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Finished Card and NecklaceStill looking for a gift for mom? Look no further than your craft supply stash! Here's an easy way to make a matching card and necklace — perfect for Mother's Day or any other time you need a quick handmade gift. The card features a bottle cap button embellishment made from polymer clay, and the necklace features a matching pendant.

Materials

  • Buttons. Raid that button jar to find a design you like. The large ones (just about the same size as the inside of the bottle cap) work great.
  • Amazing Mold Putty or molding compound of your choice
  • Bottle caps. For this project, I like the fluted ones, which are available in craft stores or online. You could also use recycled bottle caps that you've flattened.
  • Patterned paper & card stock for the card
  • Rubber stamps (optional)
  • Polymer clay to match your paper
  • Large jump ring, jewelry findings, & cord for the necklace
  • Tools: hammer & nail, plus assorted paper crafting, polymer clay & jewelry making tools

Instructions

  1. Step 1: Make Button Mold Use Amazing Mold Putty to create a mold of your button. Let this set.
  2. Step 2: Punch Hole in Bottle Cap Use a hammer and nail to punch a hole near the rim of the bottle cap you're using for the necklace. Feed a large jump ring through the hole.
  3. Step 3: Make Button from MoldUse polymer clay and your mold to create buttons in your desired color. (Note: Decide which paper you're using first, then mix your clay to match that color. It's much easier to do in this order than vice versa!)
  4. Step 4: Place Button in Bottle CapPress the unbaked polymer clay button into the bottle cap, smoothing the edges as needed. If the button is too small, you can use a clay extruder to add a border around the edge. Bake your bottle cap according to the polymer clay manufacturer's instructions.
  5. Step 5: Assemble CardFold a cardstock base and apply your scrapbooking paper. If you need some help coming up with a layout, check out this random layout generator (it's meant for scrapbooks, but you can make it work for cards with a little imagination!), or search for "card sketches." Decorate the card with rubber stamps and/or other embellishments, then use a strong double-sided tape to add your bottle cap embellishment.
  6. Step 6: Assemble NecklaceFor the necklace, string the bottle cap onto your cord and add necklace closures.

Variations

  • Variation: Stacked ButtonsTry stacking different colors of buttons for a trendy look.
  • Instead of (or in addition to) a necklace, make earrings or a ring.
  • Different finishes can give one button lots of different looks. Try adding chalk or Pearl Ex before baking. Alcohol inks, acrylic paints, or clear glazes are good options after baking.
  • Insert your own variation here. (I'd love to see what you come up with!)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend with your family this Mother's Day!

Comments

Very cool project. I may have to try this sometime.

Oh I love that idea! I love the mold putty too! I will have to try that out.

Great tutorial Angela! Still working on a polymer clay necklace for my mom, so the info is timely!

I liked your informative article. Who would have ever thought that bottle caps would be a jewelry making technique when we were sipping on soda pops years ago? Not I! he he he
Thanks for giving me such GLEE!!!

Oh, goodie -- I'm always glad to share some glee! :-)

hi.my name is sea.i'm a chinese girl. my english is not very well,but i like your blog ,because it has a lot of things that i want to know which about ploymer clay.
thank you so much.

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