Why make a bottle cap coaster?
You can finally do something with that cool collection of bottle caps you have.
Besides, they’re perfect for man caves and make great DIY Father’s Day gifts.
And if you don’t have any bottle caps? Find a friend willing to part with a few, grab your epoxy resin, and get ready to have some crafting fun.
Resin supply list
- Amazing Clear Cast super clear epoxy resin
- Resin coaster mold
- Mold release and conditioner
- Stirring sticks
- Mixing cups
- Opaque yellow epoxy pigment
- Safety gloves
- Bottle caps
- Heat gun
- Large plastic container
Step 1: Prep the mold
Apply a light mist of the mold release to your coaster mold and allow it to dry for at least 30 minutes.
Step 2: Measure and mix resin
Measure the amount of resin you need for your coaster’s first clear resin layer. And don’t worry about needing to know some crazy math. The Resin Obsession resin calculator does it for you.
Mix Part A and B together until it’s clear and streak free.
⭐️ BONUS: If you’ve never mixed epoxy before, here are all the details on how to mix resin.
Step 3: Add to the mold
Pour your mixed resin into the mold.
Step 4: Add bottle caps
Once you’ve got a thin layer of resin in the mold, place a bottle cap into the coaster mold.
💡 Pro tip: Dip the face of your bottle caps in resin, then put them in the mold. This keeps you from trapping resin bubbles.
Use your stirring stick to push your bottle caps around. Add the rest of your epoxy to the mold.
Step 5: Remove bubbles
Use a heat gun to go over the top of the resin to remove bubbles. Then, cover it with your plastic dome and allow to cure.
Step 6: Mix the second resin layer
Mix enough resin to fill the mold. (Use the resin calculator again if you need to.) Add the yellow pigment to the clear resin.
Step 7: Pour the resin into the mold
Pour yellow resin over the top of the layer of clear resin and bottle caps.
Remove bubbles with your heat gun. Then, cover and allow to dry.
Step 8: Demold the bottle cap resin coaster
Once the resin is dry, you can demold your bottle cap coaster. Push from the back while twisting the mold. Grab a coaster edge and peel it from the mold.
Step 9: Sand edges
Sand any rough edges with a 600-grit wet/dry sandpaper. Wet the sandpaper first.
💡 Pro tip: If you’re worried the coaster may scratch a surface, glue cork or felt pieces to the bottom.
Bazinga! You just learned how to make a bottle cap coaster with epoxy resin.
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I wish I had seen this when my husband was alive. No one else in my family drinks beer. I can think of other ways to decorate a coaster, though!
Just curious if the bottle sweats, will it slide off the coaster? Great tutorial!
I’ve been making these, but haven’t used any, but wondered the same thing, if the glass or bottle would slide off. I guess I should try it. Also, I’ve made some with Silhouette Cameo paper lace doily cut outs, they are pretty. Also made one with my grandson’s picture in it and wrote Happy Father’s Day down the sides.
@Beth and @Vera,
I don’t know as I have ever run into that problem. Hubs has agreed to do some testing — haha. You’re other option is to use our coaster mold 893. https://resinobsession.com/ItemPage/5308/Basic-Coaster-Mold—893.html It casts with a ring around the outer edge and is approximately the same overall size as this mold.
If I am not doing the color step and am leaving the coaster clear, can I poor in all the resin in at once? Or should I still do layers to keep the bottle caps from floating to the top and sticking out?
Also do I need to remove the plastic disk in the bottle cap first? Thanks so much.
@Shaina,
You can pour the resin in all at once. Make sure to put some resin in the caps as that will weight them down. You don’t need to remove the liners if you don’t want to. They won’t react with the resin.
Another thing you might be interested in doing for this project is to put felt or cork on the bottom. I purchased cork squares that had adhesive on the back. So all you have to do is cut a circle and put the cork circle on the back, if you are concerned about scratches to your furniture or coaster bottom. To get a more uniform circle when you cut, you can select a drinking glass (top or bottom) that is slightly smaller than your coaster, trace it and cut.
I followed the steps up above to a tee and have had a lot of problems getting the coasters out of the molds. What am I doing wrong?
Is your resin cured? What kind of resin did you use?
I used super glaze ultra gloss. I even let it sit for three days and it still wouldn’t come out of the molds. Maybe I should try a different kind of resin?
@Nikki, I haven’t used that product, but it looks like it’s meant for a glossy coating, but not molds. It’s probably not going to come out. 🙁
Does one bottle of resin make only one coaster?
@Jess, it depends on the size of your bottle. You will need two to three ounces of mixed resin per coaster.
I purchased all the recommended products from this tutorial for mailing resin coasters and have followed all the directions to the “T” but for some reason I am still getting tons of bubbles. I am also letting the first half cute for over 12 hours and the second layer which is tinted is still mixing with the first layer?? Also when the coaster has finally cured and released from the mold the top part of the coaster is not glossy, but instead it is a matte finish with a texture, I presume from the mold. How do I correct this. Can you please provide and advice or helpful hints. Not to please right now. Thanks
@Nick, I’m sorry to hear things aren’t going well for you. I’m going to email you a few links to help you out.
I want to glue felt to the bottom of my coaster, however my coaster is clear and I don’t want the glue to show through. What kind of glue would you recommend that will ensure maximum stick and minimal show? 🙂
@Jess, I would suggest the E-6000. https://resinobsession.com/ItemPage/5884/E-6000-Epoxy-Jewelry-Adhesive-Restricted-shipping.html It dries crystal clear and has a good bond. You won’t need much either.
Ours r super sticky after 6 days. Do u think we didn’t mix it right?? Maybe I will order straight off your site and get the rest u offer…!! These. So oll and I drink fun ky beers with oil caps!
@Annie, 75% of the time when the resin doesn’t cure properly, it is either due to inaccurate measuring or improper mixing. I would suggest trying again using measuring cups and scraping the sides of the cups while stirring.
What kind of dome should I use? I was just going to use a box or should it be plastic. What is the purpose for the dome? I and not using dye and will just being pouring all the resin in at once.
A dome is meant to keep dust, hair and other particles out of your resin while it’s curing.
I followed the directions above except I did not use any color. After over 24 hours I popped the coaster out of the mold, and I noticed a few areas where the resin was still sticky. I gave it a few more days and it hasn’t hardened in those spots. Is this a common occurrence, if so, how can it be avoided? and once it’s happened, is there any way to fix it?
The most likely explanation is you did not mix your resin well enough. You need to mix it for a couple of minutes, scraping the sides of your cup and mixing utensil several times during the mixing process. To fix your sticky castings, you can go over it with another layer of resin.
We made resin coaster. 7 days ago. I noticed that when k placed a mug on one for the first time the writing on the bottom transferred to the coaster. And left kind of a scratch ring.
Does
This mean it just didn’t cure
properly or I mixed it wrong all together?
Thanks
If the mug was extremely hot (like straight from a microwave) this can happen.
Hi,
To remove the bubbles before pouring the color resin on, can I just use a torch over it instead of blowing with a straw?
Thank you
Yes, you can do that. Be careful with fire. 😉
Do you sell a coaster mold that holds the condensation ?
Yes! This one has a rim: https://shop.resinobsession.com/products/basic-coaster-mold-893
And thick enough for bottle caps? Do they sell in retail ? Can’t find at my hobby lobby-
Thank you
Yes, they are thick enough for bottle caps. I’m not aware of a retail location, but we have coaster molds in our shop here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/molds/coaster
Are the square coaster molds you sell on your site deep enough for the bottle caps to be used?
Yes! They work well for bottle caps.
How do you finish off a coaster mould to a smooth finish on the bottom as there is a sharp ring around the sides when cured and popped? Have tried sanding but then lose the brilliant shine of the resin?
Thank you for all your help in advance.
This article will help: https://resinobsession.com/resin-frequently-asked-questions/how-to-sand-resin-smooth/
Great! Thanks, I needed someone to explain clearly, and you did. Also, I need to know do I buy everything from Etsy? Also do you have a phone # ? Diana
Hi Diana, we have everything in our store: https://shop.resinobsession.com/ . Our contact information is here: https://resinobsession.com/contact-us/
I made 3 coasters. I only used 6 caps. 1 turned out great. The other 2 coasters ended up rounded on top. How did this happen?
I’m not sure I understand what you mean. Can you link to a picture?
I cant figure out how to upload the pics of the coasters
Can you post it online, then share a link?
Please can you tell me how many coasters the ingredients make
With the supply list here, there is enough resin to make two coasters.
I can try