Hello! I’m Britt from Charlie’s Halo, and you might remember me from the recent Skinny Headband tutorial. I’m thrilled to be back! This time I will teach you how to make cute bottle caps with images on them using epoxy dot stickers. I will also demonstrate how I attach them to hair bows. Almost everything I used for this project can be purchased from The Ribbon Retreat!
1” Bottle Cap Images
Bottle Caps
1” Epoxy Dot Stickers
1” Circle Punch
Super Glue
I also use a hot glue gun, scissors, lighter and ⅜” ribbon to attach my bottle caps to my bows.
Let’s begin…
How to Make Bottle Cap Hair Bows
The first step is to punch out your images with a 1” circle punch. I use my punch upside down for accuracy.
Epoxy dots are really fast and easy to use. When removing them from the sheet you should be very careful not to touch the sticky side. If a fingerprint touches the sticky side, it will be visible on your finished bottle cap. Carefully align and place your epoxy dot over your image circle. I normally do this with two hands.
Using your fingertips, rub the back of the image until you’ve removed all of the air bubbles.
There are many ways to attach bottle cap images to a bottle cap. My favorite way is using super glue. I love how quickly it dries, it’s very inexpensive and a little goes a long way.
To attach your image, place 1 drop of super glue on the center of your bottle cap, and cover with your image. Press and hold them together for 30 seconds or so.
Images look great glued inside the cap too! It’s done the same way as gluing it on top of the bottle cap.
Bottle caps are so much fun, because the possibilities are endless! Since I am a bow maker, I mainly use them on bows. They can also be turned into magnets, pendants, zipper pulls, dog collar tags and so much more!
Next I will show two different techniques for attaching bottle caps to bows. Hot glue does not work well on the smooth surface of a bottle caps, so I use super glue in the next steps as well.
To attach a bottle cap with the image on top you will need piece of ⅜” ribbon that matches your bow. I cut a piece about 4-5” for a basic single layer bow. You will also use your super glue and glue gun.
I use 2 drops of super glue to attach the center of my ribbon to the inside of the bottle cap. The ribbon should be glued vertically to your image.
To make sure that my bottle cap is securely attached to the ribbon, I glue a reinforcement strip. To do that, I cut a ⅞” strip of ribbon and use a lighter to seal the ends. I use 2 drops of super glue and lay the ⅞” piece of ribbon across the ribbon that is already in place. You can use a toothpick or straight pin to avoid getting glue on your fingers.
At this point, the bottle cap is ready to be attached to the bow.
Use hot glue and press your bottle cap to the center of your bow. Trim down any unneeded ribbon, seal and glue down the ends to complete the bow. You can then add your clip, headband or other hardware.
Now I will demonstrate now to attach a bottle cap with the image on the inside.
Since hot glue isn’t the best for the smooth surface of a bottle cap, I use ribbon and super glue to create a glue pad that will keep the bottle cap securely glued to the bow. To do this I cut a ⅞” piece of matching ⅜” ribbon and seal the ends with a lighter. I use 2 drops of super glue to attach the ribbon, making sure that my ribbon is diagonal to the image on the other side.
I then use hot glue to bring together my bow and bottle cap.
Once again, I have had so much fun writing a tutorial for a such a great blog! I hope that this tutorial has inspired some to try something new. Bottle caps are one of my favorite embellishments and I love the possibilities. Happy creating!
Until next time,
Britt
Thanks Britt!
Britt has amazing products at Charlie’s Halo and every single one of them is done with such great quality. She is a wonderful hair bow maker and we are so happy to have her contributing on the blog! Please check out all Charlie’s Halo has to offer!
And of course, check out all the products at The Ribbon Retreat for this tutorial. We have great prices, wonderful customer service, and incredibly fast shipping. We are also here for you if you have any questions about the tutorial!
Thanks for reading!
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Have a wonderful day!
44 Comments
I’ve never used super glue for bottle caps. Does it hold up in temperature changes? I found that if you don’t adhere them right they pop apart on the first cold day. My trick is to lightly sand the bottle cap before applying glue. Super Glue would be easier if it holds up tho.
I’ve heard good and bad things about using the epoxy dots instead of mixing up the resin yourself. I’ve been wanting to try and make bottle caps, but I’m not sure what method to use. What do most people prefer? Will the epoxy dots work as well and keep water out? Thanks for any advice!
i use both resin and the resin dots i like them both the dots are super easy i was not sure about them , but now i love them super easy even got my husband to help me with some lol
Thanks Salina for your comment! That is so funny about your husband. The things husbands do for the ones they love! 🙂 – Shirley
I am struggling with the bow in this tutorial. What is the bow called. I love that bow and mine don’t look like that. Can you help me?
Hi Sherry! This is a Pinwheel Bow. We do have instructions for this particular bow in our Tricks of the Trade Hair Bow Instructions. Our instructions include tons of different bows as well as a bow maker. Let us know if you have any other questions! Thanks! – Shirley
I took a hammer (actually my husband did it the first time) a beat the top of the bottle cap two times so there wasn’t as much of a lip when I put the image on the outside.
Thanks for sharing Shauna! – Shirley 🙂
This is brilliant. thank you. i have been wanting to do this for ages and havent got round to it yet. you have given me the spur to do it.
Is there a tutorial for Boutique bows ?
Hi Silvia! We have a tutorial for the boutique bows and tons of other ones in our Tricks of the Trade hair bow instructions. We also have two other free tutorials on our blog. All the tutorials are different techniques to achieve this bow style. Let me know if you have any other questions! – Shirley 🙂 http://www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/twisted-boutique-bow-tutorial-removable-flower.html and http://www.theribbonretreat.com/blog/how-to-make-a-twisted-boutique-bow.html
I have to tell you, I have been looking online for cute bottle caps that were already finished because I figured that the whole process was just too hard. Well!!! My my my you just made it look so easy! Thank you so much for this tutorial. I look forward to trying this out in the next couple weeks. I have some vintage Mickey bows that this would be just perfect for. Thanks again.
Krissi
Hi Kristen! We are so glad we could share the secret of how easy these are! And vintage Mickey bows sounds So so cute! Good luck and let us know if you have any questions. – Shirley 🙂
I recently purchased epoxy dots/bubbles that are not self adhesive (I wasn’t thinking) any suggestions on the best type of adhesive to use that won’t show through the bubble??
I would love to make these but I don’t know where to get the Bottle caps, the Puncher and the Images. Where would I find those? Thanks so much!~Dee
Hi Dee, we sell all of these supplies at theribbonretreat.com. You can find links for the supplies in the post. Hope that helps! – Shirley 🙂
Does this work for cabochons, too?
I like turtles!!!!!!! I love animals too!!!!!
I have not seen anyone use superglue, mostly just a glue gun. I wonder if the bow holds up just as well with the glue gun? Great tutorial! Awesome pictures! I have a lot of printable bottle cap images in my shop! I will send my customers to this tutorial when they need help! Love the detailed pictures!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/smrpartydesigns
very simple and easy turned out very well and pretty didn’t put bottle caps on though
Hi Nicole! Yay! I am so glad you like our tutorial and that our bow turned out good!!! Thanks for your comment and have a wonderful day! 🙂
where can i buy bottle caps in santa ana
Hi Diana! Thanks for your question. You can actually buy bottle caps right here on our website. You can click here to see our wonderful selections of bottle caps. Thanks Diana!
Thank you so much for this info! I have been struggling with hot glue and my bottle caps and flatback resin on my fabric bows. A fellow crafter said there was a trick but wouldn’t release what it was, yours was the first blog I found and it had the answer I was looking for. Thank You
Karla
Hi Karla! Yay! I am so glad you have found what you were looking for and that it worked for you! Thank you so much for sharing! Have a wonderful day! Michelle 🙂
Hi its Karla again, LOL quick question will the super glue and ribbon mat work on a cabochon or flatback resin as well as the bottle caps? Thanks for all your help
Karla
Thanks for sharing this tutorial! I have been wanting to try to make bottlecaps, but haven’t because they looked to difficult. I am going to the store today to get my supplies. Just a question, though. What is the best paper to print the image on: cardstock or regular printer paper? Thanks again for posting!
Hi Tammy! Thank you for your comment! These Bottle Cap Hair Bows are so much fun! You can actually purchase Bottle Cap images right here at The Ribbon Retreat by clicking here. We have a large variety for you to choose from at a great price. However, if you choose to print your own images the paper most like our Bottle Cap images would be card stock. Thank you again Tammy and good luck with your cute Bottle Caps! Have a great day! Michelle 🙂
hello, i tried these for the first time earlier, and for some reason it kept sliding off and wasnt sticking, any ideas? I have the coloured bottle caps, epoxy dome and i tried superglue but it just slid off, so i ended up using hi-tack, but im running very low, but have a collection of superglue, any idea where im going wrong with the superglue, be so much easier if i could get it to stick with that instead as its alot quicker lol. thank you
Hi Kaylz. Thank you so much for your question. E6000 glue is what our bow makers us A LOT to adhere their images and find success with this, and they haven’t noticed their images sliding. Once the glue is dry, that’s when they put their epoxy dot on top. I hope this helps. Thank you so much and good luck! Michelle 🙂
Where can I get the images, or how can I get some done if I wanted a certain kind?
Hi Tasha! Thank you for your question. You can actually purchase the images right here at The Ribbon Retreat. You can find a large selection here. Thank you Tasha! Have a wonderful day! Michelle 🙂
Where can I buy the bottle caps and images for them
Hi Amy! Thank you for your question. You can actually buy the Bottle Caps and Images right here at The Ribbon Retreat. Click here to find our awesome selection of both Bottle Caps and Bottle Cap Images. Thanks for stopping by Amy! Have a great day! Michelle 🙂
Hi, I have a quick question….when I print out my bottle cap images they are printing really light and faded looking….any ideas?
Hi Jessica! Thank you for your question. I am sorry you are not getting a great quality image from printing the bottle cap images. However, we actually recommend that you purchase the images to get a high quality look and the rich colors you are desiring. You can find a great selection of images right here on our website. You can go to this link…http://www.theribbonretreat.com/CatalogOfCategories/bottle-cap-images.aspx to find all of your image options. Thank you again Jessica and have a wonderful day. Michelle 🙂
How do you make the bow shown in the pictures above? Do you have a YouTube video for it?
Hi Victoria! Thank you so much for your question. Yes, we actually do have a YouTube video tutorial for this cute bow. It is called the Pinwheel Bow and you can find our video tutorial by clicking HERE. Good luck and have a wonderful day! Michelle 🙂
I would like to purchase the Rock n Roll images shown on this project – but can’t find it on your website. Help?
Hi Charlene! Thank you so much for your interest in these fun images. Unfortunately, those bottle cap images are no longer available from us or the company that we ordered them from at this time. It was suggested that you may be able to find a website that you can print something similar to from. Good luck and I am sorry! Have a wonderful day and thank you so much for stopping by! Michelle 🙂
Hi,
I am loving your web site! I am a mum who has turned into a small business in England making hair bows for girls. In England there is such a limited supply of different bows, shops just sell very plain and unexciting styles. I am trying to take the lead from America and incorporate your styles and colours. It’s early days but if any of your English fans want to send me requests for making anything please do and visit my web site http://www.bowunique.co.uk
Britt
Hi Britt! Thank you so very much! I am so glad you have been able to use our tutorials and create some gorgeous bows of your own to sell! That is so exciting. Congrats and thank you so much for sharing your successes with us! Have a wonderful day and good luck with your business! Michelle 🙂
What type of paper do you print your images on?
Hi Dani! Thank you for your question. The images used to make these fun hair bows are actually not printed from home but purchased as a pre-printed sheet from The Ribbon Retreat. You can find our bottle cap images HERE. The paper is a little on the heavier weight but not as heavy as a piece of card stock. Although card stock would probably work just fine. I hope this helps. Thank you and have a great day! Michelle 🙂