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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Practical Handmade Items (11–20)
ethnic musical instrument
You can easily make something very similar to Andean folk instruments like chajchas or semillas with just plastic bottle caps and string! Prepare three long pieces of string, bundle them together, fold them in half, and make a loop to create a handle.
Tie a knot in one of the strings, thread a bottle cap with a hole in the center onto it, then tie another knot—repeat this process.
When you’re done, trim any remaining string.
Matching the cap colors or making them colorful will also make it visually fun.
castanet
Let’s try making castanets using cardboard and bottle caps! “Making” them is as simple as cutting the cardboard to a suitable size, folding it in half, and attaching two bottle caps.
It’s easy enough for younger elementary school children to make.
Since that alone might be too simple, you could cut the cardboard into a circle, paint the bottle caps, or decorate the cardboard.
Cardboard and bottle caps don’t stick together easily, so use a glue gun or something similar.
Original PET bottle cap
Especially recommended for households that always keep bottled drinks at home! How about making your own original bottle caps? Attach resin clay—available at 100-yen shops—to a cap, then decorate it however you like, turning it into a panda, a cat, and so on.
Since plastic bottle caps often follow the same standard even across different brands, you can swap your custom cap onto each new bottle and enjoy it for a long time.
The more you make, the livelier it gets!
Mini potted plant
This is a craft project that treats the indentation of a bottle cap like a flowerpot, making the whole piece look like a potted plant through overall decoration and plant motifs.
Arrange plant motifs by combining artificial flowers, and add decorations to the cap as a whole to match the types and colors you choose.
For decorating the cap, twine or pipe cleaners are recommended; pay attention to how you wrap them and aim for a soft look.
Rather than finishing with just one, displaying a variety of types side by side will make it look even more vibrant.
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.
tambourine
Let’s make a tambourine using plastic bottle caps! You’ll need six bottle caps, a paper plate, and some rice.
Fill a bottle cap about halfway with rice, place another cap on top, and secure them firmly with cellophane tape.
Make three of these.
Then sandwich them between two paper plate halves glued back-to-back (with the backs facing each other), and attach them firmly to finish.
The rice inside the caps makes a fun shaking sound.
You can also make other instruments using plastic bottles and bottle caps, so try creating a set and holding a little concert!
Handmade Game Crafts (1–10)
Handmade Beyblade
Beyblade is a game where you battle by crashing spinning tops into each other.
This is a way to easily handcraft a Beyblade using a plastic bottle cap.
All you need are common household items: a plastic bottle cap, rubber bands, and thumbtacks.
Use thumbtacks with plastic heads, and prepare different shapes—your top will spin in various ways, which makes it fun.
It’s easy to make: just stick a thumbtack into the cap and wrap rubber bands around the outside.
Since the tip of the thumbtack is sharp and dangerous, secure it with tape before playing.