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Fun for elementary school kids! A collection of craft ideas using plastic bottle caps!

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked for 10 years as a kindergarten teacher and for 7 years as an after-school childcare instructor, then took a post as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I also engaged in activities that shared Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational play, working with many children. Afterwards, through freelance writing, planning, and editing work at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and conveying ideas. Leveraging the perspective cultivated in educational settings and my experience as an editor, I aim to deliver practical information—focusing on fields related to music and children—that values both input and output. Hobbies include instruments, singing, handcrafts, toys, drawing, traditional play, the outdoors, books, DIY, and crafts. Special skill: spinning-top tricks.
Accompanist / Piano Instructoryuri
Accompanist pianist × piano instructor × web writer. I began piano lessons at age four and, inspired by my piano teacher, decided to pursue music. I went on to specialized music programs in high school and university, where I discovered the appeal of accompanying instrumentalists and singers. Currently, alongside teaching piano, I work mainly in my home region of Aichi as an accompanist for flute, voice, choir, and more. Through lessons, my students often introduce me to trending songs, and my hobby is trying anything on the piano—Japanese and Western pop, commercial jingles, and beyond. Since 2021, I’ve also been active as a web writer, covering music and a variety of other genres.

Plastic bottle caps lying around at home can actually be fun and fascinating craft materials! From accessories popular with girls to games everyone can enjoy together, you can create a surprisingly wide variety of projects with just a single cap.

Here, we introduce easy crafts that even elementary school kids can make, like pretend sushi-shop playsets and miniature cakes.

You’ll be amazed at how much fun you can have using everyday materials! Have a great time getting absorbed in crafts made with plastic bottle caps.

Fun for elementary school kids! A collection of plastic bottle cap craft ideas! (1–10)

hand spinner

How to make a fidget spinner ◇ Easy DIY craft with bottle caps | Fidget spinner DIY with bottle caps

I’ll show you how to make a hand spinner out of plastic bottle caps that you can flick to spin rapidly and watch for fun.

Arrange the bottle caps in the shape of a hand spinner and sketch the outline, then cut the shape out of cardboard.

Apply glue to the caps and attach them to the cardboard; then attach caps to the back side as well, and make a hole in the center of the middle piece.

Color the cardboard sections, apply nail polish to the surface, and decorate with glitter or sequins.

Pass a short piece of toothpick through the hole, add beads, and you’re done.

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10 Musical Instruments You Can Make with Plastic Bottles

@kajiijapn
We’re introducing 10 types of instruments you can make with plastic bottles!Plastic bottle #Summer vacation homework Summer Vacation Craft Independent Research
Original Song – Everyday-Item Instrument Unit kajii – kajii / Future Instruments Lab

Plastic bottles are often used as materials for crafts.

So this time, how about making musical instruments with plastic bottles? Empty bottles can become drums, flutes, or maracas… With a bit of creativity, they can transform into instruments you can actually play! Bottle caps can also be turned into instruments by combining them with other materials, so don’t throw them away—save them.

It’s also a great idea to keep notes on how the sound changes depending on where you make holes and what you put inside.

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conveyor-belt sushi restaurant

Easy to make! A spinning sushi restaurant using bottle caps! This is real conveyor-belt sushi… Also great for practicing spinning♪ Perfect for developing fine motor skills. #educational #handmadeToys #upcycle #bottleCapCrafts

conveyor-belt sushi restaurant

This is a craft item made by repurposing plastic bottle caps, letting you enjoy illustrations of sushi spinning around like a conveyor-belt sushi restaurant.

Cut off the transparent part of a plastic bottle that has the cap attached, glue it to the cap, and mount it onto a box.

Then simply attach stickers or drawings of sushi—like tuna, shrimp, or gunkan rolls—to the caps, and you’re done.

You can prepare multiple caps with different sushi illustrations and play as if you’re ordering at a real sushi restaurant.

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Fun for Elementary School Kids! A Collection of Craft Ideas Using Plastic Bottle Caps! (11–20)

Daruma-otoshi

No.091 “Cap de Daruma-Otoshi” [Handmade Toy by a Nursery Teacher]

Daruma-otoshi

This is an idea for making a Daruma Otoshi—a traditional Japanese stacking-and-striking game—using plastic bottle caps.

Prepare parts by drilling a hole in the center of each cap, thread them onto kite string, and round off and neaten both ends.

Make more parts the same way, then attach circular pieces of thick paper covered with construction paper to both sides of each part.

Cut a cap to match the depth of a chopstick, then wrap vinyl tape starting from the tip of the chopstick.

Stuff tissue into the cut cap, place the chopstick, and stack them together.

Prepare two more caps and attach them to the sides to complete the mallet.

Finally, cut felt fabric or draw a Daruma illustration on construction paper, attach it to the parts, and your Daruma Otoshi is complete.

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A little doll running along

A paper cup toddles along!? It starts moving! A toddling paper cup #papercup #crafts #athomeplay

A little doll running along

This is a doll with a unique, bouncy motion, made by combining a paper cup and plastic bottle caps.

First, take two caps and tape them together with vinyl tape, placing a marble inside.

Then attach a rubber band to the joined caps, and hook that rubber band onto slits cut into the paper cup.

After that, draw a face and other features on the cup to finish.

Using the tension of the rubber band, the caps will move and show a traveling motion.

The movement changes depending on where you attach it on the paper cup and how much you wind the rubber band, so try various setups.

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A car controlled by magnets

A car powered by a magnet: a handmade toy made from a toilet paper tube and plastic bottle caps.

A car controlled by magnets

We’ll show you how to make a toy that you can move and play with without touching it—just by bringing a magnet close.

Mark a spot 2 cm from the edge of a toilet paper roll and punch four holes there, then thread two straws through.

Attach a magnet to the center of a plastic bottle cap and stick it to the top of the roll.

Mark origami paper to match the height of the roll, cut it, and wrap it around with double-sided tape; then punch four holes in the origami.

Insert a toothpick through a cap lid with a hole in the center, adjust the wheel positions, and you’re done.

It’s also fun to decorate the top of the car with stickers, ribbons, and more.

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miniature cake

Miniature cake made with plastic bottle caps

miniature cake

Why not try making miniature cakes that look gorgeous and can be used for interior decor or ornaments? By choosing white bottle caps whenever possible, you can create pieces inspired by shortcake.

After placing whipped-style clay on the lid, dip a spatula in water and smooth the surface.

At this stage, it’s important to carefully coat the sides as well to avoid unevenness.

Put red resin clay into a mold to shape it, insert a pin, and make strawberries.

Place the cream in a plastic bag, cut off the tip, and pipe it as if you were making real whipped cream.

Arrange the whipped cream on the lid’s surface, then place the nail-polished strawberries on the inside.

Make the cake base with thick paper and origami, attach the lid, and you’re done.

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