Given that Christmas is impending and the weather has been super hot here in Brisbane, I have sought refuge inside with a cool drink, experimenting making ‘recycled caps’.
The first experiment – making badges
I trialed these for the first time in November this year, when my cousin came up from Victoria and I’d bought up my ‘magic crafternoon box’ (which turned out to be a great idea as we had a few super wet days) and we experimented with making our own badges.
The base are beer bottle tops.
For the inserts, I had some spare inner tubes, bike parts and stickers. I had also brought pictures I had printed on recycled paper. The rest of the images we drew.
We experimented with inner tubes, paper and cardboard types as the base. Then with epoxy, superglue, hot glue gun and Mod Podge to see what different functions, finishes and adhesives we could achieve with each.
As you can see below, some worked out better than others.
Most importantly, we spent quality and creative time, only used items we had recycled and we had great fun doing it together – plus we made our own custom made badges to wear! Sweet!
As the afternoon worn on, we got much more adventurous – and structural!
Second Experiment – other materials
So, in the lead-up to Christmas, I’ve had another crafternoon to test some other materials and found objects. This time they were just caps, no badges.
As last time, I used bottle caps (so easy) and decorated them with recycled inner tubes, a bike chain, small bike parts, but this time also used bits from a $5 mixed jewellery op shop bag, some of husband’s old guitar strings – and any thing else I’m game to try, like a beetle shell and bottle pull rings.
Unlike the first lot, none of these are set in resin or epoxy. I wanted to do a selection without a finish to see how the cardbord and set trickets respond to not being coated.
I’m very happy with this second batch.
I tried some different designs and I really like being able to reuse the small and fiddly bike parts that ususally get discarded.
These caps are great as Christmas tree decorations, as a gift itself, or as an embellishment for presents, or any manner of other uses. I’ve got a few other ideas for these caps.
But considering the time of year, these caps are as close to mainsteam Christmas as I dare to get.
It was a great way to spend a couple of hours on a hot day. I survived only by having a few beers, having Queen’s 1986 Wembley Concert playing and taking regular intervals to walk the dog. A lovely way to spend an afternoon – and stay away from the crazy shopping crowds!
So however you chose to decorate your holiday this week, I hope you a great time.
Happy holidays, happy biking, happy recycling!!
I hope you enjoy collecting your own beer caps!!
Set up and prep
Some close-ups at different stages of development
