How to Reuse and Recycle Metal Bottle Caps

Some things just cannot be shipped to a recycling center to be recycled. Luckily there are several ways that you can reuse non recyclable items and put them to good use. Bottle caps are one of those tricky items that cannot be recycled, though they should be. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can reuse old bottle caps to give them a new life as something useful.

Bottle Cap Jewelry

A popular new craft involves using old bottle caps to create artistic recycled jewelry. This can be as simple as punching a hole in a bottle cap and wearing it as a pendant or earrings, or you can try a more artistic approach. Simply cut out a circular picture and glue it to the inside of your bottle cap. Some artists create tiny collages. You can even use three-dimensional objects such as small charms, glitter, and beads inside the bottle cap.

Once the design is finished, it is filled with craft epoxy and allowed to dry. Press a small metal ring into the top or sides of the pendant for hanging on a necklace. You can also use them to create interesting charm bracelets.

Bottle Cap Checkers Game

Matching bottle caps in two colors can be used to create a checkers game. A board is simple to construct and can be covered with squares of colored cloth or painted. Use the bottle caps just like checkers. They can even be stacked.

Bottle Cap Memory Game

A kids' memory game can be made from old bottle caps. It's important that all of the bottle caps be exactly the same on the outside. You will need pictures for the inside of the bottle caps. You need two of each picture and they must be exactly the same, so it's a good idea to cut identical pictures from magazines or use stickers. Glue the images to the inside of each bottle cap.

Bottle Cap Purse

First, make your bottle caps into "buttons" by punching two small holes through the top with a hammer and a small nail. Cover a purse or bag with the caps by sewing them on just like buttons. The result is a colorful stylish bag that resists wear and tear and can even be washed in a washing machine.

Bottle Cap Belt

Belts can be made in the same way as a bottle cap purse. Make each of the bottle caps you plan to use into a button and use heavy duty thread or string to sew each to a belt. These will look just like the bottle cap belts you see in stores, but you can make your own for free.

Bottle Cap Mosaics

Colorful bottle caps can be made into interesting art. They can be made into mosaics by pressing them into concrete or gluing or nailing them to boards. I had friends who discovered that their drywall in their garage was soft and only a firm push was needed to get bottle caps to stick securely to the walls. It's a great way to decorate the drab walls of a garage or even interior house walls.

Bottle Cap Pins

You can make bottle caps into crafty pin buttons by filling the bottle cap with resin or epoxy and placing a pin back into the back of the cap. These buttons make great gifts and stocking stuffers or you can pin them on to your clothes and bags to show off your favorite drink.

Bottle Caps as Pop Art

Bottle caps can become pop art to display in your home. All you need to do is glue bottle caps into an empty picture frame. You can create a mosaic picture such as a heart, display a collection of all different bottle caps, or you can create something very Warhol-ish by gluing in bottle caps that are all exactly the same.

Bottle Cap Stamps

A fun craft is making children's stamps from bottle caps. Purchase foam shapes from the craft store and glue them to the inside of your bottle caps. They should stick out far enough that kids can hold the stamp by the bottle cap and not get their fingers in the ink. You could make a set of bottle cap stamps with the entire alphabet this way. Kids can use them to make art or even print their own gift cards.

Bottle Cap Magnets

A bottle cap magnet can be made one of two ways. You could glue a strong magnet to the inside of your bottle caps using heavy duty craft glue or hot glue, or you could put a magnet on the front of the bottle cap and glue pictures to the inside of the bottle cap.

Bottle Cap Collecting

Start a bottle cap collection or give your bottle caps to kids who like to collect them.

Bottle Cap Picture Frame

You can make a cute picture frame from bottle caps. Make the actual frame from a piece of thick paperboard. The frame should be about 1/8 inch wide. Glue bottle caps all the way around the frame and place a picture inside. You could also decorate a wooden picture frame by gluing or nailing bottle caps around the edge.

Christmas Tree Ornaments

Get creative and use your bottle caps to create different types of Christmas tree ornaments. Bottle caps that are red, green, or white make the best choices. Ribbons can be used to create bows with which to hang them.

Paint Well

If you are an artist, you can use bottle caps to make your own paint well. Glue or nail bottle caps upside down in rows to a board. It's a great place to mix small amounts of paint and watercolors.

Freecycle It

If you are not crafty yourself, but would like to find a way to reuse your bottle caps, save them up and then offer them on Freecycle.org. Someone somewhere will want to use your caps in their crafts.