Recycled Bottle Cap Decorative Box

Materials needed:

45 bottle caps
Approximately 12 ft. of wire (1.5mm electrical wire)
Olive oil can
Hammer
Nail (your nail should be twice the diameter of your wire, some wire will have to be threaded through holes made by nail twice)
Broom handle
Wire strippers (for taking plastic coating off electrical wire)
Pliers, with wire cutters
Tin cutters, or very strong scissors
Dish soap
Water
Bleach
Knife

Step one, creating pieces:

Clean the bottle caps by soaking them in water with dish soap and bleach, then let them dry. After you have taken the bottle caps out of the water use it to clean the olive oil can (if you clean the olive oil can first your bottle caps will be oily). To clean the can, open both ends with a knife and then cut along the side seam, then wash it in the water.
Using the rounded end of the broom pole place the bottle cap on top and secure it with your index finger along the rim. Place the nail in the crook of your index finger to secure it while creating hole. Hammer the nail on the edge of the cap, not on the face of the cap and not too close to the edge (this will be tricky and can be frustrating getting it right, but with practice you will come up with a good method). Each bottle cap should have four holes at 90 degree angles from the next hole (forming a cross).

Strip plastic casing off of your electrical wire and cut into 6 pieces the length of 9 bottle caps plus one inch and a half. Cut 3 pieces the length of 12 bottle caps plus an inch and a half.

Cut two panels from the olive oil can the length of 9 caps and width of 3 caps. You may have to alter this a bit at the time of assembly, but when you have one that fits right you may want to make a paper or cardboard mold for future use.

Step two, assembly of pieces:

Line up all your bottle caps ready to be threaded in a pattern that you like.
Using the 3 of the wires for 9 bottle caps thread three bottle caps onto each, then using the other three wires for 9 bottle caps thread through at a 90 degree angle connecting the previous three rows of three caps each. Before bending your wires make sure that the face of the bottle caps is facing down. All six wires for 9 bottle caps should be centered and bent 90 degree angles on each end. Your wires should be facing upwards from the base.

Thread 12 bottle caps each onto the remaining 3 wires. Bend a 90 degree angle after every third cap, and bend a 90 degree angle on both ends so your caps do not fall off. You should have the shape of a square.

This part can be tricky and may require two people for the first time assembling. Take the square formation and thread the 12 wires facing up from the base through the bottom of each bottle cap, then through the top hole of each bottle cap, then slide down to the base. Once the square is on the base connect the two ends by bending the loose wire through the joining cap at the other end of the square. Repeat with the second and third row of 12 caps.

Take your 2 tin panels and bend a 90 degree angle in thirds, pay attention which way you bend the tin, one side has a design on it and one is plain, choose which side you want to see from the inside and fold both the same way.
*If your olive oil can is not long enough you can cut 2 pieces 3 caps wide and 6 long, and 2 pieces 3 caps wide and 4 caps long. Make a 90 degree angle at the height of three caps and arrange the two short ends underneath the two longer ends.
Place the tins on top of each other inside the box.
Once your tins fit nicely inside the box secure them by folding the wires down over the top of the tin. First cut each wire down to ¼ inch above the top of the caps, then using the pliers, fold the wires down over the tin and pinch to secure tin panels.