Tags
battery operated, belljar, bottlecaps, cloche, Crafts, plastic, postaday, postaweek2013, recycle, tealights, water bottles
A cloche is a bell shaped hat, but I’ve discovered that a cloche is also used in reference to bell jar type covers for things. So, for this reason, I call my creation a cloche.
Last year, I read that plastic caps aren’t high on the priority lists of recycling centers to recycle. Apparently, the plastic bottles are the best or easiest to recycle. I started saving a bunch of the caps from our water bottles with the intent of finding a way to use them. I couldn’t find anything to use them for. I surfed the net and the photos of the way folks use the caps are really artistic. They line cars, houses, tables and all sorts of things with them. Making mosaic type art with the caps seems to be a fun way for kids to enjoy them. None of the crafts particularly caught my fancy, so I kept saving my caps and waiting.
When I discovered battery operated tea-lights, the wheels of creativity begin to turn. The idea popped into my mind for the cloche to set over the the tea-lights. It’s a welcomed craft because it also uses part of the water bottle as well.
If you decide to make some of these, the one thing I must stress for safety on this project is to use the low temp hot glue and be extra careful not to burn your fingers. (I discovered the regular hot temp glue guns are too hot and melt the plastic bottles and burned my fingers when I tried to hold the caps on the bottle. Ouch!)
To make the cloche, I cut the water bottle off 2 inches up from the bottom. Then I start gluing the caps on.
I used a pearl glitter paint in between the glued on lids on one of the cloches just to gussy it up some, but unfortunately it really doesn’t show up much.
My favorite part of this project is the fruity-flower looking top. At first I couldn’t figure out how to put the bottle caps around on it where they looked okay. I cut a few caps in half and started laying them around and this fun design emerged. I used a white marble for the center of the flower. I think it makes the design look a bit more fun.
I can’t promise this will be the last tea-light post. I’m enjoying finding new ways for displays. lol
I realize these might seem a bit tacky looking, but as these are the only two completed ones I’ve made, I think of them as a basic prototypes that can be improved and made better.
Do you have any crafts you like to use the plastic caps for?
I hope you all have a tealightful delightful day.
That’s beautiful! What a fabulous idea
Hello Gavmomof2
Welcome to my blog.
Thanks for visiting and leaving me a happy comment.
I hope you’ll visit again sometime.
Having a bit of a busy day today. I’m about to leave for the airport to pick up my parents. But, I wanted to tell you that I spent quite a bit of time late last night reading lots of posts in your blog. I really like it! Though I had liked a bunch of posts but maybe I was too busy to notice that it didn’t work. Sometimes my ipad plays tricks on me – or my lack of sleep
Have a great day!
Hi gavmomof2
I hope you have a wonderful visit with your parents.
Sometimes the internet doesn’t cooperate and the ‘likes’ get lost. Thanks for visiting and liking my posts.
Thanks
What a brilliant idea – they are very pretty, especially with the flower design on the top. Also a great way of re-cycling bottle caps!
Thanks Barb
They’re quite enjoyable to make and feel like I’m helping out a wee bit by recycling.
There you go again!
lol Patti