DIY: Bottlecap Magnet Fail?

bottle cap magnets DIY

bottle cap magnets DIY

May I tap into your wisdom and extensive craft experience? Please? Here’s what’s happening:

For Betty’s Christmas Sibling Gifts, I thought bottle cap magnets would be just right. She would have a great time making them (she did!) and her brothers and sisters would be able to use them in their middle school lockers and on the family bulletin board, which is actually a magnet board, and on the fridge too.

bottle cap magnets DIY

The project has been going along swimmingly. But now I’m stuck. Take a look.

1) We started by gathering supplies. Empty bottle caps (we drink a lot of Izze soda pop), magnets, and clear gloss “quick drying” polyurethane. We also gathered pieces of pretty paper and little shiny things and itsy bitsy letters we could add to the bottlecaps.

bottle cap magnets DIYbottle cap magnets DIY

2) Betty used a 1-inch hole punch to cut out a circle of paper. She placed it in the bottle cap and then topped it with all the shiny/interesting things her 4-year-old heart desired.

bottle cap magnets DIYbottle cap magnets DIYbottle cap magnets DIY

3) Next, we decanted some polyurethane into a paper cup. (Tip: squeeze one bit of the cup together to make a spout.) Betty filled the bottlecaps with polyurethane. Then she used the handle tip of a plastic paint brush to move things around if they shifted during the pouring.

bottle cap magnets DIYbottle cap magnets DIYbottle cap magnets DIY

4) And that’s about it. We are waiting till they dry and then we’ll hotglue magnets to the back. Easy peasy. Betty made a total of 18 and they look great. She even made one for Mommy and Daddy. : ) Here are some that have just been filled and are waiting to dry:

bottlecap magnet DIYbottle cap magnets DIY

Here’s where the fail comes in. It has been 5 days and they’re still not dry. Not even pretending to be close to dry. Not only that, they’re also bubbling and yellowing and doing strange things. Ugh! They’re pretty much ruined. Clearly, I should have filled them with something other than polyurethane, but I’m not sure what.

We have plenty supplies left and we can definitely start from scratch, but I need suggestions of what I should use instead of polyurethane

If it helps, the inspiration for this project came from seeing one of those countertops that has been filled with things like charms and bottle caps and bits of ephemera. The little pieces are then covered with some sort of liquid that dries hard and clear (a liquid which is apparently not polyurethane).

Need more sibling gift ideas? We made several fun projects this year: Monogram MugsBleached Out TeesCustom Leather Patches and Photo Snowglobes. You can also find a list of projects from past Christmases here.

172 thoughts on “DIY: Bottlecap Magnet Fail?”

  1. I do the same projects and used “Plaids” Mod Podge Dimensional Magic and I just found another really good product by “Inkssentials” called Glossy Accents.
    Used them alot. Just don’t let the Mod Podge product get too old. Whatever you do, don’t shake either product. Squeeze a couple of drops on a piece of scrap paper and then do your bottle cap. I like to start from the center and work my way out and almost fill the cap. If you get bubbles, take a pin and move them to the side. It takes about 24 hours to dry. I have never moved things around, so I can’t help you there. I always use Mod Podge Matte on the inside of the cap, under the circle of paper and press to get it to stick. When that dries in about 15 min., I put a layer of Mod Podge on the top side of the circle of paper. I would suggest you decoupage your little decorations to the paper, also. Let that all dry for about an hour and then do your Dimensional Magic or Glossy Accents. If you pour slowly you have less chance of bubbles. Store your bottle of product right side up at all times. Trust me, it works. I’ve made necklaces by drilling holes in the top of the cap and insert a bead chain through the holes. And make magnets. It’s always a fun project. Glossy comes out a little bit clearer than the Dimensional Magic. Go for it and have fun.

  2. Use 3D Crystal Lacquer, by Sakura Hobby Craft, http://www.sakuracraft.com
    I put a bit in the bottle cap, put the paper and things down, press a bit, then fill in the rest with more of the lacquer. Press down on it to release air bubbles…poke them with a needle. It dries overnight, but I prefer to wait 48 hours.

    Also, hot glue won’t last for the magnet. I prefer the gel type of super glue…it sets quickly and doesn’t run all over.

    Good luck!

  3. Christine carr

    Use diamond glaze. A little expensive but works great!!! No mixing at all. Starts off a little milky but dries crystal clear. Can continue to add after each layer dries for a more domes effect. Happy crafting!

  4. I know this was posted years ago but it still deserves an answer. Polyurethane is a sealer not a caster. (The yellowing was because of the paper not being sealed and the poly not being dry yet.)First you should have used a clear glue to seal your paper and glue down your objects. Then you should have used something like resin (waterproof) or mod podge dimensional magic (not waterproof) and left to dry overnight. (If you didn’t want to buy any more supplies you could have used thin coats of poly applied with a brush and left to dry between coats it would have taken several days to get a really thick coating.) Hope that helps on any future projects.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top