You may have seen someone take the tab off their freshly finished soda or pocket the bottle cap before recycling it. It may seem strange to keep a small piece of trash, but like many say, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. 

There are many things one can do with bottle caps and can tabs. From can tab chainmail armor to a bottle cap bouquet that will never die without water, the possibilities are endless. 

I started small, making key chains and pins, cute and quick crafts that can make a great accessory to your keys and bags or gifts for your friends. 

I made three pieces: two can tab key chains and a bottle cap pin. 

One of the key chains is a heart. To make this you need two can tabs, wire, pliers, beads (optional) and something to use as an attachment. I chose a safety pin and a key ring. Cross the can tabs so the bottoms align, use the wire to hold the pieces together in place. Continue to wrap the wires around until it holds the pieces in the shape of a heart and you’ve achieved your desired look. If you would like to add beads to your piece, thread them over the wire while you’re wrapping it around. Now you’ve made a can tab heart!

The second key chain is a can tab person. To make this you need one can tab, four pieces of wire of equal length, a lot of small beads of your desired color, pliers and another attachment piece. I used wire curlers to make small rings on the end of each wire, this acted to stop the beads from just falling off when threading them. Fill your wires with beads, leaving about one-half of an inch of wire at the end to wrap around your can tab. Wrap two through the top opening, leaving the beaded wires hanging down. These are your arms. Wrap the other two around the bottom opening, once again leaving them hanging down. These are your legs. 

This next step is optional, as your connecting piece can act as the head of your person. Take another wire, thread one large bead on it, and tie it to your person on the top of the can tab. Now you’ve made a can tab person.

Lastly, the most complicated piece was a bottle cap pin. I modeled mine after the caps of Nuka Cola, a soft drink within the fictional universe of “Fallout,” however, sky’s the limit for whatever you wish to create. For this piece, you need a bottle cap, a large safety pin, paint of your desired colors, wire cutters, pliers and something to seal your paint. I used clear Elmer’s glue.

I put my pin together before painting it, but for those who wish to design first, get painting. Once you have your desired design, cover it with your sealant of choice to lock in your masterpiece. 

Using your wire cutters, cut your bottle cap in two places along one side of the bottle cap. This creates two slits you will use to anchor your safety pin. Push your safety pin into the slits and secure it by taking your pliers and folding down the edges to wrap slightly around the safety pin. Now you have a bottle cap pin.

I really enjoyed this activity. It allowed me to be creative and use my hands. It can be a bit messy, I got my hands completely covered in paint, and if you don’t have experience with tools, be extra careful. I enjoy making things with my hands, and painting on the Nuka Cola logo required extra attention to detail. This is a good, simple craft to do when you want to reduce, reuse and recycle.