You can use real bowling pins, a
kid's bowling set, or empty plastic bottles.
Foam bowling balls work better than playground balls, which tend to be too
"bouncy."
There are endless opportunities to "upcycle" plastic bottles to make a bowling
set. We feature a few of our favorites below. Popular choices for bottles are 2
liter pop bottles, water bottles, creamer containers, and Gerber Puffs
containers.
Links
The Terry's blog describe how to make a bowling set using Gerber Puffs
containers. They even made their own ball!
Meet the Dubiens blog has instructions for this colorful set made with
plastic water bottles and a little leftover paint:
Good Ideas for You has this elegant solution to backyard bowling. While this
may be more than you want to take on, notice the details like the side
bumpers that keep balls in play. This could be done on a simpler scale with
6x6 lumber and a sheet of plywood:
