Uses for Plastic Bottle Caps
Plastic beverage bottles pose a problem for environmentally-conscious folks: while the bottle itself can be recycled through almost any recycling program, the cap cannot. Most plastic bottle caps are made of Type 5 plastic, or polypropylene, which is not accepted by most recycling programs. Special programs for Type 5 plastic recycling exist, but if you don't have one in your area, put your plastic caps to use by re-purposing them.
-
Make a Mosaic
-
If you've amassed piles of plastic bottle caps, use them as "tiles" to create a colorful mosaic. This project works best if you have several different colors of caps, or you can spray paint your caps to make the tile colors you want. Use a large piece of cardboard painted black or white for the base, and hot glue the caps to the board so that the sides touch. Place the caps to make an abstract design, or map your design out in pencil to create a picture or words.
Hold Beads or Paint
-
Plastic caps are valuable little art supplies, especially if you work small. Sort tiny seed beads by color into caps, so you don't have to search for the right shade when beading. To store, cover the caps with masking tape. Save paint by using plastic caps as paint holders for when you need to mix just a tiny amount. Your plastic cap palettes can be saved to use as references for certain color mixes, or they can be washed and reused.
-
Make Board Games
-
Plastic bottle caps are just the right size to use for board games. For a fun kid's craft, take a piece of corrugated cardboard and paint it white. Design a playing board any way you like---it can have a simple checkerboard design, or an elaborate winding road with three-dimensional cardboard embellishments. Make up rules, and use plain or painted plastic caps as playing pieces, currency or even dice: drop two or three caps on the board and move one space for each cap that's solid-side up.
Make Recycled Jewelry
-
String bottle caps to make a colorful jumbo-beaded necklace or bracelet. Paint the caps to make individual charms with designs such as dots, flowers, names or letters, and drill holes in the middle of each. Thread them on a piece of string, making different patterns with color. Have the caps all face the same way, or mix it up and rotate the direction. The caps can also be used as spacers for flower necklaces.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
