How to Make a Craft From Liquid Detergent Caps
Recycle liquid detergent caps into quirky crafts that you can hang in the garden or backyard. These colorful detergent cap figures can hold plant identification tags, blow in the wind or deter birds from dining on your blueberries. Once you craft the basic figure, open your imagination and discover ways they can decorate an eclectic space. Kids will enjoy helping to make these garden crafts from liquid detergent caps, and you'll enjoy the satisfaction of turning waste into art.
Things You'll Need
- 1 large liquid detergent cap
- 1 small liquid detergent cap
- 2 colors of spray paint
- Black, white, red and green permanent markers
- 1 square foot copper foil
- 1 pair household shears
- 1 tube waterproof construction adhesive
- Measuring tape
- 10-inches 22-gauge wire
- Wire cutter
- 5 beads
Instructions
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1
Clean both detergent caps to remove all traces of the liquid detergent.
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2
Spray paint the outside of a large and a small liquid detergent cap different colors. Let the paint dry.
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3
Turn the small cap upside down and draw a face with permanent marker. The eyes should fall just beneath the rim of the detergent cap. Draw hair along the sides of the face and on the back of the cap.
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4
Color the rim of the small liquid cap a solid color and draw vertical stripes onto the portion of the cap above the rim to complete the hat design. Allow the marker ink to dry completely.
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5
Turn the small cap right side up on top of a sheet of copper foil. Trace around the bottom rim of the cap. Cut out the circle with sharp household shears and glue it to the opening on the bottle cap with waterproof adhesive. This will prevent water from collecting in the top of the hat. Skip this step if you plan to use the cap figure as a bird feeder.
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6
Create the collar for the liquid detergent figure. Place the large liquid detergent cap upside down on top of the copper foil and trace around the rim. Remove the detergent cap. Draw a scalloped edge around the circle on the foil, 1/2 inch away from the tracing. You can use a template to draw the scallop, or simply make a circular wavy line around the circle on the foil. The edging need not be perfect. Cut out the copper around the scalloped edge with sharp household shears.
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7
Cut a 10-inch strip of 22-gauge craft wire. Add a bead to one end. Twist the end of the wire into a loop to keep the bead from sliding off. Add a bead to the other end of the wire and make another loop. These are the arms and hands for the cap figure. You can bead the arms completely if you like. Leave a section of wire in the center open so you can attach it to the cap. Center the wire over the closed top of the large liquid detergent cap. Glue it in place with waterproof adhesive. Bend the arms as you like.
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8
Center the scalloped copper collar on the flat top of the large liquid detergent cap. The scalloped edge should protrude over the edge of the cap. Glue the copper collar in place with waterproof adhesive.
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9
Turn the small cap upside down. The eyes of the face you drew in Step 3 should be beneath the rim of the small cap. Glue the small cap to the center of the top of the copper collar. The small cap is the head of the figure and is wearing a hat. The large cap is the body of the figure.
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10
Glue three beads in a vertical row on the center of the large cap between the two arms. The beads represent buttons as if the figure were wearing a shirt.
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