A fun afternoon project that results in getting to launch the thing into the air, get started making and decorating your soda bottle rocket.

Things You'll Need

6-foot section of 1/2-inch PVC pipe
Hand saw
2 1/2-inch end PVC end caps
Drill
1 valve stem
1 barge rubber cement
1/2-inch PVC tee connector with female threads
1 1/2-inc threaded PVC elbow
2 1/2-inch PVC male threaded adapters
PVC glue
Electrical Tape
2 liter soda bottle
Paint
Colored tape
Stickers
Bicycle pump with hose

Instructions

- 1
  Cut the PVC pipe into four sections. Cut two 1-foot sections, one 3-foot section, and one 4-foot section.
- 2
  Drill a hole in the center of one of the end caps, and slide the valve stem through it with the stem poking upwards out of the top. Glue it in place on the inside with barge cement on the base.
- 3
  Assemble the two 1-foot sections of PVC on either side of the tee and glue them together. Glue an end cap on each end, the plain one and the one with the valve stem. Fit one of the male adapters into the female threads of the tee and screw firmly in place.
- 4
  Attach the 4-foot section of PVC to one side of the elbow, the 3-foot section to the other side and glue them in place. Glue the other male adapter to the end of the 4-foot section.
- 5
  Glue the 3-foot section end into the male adapter that was screwed into the tee of the other assembly. Situate it so that when the tee lies flat on the ground, the section with the 3-foot piece sticks straight up.
- 6
  Wrap a piece of electrical tape around the final open male threaded end, making one or two turns. Allow the glue to dry completely on the entire assembly.
- 7
  Decorate the soda bottle while the glue dries. Use paints, colored tape or stickers to cover the bottle in the design of your choice. Fashion it with flames by cutting the tape into strips and making them shaped like flames on the bottle, or tape red, white and blue stripes for a patriotic look reminiscent of the U.S. flag.
- 8
  Screw the soda bottle onto the male connector you taped with the electrical tape. Test the fit; it should be snug and have a good seal but not impossible to move. With the assembly lying on the ground, this should be sticking straight up as your launch point. Unscrew the bottle and set it aside.
- 9
  Attach the bicycle pump to the valve stem. Fill the soda bottle about one-fourth full with water, and quickly screw it back in place on the taped male adapter, trying to maintain the water inside the bottle.
- 10
  Launch the rocket by pumping the bicycle pump until pressure builds inside the bottle and it shoots off.

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