Craft ideas using plastic bottle caps [for boys]
Did you know you can make crafts using everyday plastic bottle caps? With just a little creativity, those simple caps can turn into fun, moving toys like spinning tops, roly-polies, and target-throwing games.
Boys in particular are sure to get hooked on making toys they can build and play with themselves! In this article, we’ll introduce bottle-cap crafts that even elementary school children can easily make—projects that move, fly, and spin—so the play continues after the crafting.
Why not give it a try?
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Playable and Moving Toy Crafts (1–10)
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.
cap caterpillar
Let me introduce a bottle-cap caterpillar that looks as fun as it is to make.
Gather plastic bottle caps, kite string, an awl, glue, and googly-eye stickers.
Use the awl to make a hole in the center of each cap and thread the kite string through.
It’s recommended to prepare caps in different colors.
Tie two knots on the end of the string opposite the face side.
Next, tie the string securely on the face side.
Stick googly-eye stickers on the face-side cap, then make a loop big enough to hold with your hand—and it’s done! Give it a try!
hand spinner
Let’s make a hand spinner using plastic bottle caps! Hand spinners were a huge fad for a while—not that there’s anything particularly exciting about them, but for some reason they’re strangely addictive (lol).
You’ll need 8 bottle caps, some cardboard, a toothpick, and beads.
Place a bottle cap on the cardboard, then arrange three more caps around it so that the first one is in the center.
Trace that shape, cut it out to make the base, and glue the caps onto it.
Glue caps to the back in the same way, make a hole in the center, thread a toothpick through, and attach beads—and you’re done.
Hold the bead area with your fingers and give it a spin!
Playable and Moving Toy Crafts (11–20)
Beigoma (spinning top)
A spinning top made from plastic bottle caps—the “Pégoma”! It’s super easy to make: just connect three plastic bottle caps with vinyl tape.
You can attach it loosely to a plastic bottle and launch the top by pushing the air out of the bottle, wrap a string around it while it’s mounted and pull to spin it, or simply twist the top itself—there are lots of ways to play! Since you don’t need tools like scissors or cutters, it’s perfect for crafts at preschools and kindergartens.
A car that moves with magnets
Let’s make a car that moves with the power of magnets! You’ll need a toilet paper tube, five plastic bottle caps, a straw, toothpicks, strong magnets, and so on.
Make holes in the toilet paper tube so that an axle straw can pass through.
Thread a toothpick through the straw, and decorate the tube with origami paper or drawings to give it personality.
Use an awl or similar tool to make holes in the centers of the bottle caps so a toothpick can pass through, then attach the caps onto the straw.
Finally, fix a strong magnet to the front bottle cap to form the car’s nose, and you’re done! The car will move in a curious way using the repelling force of the magnets.
yacht
Yacht racing with yachts made from plastic bottles! To make a yacht, just put a small ball of clay inside a plastic bottle cap and stick a toothpick with a flag into the center—done in no time.
Float them in a wide container and blow through a straw, and you’ve got a great recreation activity.
You can have players blow from both sides to see who can push theirs into the opponent’s territory, or set up dividers to create a course and make it feel like a race—there are lots of ways to play.
Try enjoying it in all sorts of variations!
Spin Earth
Let’s make a spin-top Earth toy you flick and spin using plastic bottle caps! All you need are four bottle caps, double-sided tape, and vinyl (electrical) tape.
First, make two sets by sticking the flat sides of two caps together with double-sided tape.
Then connect these two sets with vinyl tape—and you’re done in no time.
It’s a very simple toy, but it spins far better than you’d expect, so kids are sure to get hooked! Try using colorful caps or adding your own colors and patterns to create a unique Spin Earth.