How to Make Coffee Table Out of Beer Tops

If you're a beer enthusiast, you may have developed an impressive collection of bottle cap beer tops that you'd like to display as a tribute to your favorite brands. One popular means of immortalizing beer tops is by using them to create a coffee table design. This simple table requires minimal building skills but yields a visually impressive result, provided you have a large, varied collection of bottle caps to feature on its surface. Does this Spark an idea?

Instructions

1

Cut a 4-foot by 4-foot square of plywood and four 4-foot by 2 -inch rectangular strips of plywood using the band saw or table saw. The large square will become the tabletop and the small strips the sides of the table.

2

Attach the smaller rectangular pieces to the sides of the large square, edges flush and with the wide strips extending below the table to form a lip for it all the way around. Fasten them by driving screws in place from the outside of the short strips into the edge of the large, square piece. Position a screw every 4 inches.

3

Position the four dowels at the four corners of the wood, inside the corners of the lip. Attach the dowels in position with screws from the other side of the tabletop. Attach three screws to each dowel.

4

Paint the table black using glossy acrylic paint. Let dry, then apply a second coat, if desired.

5

Cut strips of cardboard of the same dimensions as the small wood pieces. Cover each of these with packing tape -- these will serve as temporary walls to keep resin from dripping off the edge of the table.

6

Attach the strips of cardboard to the edges of the table with masking tape to form walls around the table's edge.

7

Spray some mold release into a small dish. Use an artist's brush to apply it to the inside of the cardboard walls, but try to keep it off the table itself.

8

Arrange the beer caps on the table to figure out how you want them. If the design you make is a complex one, take a photo when finished that you can use as a guide, later. Remove the caps once you know what you plan to do.

9

Mix about four tablespoons of epoxy resin in the disposable dish with the craft stick according to the manufacturer's instructions. Spread this over the surface of the table in a thin layer.

10

Replace the beer caps in the pattern you've chosen on the table top.

11

Mix the entire quantity of casting resin in the large disposable container using the paint stick. Pour this carefully over the top of the caps.

12

Let the resin set in a well-ventilated area until it cures according to the manufacturer's instructions.