Bottle Cap Jewelry Tutorial by Kristin Batsel

Filed under Art Projects, Design Team, Jewelry, Tutorials

Making pins and pendants from bottle caps is easy and fun! You’re not limited to using the caps for jewelry, though; use them on ATCs, on shrines, or on any project that needs a little added excitement and dimension. Here are some simple instructions to get you started.

You will need:
Bottle caps
Collage sheets
1” hole punch
Glue stick
Glossy Accents
Straight pin or needle (to remove any bubbles)
Hammer and very small nail
Needle nose pliers
Charms and jump rings
Pin backs
Ball chain
Super Glue, Hypo Cement or E6000
 

Using a 1” hole template, find the area of the image you prefer to use for your design. Cut out with your hole punch.

Glue your design circles into the bottom of your bottle caps and let dry. You can use the image as is, or layer it on different backgrounds, adding in words, sequins, glitter, small beads or charms, etc.

(Collage Sheets for Round Pendants is shown at left.)

Apply Glossy Accents to the top of the image, starting at the outside edge of the cap and working around to the middle, until the entire area is covered. When applied, Glossy Accents will be milky and opaque, but it will dry clear. If any bubbles appear, pop them with a straight pin or needle. Keep an eye on your caps for about 10 or 15 minutes, making sure no new bubbles make their way to the surface. Let the caps dry completely, preferably overnight.

 

Once the caps are dry, take your hammer and nail and carefully punch a small hole in the side of the cap. Make a hole at the bottom to hang a charm, and an additional one at the top if you plan to make a necklace.

Using your pliers, attach your charm with a jump ring. If you are making a pendant, add a jump ring to the top of the cap. If you are making a pin, attach a pin back to the back of the bottle cap with Super Glue or E6000.

More bottle caps are in the gallery: Bird Pin and Christmas Ornaments.