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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 as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is 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 Craft Ideas Using Plastic Bottle Caps (41–50)

Hat magnet

[100-Yen DIY] Hat Made from Plastic Bottle Caps (Magnet)

Hat magnet

Let’s make a cute hat-shaped magnet using leftover fabric and a plastic bottle cap.

For the rounded crown of the hat, place some stuffing on the bottle cap, cover it with a piece of fabric that you’ve run a gathering stitch all the way around, and pull it tight.

For the brim, do the same—cover with fabric and pull to tighten—but be careful not to pull too hard or the thread may break.

Attach a strong magnet from a 100-yen shop to the inside of the brim with double-sided tape, align the two stitched sections, and you’re done.

Try adding decorations with ribbon or felt, too!

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basket

[Paper cord] Addictively fun ♪ A tiny basket the size of a plastic bottle cap / time at home / basket /

basket

This is a small basket you can make from a plastic bottle cap, which also works as interior decor or a display piece.

Wrap the cap with plastic wrap, then coil paper twine around it to match the cap’s size.

Once you’ve wrapped the twine with no gaps and reached the same height as the cap, cut the twine.

Removing the cap reveals the moment the basket takes shape.

Finally, attach an arched handle of paper twine to the inside of the basket, and when the glue dries, your tiny basket is complete.

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PET bottle car

How to make a car with a plastic bottle! It’s easy because it’s a rubber-band-powered car♪

PET bottle car

This is a craft project where you combine a plastic bottle as the body and caps as wheels, and enjoy a mechanism that runs using rubber.

Cut the plastic bottle in half, and insert wheels—made by combining two caps and a bamboo skewer—into each half.

Fix a rubber band to the axle attached to the end without the bottle mouth, stretch it, attach it to another cap, and mount it at the mouth end.

Then simply tape the front and back of the body together to complete the car.

The stretched rubber powers the rear wheels.

You can also customize it—focus on decorative flair for a more colorful look, or pursue smoother performance—come up with your own variations.

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In conclusion

Crafts using plastic bottle caps are a treasure trove of materials that both girls and boys can enjoy.

Because they’re round and simple in shape, a little creativity can transform them into works far beyond what you’d expect.

All of these projects are easy enough for elementary school kids to try, so pick your favorite and give it a go.

Add a playful touch and create your own original pieces.