How to Make Soda Bottle Crafts

Transform soda bottles into faux sea glass.

Instead of throwing away your empty soda bottles, you can use the materials to create beads, pendants and mosaic tiles. Every part of a soda bottle can be transformed into a useful craft element with a few basic techniques. Making your own crafts from old soda bottles is both eco-friendly and money-saving. Ask your friends and family to save their soda bottles and bottle caps to be transformed into works of art.

Things You'll Need

• Bottle cap
• Disposable gloves
• Protective mask
• E-6000 glue
• Image or small object
• Clear craft resin
• Catalyst
• Plastic cup
• Popsicle stick
• Heat gun
• Dremel
• Jump ring
• Glass soda bottles
• Thick trash bag
• Hammer
• Protective eye glasses
• Rock tumbler
• Sand
• Marker
• Bowl
• Rubber-tipped pliers
• 1-mm diamond-tipped drill bit

Instructions

Bottle Cap Pendant

1. Wash your bottle cap with soap and water and dry thoroughly. Glue small objects or images into your bottle cap using E-6000 craft glue, making sure that objects do not extend above the lips of the bottle cap.

2. Wear gloves and a mask to mix your resin with a resin catalyst in a disposable cup according to the manufacturer's directions. Stir and scrape the sides of the cup with a Popsicle stick for about two minutes.

3. Pour the resin mixture into the bottle cap and let stand for five minutes. Remove any remaining air bubbles by passing a heat gun across the surface of the resin for a few seconds. Allow to dry for 24 hours.

4. Drill a hole about 3 mm from the top edge of the bottle cap with a dremel and small drill bit. Apply even pressure and drill straight down into the dried resin and through the back of the bottle cap. Add a large jump ring to the hole.

Faux Sea Glass

1. Place a clean glass soda bottle inside a thick trash bag and wrap securely. Break the glass into shards 30 to 50 percent larger than you want your finished pieces. Always wear safety glasses while breaking glass.

2. Place the glass shards in the barrel of your rock tumbler. Fill the tumbler barrel about two-thirds full of glass and cover with water. Add 2 to 3 tsp. sand to the barrel and close securely. Allow the glass to tumble until it reaches the desired texture. The longer you allow the glass to agitate, the smoother the surface will be.

3. Dump the contents of the barrel through a strainer and rinse off the glass pieces with a garden hose. Allow the glass to air dry.

4. Transform your faux sea glass into beads by marking a spot on each piece of glass with a permanent marker where you would like the hole. Fill a bowl with water and submerge the glass in the bowl. With the glass piece fully under water, drill a hole halfway through before turning to finish the hole from the other side.

Tips & Warnings

• Glue resin-filled bottle caps to magnets for use on your refrigerator.

• Include un-drilled faux sea glass pieces as mosaic tiles or as decorative elements in vases or fish tanks.

• Always mix resin in a well-ventilated room.

• Never strain the contents of a rock tumbler in your sink, as the sand can damage your drain.

References

• The Craft Business Guide: Resin Jewelry
• EBSQ: Using Resin
• Dad's Rock Shop: Rock Tumbler FAQ
• Rockpick Legend Co.: Rock Tumbler Instructions & Tips
• Beading Times: Drilling Holes In Glass or Gems