2 for 1 Metal Bottle Cap Craft

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2 for 1 Metal Bottle Cap Craft

Woof, has 2020 been rough! Thank goodness for glass bottled beverages.  Today, I’m sharing with you a quick, easy, and highly customizable 2 for 1 Metal Bottle Cap Craft. You can make earrings and a keychain. This bottle cap craft uses metal bottle caps from beer or soda bottles. 

The earrings I made were inspired by a pair of bottle cap earrings my parents and sister gave to me.  I decided to make these bottle cap earrings for a quick and easy way to encourage my fellow neighbors to VOTE! I can wear my earrings, while wearing my mask, and inspire others without speaking a word.  While it is important to vote in every election, this year’s election feels more weighted than most. Soon I will share just how vital our vote is.

Why metal bottle caps for crafting?

For crafting, metal bottle caps are mostly free, colorful, durable, and plentiful.  With all of these characteristics metal bottle caps have been upcycled into all sorts of goods. This includes my own earrings, magnets, sculptures, etc. 

Keeping regenerative living in mind, upcycling metal bottle caps is sustainable because it is not harming Earth any further.  By upcycling, we take care of both ourselves and our Earth.  First, we are able to fulfill a desire to make something we want or need.  Second, we are preventing use of resources required to make a new product from scratch by upcycling something already made

Can’t metal bottle caps be recycled?

Metal is a valuable material for recycling and often metal bottle caps are accepted in local recycling programs.  If your recycling program does not accept metal bottle caps, check in with your local scrap metal facility.  They may accept small metal products like bottle caps, and other random small metal items like screws, nuts, and bolts. 

However, recycling and scrap metal facilities may carry risks for employees and local residents.  This does not mean we need to swear off recycling and scrap metal facilities.  Instead, these studies highlight the importance of a holistic view at the impact of our collective actions on both the health of our Earth and the health of each other.  Research into these issues is critical for governments, industries, and ourselves to adapt our processes, and hold each other accountable. 

In the meantime, here is how to make your 2 for 1 Metal Bottle Cap Craft.

Metal Bottle Cap Craft Instructions

Supplies

1. 1-2 clean bottle caps
2. Small nail
3. Hammer
4. Scrap wood/phone book. Essentially, something you don’t mind hammering holes into.
5. Scrap paper
6. A quarter
7. Pencil
8. Decorating medium. Your Choice! Permanent marker, paint, pen, pencil, etc.
9. Scissors
10. Liquid school glue
11. Metal wire (can use spare paper clips)
12. Pliers and/or wire cutters
13. Key ring or Old Earrings

Optional Supplies

Beads, embellishments, etc.

Safety Equipment

Please make sure to use appropriate safety equipment like safety glasses.  I am not responsible for any injury while making this craft, please see my full disclosure statement.

Step By Step Instructions

1. First, on top of your scrap wood, hold the nail to the bottle cap near the chosen top edge of your bottle cap
2. With the hammer, carefully tap the nail into the bottle cap to make a hole.
3. On the backside of the bottle cap, gently hammer down the sharp edges of the punctured hole.
4. Repeat for each bottle cap.
5. On your scrap paper, trace around your quarter with a pencil. I traced the quarter several times to practice different designs.
6. Once you’ve picked your favorite design, carefully cut along the edge of the circles.  Trim the edges as needed.
7. Place a small amount of school glue on the back of your circle cut out.
8. Insert your paper circle with the design facing out, inside your bottle cap. Be mindful to keep the hole in your bottle cap, at the top edge of your paper circle.
9. Gently press down on your circle paper, wiping away any excess glue.
10. Cut two pieces of wire with wire cutters, to be about 1 inch.
11. At one end of each wire piece, bend and fold over a small bit of the wire.  Fold just large enough of a bend so the wire will not fall through the hole you made in the bottle cap.
12. Now insert the wire into the hole of your metal bottle cap from inside. The long unbent piece of wire should be sticking out through the top of your bottle cap.
13. Using your pliers, bend a small loop at the top end of your wire but do NOT close the loop completely. 
14. At the opening of the loop you just made, hook onto a key ring or the end of earring hooks.
15. Make sure the loop is oriented the way you’d like so your design is facing outward.
16. If you are extra like me, you may hook extra wire around the end to prevent the wire from coming undone.  Or you may close the loop with your pliers.
17. Cut any extra wire you may have sticking out.
18. Enjoy your new handmade upcycled craft.

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