Just Desserts - recycling bottle caps!

I love cakes and desserts, and I love fairies and dollshouses and miniature things. This is a combination of the two, inspired by Anne Farrell's blog (an Australian artist). This is a fabulous way to recycle and re-use lids and bottle caps, perfect for the dolls house or family corner or miniature world, and perfect to make with children. I did this with four year olds and they loved it and made lots and lots!

You will need a selection of:

Lids (from milk bottles, soda drinks, empty cooking oil bottles, medicine bottles, dishwash, shampoo and moisturiser lids. I found myself raiding the kitchen and bathroom cupboards, and the recycle bin!)

Bottle caps

Buttons

Beads

Glue. Tacky glue works really well and dries clear and strong. But try PVA and hot glue as well. Hot Glue has a different consistency so you can try different things with it, such as swirling it upwards, or  use it to give a clear covering over the top of beads.

Ribbon. Try gluing a length of ribbon around tall lids for fancy cakes.

Felt and craft foam - helpful to cut into small circles to place on top of lids (for the beads to sit on) or inside 'pie cases' to resemble icing and fillings.

Play around with your materials, placing beads and buttons on lids to create fun little cakes. I turned some bottle caps upside down to make tart cases, and filled them with seed beads. The best way to do this was with the hot glue gun, and a teaspoon. I dipped the spoon into the beads, and poured them over the hot glue, then tapped off the excess. I found it best to work on a tray, otherwise the seed beads went everywhere!

I put some small lids on top of a larger lid, and topped them off with a selection of beads. Choose which colours you want to go for and what effect you would like. Brown beads resemble chocolate.

Some large beads had a visible hole  - I solved this by using the tacky glue and gluing a small bead over the top of it.

When working with the children, I laid out a selection of beads, lids, bottle caps, PVA glue and brushes, and let them go for it. If using PVA, be generous with the amount of glue you are using, to hold the beads fast.

At school I had brought along some seed pods.  Some children had emptied the seeds out of the seed pod, so we stuck the seeds onto the lids as well.  You could try using seeds, lentils and beans as well. There are no limits to imagination if you are willing to let it soar.

The children suggested we put the cakes in Fairyland, so the fairies could have a tea party.

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