Lawn looking sad? Make your own sprinkler using an empty plastic bottle with this failsafe hack

This DIY sprinkler hack uses just a soda bottle and a couple of simple DIY tools to transform your normal garden hose into a gentle watering system for your parched plants. 

While the best garden hose is indispensable in any backyard, sprinkler systems are neither here nor there unless you live in a permanently hot, drought-prone climate. A lawn sprinkler system will cost you a minimum $400, but can go up to $3,000 and more. Sprinkler attachments for garden hoses are significantly cheaper – but you can just as easily make one pretty much for free, in under five minutes.

Stephen Auker, also known as The Man With The Hat, who runs a DIY and hobby YouTube channel demonstrates the correct way of doing this hack. While not complicated, there's a little bit more to it than just making a couple of holes in just any bottle and sticking your hose on top. 

Stephen explains that you will need a bradawl and a blowtorch in order to make holes. The bradawl allows for precise, small hole making, while heating up the tip with a blowtorch partly melts the plastic around the hole and 'seals' it. 

'If you try to punch a hole through without doing that, it will make a fracture', so your whole bottle would become unusable,' he explains.

If you do try this hack, be very careful and wear protective coverings when handling the blowtorch to protect from burns.

The other important point is that you will need to re-thread the bottle neck. 'You'll notice: it does not fit,' says Stephen about trying to put the hose lock end onto the bottle. 

What you'll need to do is 'gently soften the end' with your torch – 'soften not melt it' and then screw on the hose tip – this will rethread the bottle.

You're all set! Stephen gives one final tip – many smaller holes in a smaller bottle will give you better pressure, and therefore better sprinkling action, than a few larger ones in a very large bottle. That's it, you can turn on your hose. 

If you want to go one step further and time watering your plants with your DIY sprinkler, you can get a sprinkler timer that easily attaches to your hose for under $30. 

Of course, taking care of your lawn with the best lawn mower is still essential, although you may want to put off the mowing until the weather is cooler.