You find them on the streets.

Well I do, at least. Most people just throw these little gems out once they pop the top on any soda or beer bottle. And they surely don't stoop to pick up bottle caps in daily passing.

But despite their usual status as pedestrian pieces of trash, bottle caps really do come in handy where crafts are concerned.

Try whipping up a vintage-inspired, quirky-cool bracelet with these beauties — you'll surprise your inner artist with this easy, trash-to-treasure creation.

You'll need about 5 to 8 bottle caps, depending on your wrist size; a drill or tool that you can use to poke holes in the metal caps; some tiny primary-colored beads, if you want to add a creative, refined touch; a metal hook-and-eye clasp; lightweight, pliable jewelry wire; and a nifty pair of scissors strong enough to sever the wire.

Most of these items are available at local craft stores except, of course, the bottle caps, which you can find by collecting religiously or treasure-hunting. (I've done both.)

Before you start crafting your bracelet, drill two small holes into each bottle cap, preferably at opposite ends of the circle. You'll want to drill from the outside in, so any messy metal caused by drilling remains unseen.

To begin the bracelet, cut a strand of wire about 12 inches long. Even though your wrist may be well under this measurement, it helps to have extra wire to hold on to later.

String the hook part of the metal clasp at one end and make a firm knot with the wire to hold it in place. Be sure to pull the knot taut, and don't be afraid to use your teeth!

Once you've got the clasp hook in place, string a few beads in whichever color you desire. (You can match the beads to the color of the bottle caps or just go wild). Then, string your first cap. Stringing down through the front of the cap and up through the back of the cap conveniently hides the wire.

Aesthetically, this bracelet benefits from having a few (about five to seven) beads laced between each bottle cap. It hides the wire between the caps, adds a pop of color and a contrasting texture and emphasizes the artistic "treasure" aspect of your jewelry over the "trash" notion.

Informally measure your bracelet against your wrist once you get to about five bottle caps, and stop when you think you've got enough. (If you fall short, just add some beads at the end; if it's too long, remove a cap).

When you're satisfied with the length of your bracelet, string the eye part of the clasp and tie another knot to secure it. Then snip the wire as close as you can without disturbing the integrity of your knot.

Warning: You may fumble while trying on this new piece. The bottle caps naturally will twist around so that while one faces the "correct" way — front-side up — the caps to its left and right will want to sit upside-down.

If you've made your bracelet snug enough, this shouldn't be a problem once you secure it on your wrist. Just flip them in the right direction and the bottle caps should stay in place. But if you want to go with the flow, utilize the alternating position of the caps to get crafty. In ones that tend to tip, paste photos or magazine cutouts into the caps for a cute collage connection. If you want to stick with this scrapbook look, paste small fabric swaths over the labels that would otherwise deck the front-facing bottle caps.

Surely, you can substitute any of the above ideas for your own — maybe glue pint-sized seashells inside the upturned bottle caps instead of cut-out pictures or use larger beads instead of baby ones. But whatever you choose to do with your new dandy decoration, take pride in the fact that by capitalizing on otherwise plebeian objects, you're now sporting a stylish, street-smart look. After all, that's where you found them.

Crafting 101 with Claudia Esbenshade returns next week.