How to flatten BOTTLE CAP scrapbook art EMBELLISHMENTS
Two different and simple ways to flatten bulky bottle caps and create a nice thin embellishment for your scrapbooks, mixed media and altered art or jewelry.
#1 A Sizzix machine or other die cut machine with a converter plate is probably the easiest way to actually flatten bottle caps and do it scratch free!
- You can place up to six bottle caps in two separate rows on the converter plate…smooth side of the bottle cap facing up. Simply press the handle down and you will end up with six perfectly flat bottle caps. Not a lot of strength involved, end result produced fairly quickly and effortlessly…ready to use right off the machine.
#2 If you do not own a personal die cut machine you can use a hammer or rubber mallet and hammer the bottle caps until they are flat.
- You will need to place them on a flat, hard surface…which side up varies with crafters. I lay the flat side on my table surface with the ruffled edge up, some choose ruffled edge down and hit the flat surface of the cap - try both and see which you like best. I recommend covering the bottle caps with a rubber cutting mat to ensure the caps don’t get scratched…or you could use a scrap piece of fabric. Start off gently and slowly tap around the edges until they start to bend over, using more effort to finish off…great therapy after a hard day! ;o)
Remember, the caps must be new and to remove any glue sealant you can use a heat gun. If you do not own a heat gun you can simply hold the cap with tweezers or needle nose pliers and heat over flame…this only takes a few seconds before glue can be pealed off. I often use flame as it creates a nice burnt/smoke or aged look.
To embellish caps use a 1″ round punch and any kind of ephemera or decorative image (our store has plenty of those).
To adhere the caps to scrapbooks or altered books just put double sided tape on the back or use epoxy glue on other surfaces like wood/metal. Perhaps you’d like to punch/drill a hole in the rim and add charms to the cap with jump rings to create altered jewelry!