Home
Shop Online
Kinetic Additions
Store Finder
FAQs
Classes
Events
News / Press
Links
About Us
Contact Us
|
|
|
|
|
Classes
Resin Bottle Caps
Kathy Murillo
The Arizona
Republic
July 26, 2003
A few years back, resin bottle caps were one of
those boutique items that made even the cleverest DIY-ers scratch their heads in
confusion. Artists were taking discarded beer and soda caps, gluing photos
inside and covering them with a thick coat of resin. The curiosity was with the
resin. "Where do you find it, and how do you use it?" were the key
questions.
These days, several easy-to-use variations of lightweight
resin are available at craft stores for all kinds of projects. All I can say is
welcome to the wonderful world of bottle caps.
Since taking on this
project, I still haven't stopped churning out dozens of key chains, necklaces
and all kinds of other fun things. Keep in mind, if you plan to work with resin
in large volume, you will need to look into professional ventilation equipment
because of the chemical ingredients.
Resin Bottle Caps
Supplies:
White craft glue
Small round
pictures to fit inside the bottle caps
Bottle caps, thoroughly cleaned
1
EnviroTex Lite or Ultra Glo varnish kit (includes varnish and hardener)
Paper
mask
Small paper cup
Wood chopsticks
Directions:
Apply a drop of craft glue to the back of one of the pictures and set
it inside the bottle cap. Use your finger to seal all the edges. Add a small
drop of glue on top of the picture and rub it around, so it covers the entire
image. Continue the process with the remaining bottle caps. Let dry. Move
outside to a well-ventilated area. Read the kit directions for safety
precautions before using the varnish. Put on mask. Measure the varnish and
hardener in the paper cup according to the directions. Stir the mixture
vigorously for at least one minute with the chopsticks. If there are bubbles,
remove the mask and gently blow on the mixture until they disappear. Put the
mask back on and carefully pour a shallow layer into the bottle cap. Let set for
a few seconds to make sure there are no bubbles, then finish pouring until the
varnish reaches the top edge. If there are bubbles, use the chopstick to "push"
them to the sides or blow on them gently. Continue the process for the remaining
bottle caps. Let cure for 24 hours until fully hardened.
Tips and
variations: Drill a hole at the top of your resin bottle caps to make
necklaces, earrings or key chains. Use industrial-strength craft glue to attach
magnets, ring blanks or pins to the backs. Bottle caps also can be used to line
a picture frame or the edge of a dresser.
Instead of pictures, tiny items can be used, such as small
charms, beads or glitter. Just about any kind of pictures can be used - look
through old wrapping paper, school photos, magazines, postcards or comic
books.
Reach the reporter at (602) 444-8618. You also can see Kathy's
crafting segment each Friday morning on 12 News Today, and visit her
message board and craft archives at home.azcentral.com.
|
|
|
|
|
