By Scott Meeks
CrunchyScott.com
Kids, tweens and teens are leading the way in eco-fashion accessories. So I say let's make some green bling that'll be the envy of fashionistas of any age! I'm talking about bottle cap charm bracelets. They're one-of-a-kind, easy to make… and of course -- totally crunchy and creative!
What you need:
Metal bottle caps
Decoupage glue/sealer
Jump rings
Drill
Old charm bracelet
Magazines or patterned paper scraps
Soy based craft resin
Prep the caps.
Wash and dry all caps.
Drill a hole from the outside of your cap inward. This way, if there are any sharp areas, they're on the inside of the cap and not outside. (This hole will be for the jump ring.)
Prep your images.
Gather old magazines, stickers, even photos -- whatever images you want in your charm.
Using a quarter as a template, trace out the image that you want inside of your cap. Trace lightly with a pencil.
Cut out your image.
Get crafting!
Using decoupage glue, glue the cutout into the inside of the cap.
Let that dry and then seal it with more decoupage glue.
Repeat this process 2-3 times because if it's not sealed properly, sometimes the resin will react with the paper.
Let this dry completely, probably a few hours. Overnight is best.
Mix your resin.
Mix your soy-based resin (you can track it down online). Follow the directions on the bottle, but it's usually a 2-1 ratio of resin to hardener.
Pour this into your bottle cap.
The resin usually dries within 24 hours.
Put it all together.
Add a jump ring through the drill hole and attach the charm to your bracelet.
It's best to add these to an existing charm bracelet or an old bracelet that needs updating.
Scott Meeks is a passionate environmental journalist, lifestylist and author. You can learn more about him and his eco-ways at www.crunchyscott.com.
