DIY Bottle Cap Earrings

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 Hi, it's Amy here with a cute wearable DIY. You can make your own bottle cap earrings using bottle caps from your favorite contemporary beverages — or you can use vintage bottle caps like I did. I purchased my caps on eBay, but you can often find them at flea markets and antique fairs as well.

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Supplies: * one pair of matching bottle caps * at least 2 head-pins * 2 ear wires * beads Tools: * hammer (a small household hammer like the one pictured will do) * an awl (can be found at hardware stores or in the leather working section of your local craft store) * jewelry pliers * round-nose jewelry pliers (see the red pair, pictured) 

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1. First, you'll need to punch a hole in your bottle caps. Find a sturdy surface to work on (a sturdy table or concrete floor work best). You may want to protect your surface as well – work on top of a wooden cutting board, for instance. 2. Decide where you want your hole to be and position the tip of the awl on the inside of the bottle cap (see photo). Hammer the end of the awl so that the tip goes through the cap, leaving a hole. 

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 3. Slip a head-pin through the hole so that the head of the pin is on the inside of the cap. Add a few beads. 

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  4. Use your jewelry pliers to bend the head-pin at a 90 degree angle. Snip off the excess head-pin, leaving just enough room to make a loop (approx. 1/4 of an inch). 

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 5. Use the round-nose pliers to form a loop at the top. Attach your ear wires and close the loop securely. For more detailed instructions on working with head-pins, visit this link. Repeat steps 2 through 5 for the second earring. Note: You may even want to add a second hole in each bottle cap to attach more beads or dangling chain. Repeat the instructions above for the bottom hole. 

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 Now you not only have a cute pair of earrings but also a conversation piece! I love that I'm wearing a piece of history on my ears. 

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I'd love to see your take on these earrings. If you make a pair (or 6), please leave a comment with a link to your version or upload them to the RVA Flickr group. Happy jewelry making! <3 Amy

 

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