Bottle Cap Jewelry Tools

• Your imagine is the only limit when it comes to bottle cap jewelry. Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images

  Making bottle cap jewelry is a way to recycle used bottle caps into decorative accessories. Metal bottle caps can be the main building blocks in a necklace or bracelet strand or in a belt. The tools necessary to make bottle cap jewelry include common household tools along with instruments designed specifically for jewelry artists.

Rotary Tool and Bit

• In order to connect bottle caps together to make jewelry, you'll need to drill small holes on the sides or at the top of the metal cap. A handheld, high speed rotary tool with a small metal drill bit works best to create the holes in the bottle caps. To make a bottle cap jewelry strand, drill holes on each side of the bottle cap so you can link them together. To make a bottle cap pendant or charm, drill one hole at the top for the connector.

Hammer

• If you are using used metal bottle caps to make jewelry, the caps may be bent in the center. A ball peen hammer is one tool you can use to flatten the center of the bottle cap.

Round Nose Pliers

• One way to connect bottle caps together to make a strand or to a link chain or beading cord is to use split jump rings. You'll need round nose pliers to open the split jump rings so you can make the connection. To open split jump rings, grip the ring with the pliers on one side of the split. Hold the ring with your hands or another set of pliers on the opposite side of the split. Push or pull the pliers back or forward to separate the jump ring. If you separate the ring by pulling the two sides away from the split, you will compromise the integrity of the metal.

Wire Cutters, File and Crimping Pliers

• If you plan to string the bottle cap jewelry on wire, you'll need flush jewelry wire cutters to nip the wire to length. A file to smooth the cut ends will also come in handy, as will crimping pliers. Crimping pliers are especially designed to crush and shape a crimp bead onto wire strands. After stringing the bottle caps on the jewelry wire, fold the wire ends around a section of clasp or a jump ring. Slide a crimp bead over the doubled wire adjacent to the fold and crimp it with the crimping pliers to hold it in place.