How to Make Bottle Cap Earrings with Epoxy Stickers
Here's the how to post as promised on the bottle cap earrings with epoxy stickers post posted earlier this month.
For this project the tools you’re going to need are a pair of scissors, a pair of flat nose pliers, a metal hole punch, rubber hammer/mallet and a steel bench block.
For this project the supplies you’re going to need are two bottle caps with the liner removed (FOR INSTRUCTIONS CLICK ON THE LINK: How to Remove Bottle Cap Liners), pair of earring hooks, sheet of epoxy stickers, images from a sheet of scrapbook paper/ collage sheet and glue
INSTRUCTIONS
INSTRUCTIONS
1.) To begin this project flattened out the bottle caps. If you are not sure how to do this, I have provided steps for this process below.
Quick Instructions
Take your bottle cap; turn it upside down so that the interior concave area is facing the bench block.
Take rubber mallet and evenly hit bottle cap, rotating cap a little bit after a few hits for even flattening. Continue evenly hitting bottle cap until you have flattened entire cap. What will happen is that the actual sides will start to curve up and over which is what you want.
Repeat process for second bottle cap.
Now you should have two identical bottle caps.
3.) Get your sheet of epoxy stickers and using scissors cut out two stickers. Cut through the lining on the front and back.
4.) Remove the top protective layer off the front of the epoxy stickers but leave the bottom protective layer in place. This is the adhesive part of the sticker and we do not want to get any fingerprints on this side.
5.) Now use the epoxy sticker as a template and choose where you want to place sticker. Once you have found this place remove sticker from bottom protective layer very carefully not getting any fingerprints on the adhesive part and place on image. Repeat process for second image.
6.) Rub epoxy sticker into place over image to ensure a good bond then cut image out. You do not have to be precise at this point. Just cut roughly around the sticker trying not to cut any of the images around it so that you can possibly use them in other projects later. Repeat process for second image.
7.) Once you have done your rough cut, continue pressing the sticker onto the image then carefully cut around the sticker being careful not to cut the sticker itself. Just work slowly around the sticker. Repeat process for second image.
TIP: To make this process easier you could use a precut image using a one inch hole punch. This would completely omit steps 5-7. You would only have to place the epoxy sticker on the precut image just being very carefully not to get any fingerprints on the adhesive side of the sticker and press the two pieces together.
8.) With the images cut out and on the epoxy stickers, really press the two together. We just want to make sure there is a nice tight bond.
9.) Take your glue of choice and using a toothpick or the applicator on the bottle smear glue into the bottom of the bottle cap. Try not to place too much glue around the edges. We don’t want glue to spill over and end up on top of image when placed.
10.) Carefully place image into bottle cap and press into place. Let dry for 10-20 minutes, depending on the type of glue you are using. Repeat process for second image.
11.) After patiently waiting and allowing time to dry, take hole puncher – find the middle top area (middle raised area of bottle cap) and punch it. Repeat process for second image.
12.) Take earring hooks, open hoop at bottom with flat nose pliers, thread through hole on bottle cap and close hoop. You now have a complete earring. Go ahead and repeat this step for the other one. (ASIDE: The earring hooks I had did not fit through the hole as I wanted them to so I just added a jump ring to aid in the connection of the bottle cap and earring hook).
There you have it, bottle cap earrings using epoxy stickers. Until next time, allow inspiration to find you!