How to Recycle Bottle Caps

Bottle caps can be used in all kinds of interesting ways. Don't throw away another bottle cap! Use these clever ideas to get your own creative juices flowing.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Piece of plywood
• Hammer and nails
• Awl

1. Make a homemade mud scraper. Cut out a piece of plywood (or use a left over piece from another project) in whatever size you desire. Nail bottle caps side by side with the flat, smooth side down. Cover the board. Now you have a great mud scraper to clean your boots and shoes off on. Just hose it down to clean. Nail bottle caps to a hand sized block of wood, fluted side up. Hold it in the palm of your hand to scale fish.

2. Flatten bottle caps with a hammer. Make sure they are good and flat. Poke a hole near the top with an awl. Add a hook for earrings or a jump ring for a necklace. Glue them to scrapbook pages as decorations. Put holes in top and bottom and string them together with fishing line for a one of a kind belt. String them in patterns as wall art. Be creative!

3. Get 16 each of two different kinds of bottle caps and use them as checkers. You can paint them red and black or whatever colors you like but they look really neat left alone, too.

4. Use caps to hold tiny amounts of paints for small projects. You can also use them to mix tiny amounts of paint for touch ups. Fill with ant, roach or rodent poison but be sure to keep them where children can't find them. Use them to hold really tiny beads for jewelry making or for any other super small items.

5. Cut tiny pictures to glue inside the caps. Then cover them well with glue and let them dry. Glue a small magnet to the flat side and use them as refrigerator magnets. Put holiday pictures in them and drill a tiny hold at the top and hang them as mini Christmas ornaments.

6. Use your imagination to find uses for the lowly bottle cap. They are small enough for little children to find delightful as game pieces and art projects. With almost no cost, you can let them come up with some ideas of their own. They make a great rainy day project.

Tips & Warnings

• Throw an old plastic tablecloth down and let the kids paint and glue to their heats content. They will have a ball and you will keep them entertained for a good while for free.
• Watch where you hammer the caps as they will tear up the surface under them.

[edric49]

on 4/7/2008 Shape magazine says:

From March 10th through May 10th, Aveda stores will be accepting any and all of your hard plastic caps (e.g. from bottles of water and soda, laundry detergent, facial cleansers, shampoo, etc.) and using them to make new tops for Aveda’s limited-edition retro Clove Shampoo bottles. Bring in 25 or more caps and you’ll receive a free sample from one of Aveda’s hair or body-care lines.

You can also mail in your caps to:
Aveda Re-Cap Program, ACA Waste Services
40 EADS Street in Babylon, NY 11704