Condensed Combining Financial Information (Condensed Combining Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 304	$ 350	$ 250	$ 342
Receivables, net	1,175	1,057
Inventories	1,352	1,166
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	193	177
Total current assets	3,024	2,750
Goodwill	1,937	1,998
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,988	1,995
Other non-current assets	752	747
Total	7,701	7,490
Short-term debt	267	261
Current maturities of long-term debt	129	115
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,930	2,142
Total current liabilities	2,326	2,518
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	3,708	3,289
Long-term intercompany debt		0
Postretirement and pension liabilities	1,042	1,098
Other non-current liabilities	461	462
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Noncontrolling interests	292	285
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	(128)	(162)
Total equity/(deficit)	164	123	(82)	(239)
Total	7,701	7,490
Crown European Holdings SA [Member] | Parent [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	1
Total current assets	0	1
Investments	772	749
Total	772	750
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	6	18
Total current liabilities	6	18
Long-term intercompany debt	894	894
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	(128)	(162)
Total equity/(deficit)	(128)	(162)
Total	772	750
Crown European Holdings SA [Member] | Issuer [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0
Intercompany receivables	2	2
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	7	14
Total current assets	9	16
Intercompany debt receivables	1,515	1,578
Investments	3,799	3,839
Other non-current assets	22	24
Total	5,345	5,457
Short-term debt	8	2
Current maturities of long-term debt	17	18
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	20	21
Intercompany payables	0	0
Total current liabilities	45	41
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	1,007	1,003
Long-term intercompany debt	2,150	2,264
Other non-current liabilities	8	8
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	2,135	2,141
Total equity/(deficit)	2,135	2,141
Total	5,345	5,457
Crown European Holdings SA [Member] | Guarantors [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	128	134	100	54
Receivables, net	332	274
Intercompany receivables	58	41
Inventories	677	582
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	139	123
Total current assets	1,334	1,154
Intercompany debt receivables	3,176	3,141
Investments	(228)	(278)
Goodwill	1,383	1,429
Property, plant and equipment, net	596	610
Other non-current assets	644	658
Total	6,905	6,714
Short-term debt	9	0
Current maturities of long-term debt	28	28
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,018	1,097
Intercompany payables	32	32
Total current liabilities	1,087	1,157
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	2,506	2,073
Long-term intercompany debt	1,223	1,340
Postretirement and pension liabilities	1,023	1,079
Other non-current liabilities	294	316
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	772	749
Total equity/(deficit)	772	749
Total	6,905	6,714
Crown European Holdings SA [Member] | Non-Guarantors [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	176	216	150	288
Receivables, net	843	783
Intercompany receivables	32	32
Inventories	675	584
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	47	39
Total current assets	1,773	1,654
Intercompany debt receivables	424	492
Investments
Goodwill	554	569
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,392	1,385
Other non-current assets	86	65
Total	4,229	4,165
Short-term debt	250	259
Current maturities of long-term debt	84	69
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	886	1,006
Intercompany payables	60	43
Total current liabilities	1,280	1,377
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	195	213
Long-term intercompany debt	848	713
Postretirement and pension liabilities	19	19
Other non-current liabilities	159	138
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Noncontrolling interests	292	285
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	1,436	1,420
Total equity/(deficit)	1,728	1,705
Total	4,229	4,165
Crown European Holdings SA [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0
Intercompany receivables	(92)	(75)
Total current assets	(92)	(75)
Intercompany debt receivables	(5,115)	(5,211)
Investments	(4,343)	(4,310)
Total	(9,550)	(9,596)
Intercompany payables	(92)	(75)
Total current liabilities	(92)	(75)
Long-term intercompany debt	(5,115)	(5,211)
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	(4,343)	(4,310)
Total equity/(deficit)	(4,343)	(4,310)
Total	(9,550)	(9,596)
Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents
Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc [Member] | Parent [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	1
Total current assets	0	1
Investments	772	749
Total	772	750
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	6	18
Total current liabilities	6	18
Long-term intercompany debt	894	894
Postretirement and pension liabilities	0
Other non-current liabilities	0
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	(128)	(162)
Total equity/(deficit)	(128)	(162)
Total	772	750
Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc [Member] | Issuer [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	83	83
Total current assets	83	83
Investments	1,813	1,768
Other non-current assets	501	504
Total	2,397	2,355
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	35	34
Total current liabilities	35	34
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	411	412
Long-term intercompany debt	898	875
Other non-current liabilities	281	285
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	772	749
Total equity/(deficit)	772	749
Total	2,397	2,355
Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc [Member] | Non-Guarantors [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	304	350	250	342
Receivables, net	1,175	1,057
Inventories	1,352	1,166
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	110	93
Total current assets	2,941	2,666
Intercompany debt receivables	1,792	1,769
Goodwill	1,937	1,998
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,988	1,995
Other non-current assets	251	243
Total	8,909	8,671
Short-term debt	267	261
Current maturities of long-term debt	129	115
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,889	2,090
Total current liabilities	2,285	2,466
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	3,297	2,877
Postretirement and pension liabilities	1,042	1,098
Other non-current liabilities	180	177
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Noncontrolling interests	292	285
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	1,813	1,768
Total equity/(deficit)	2,105	2,053
Total	8,909	8,671
Crown Cork & Seal Company, Inc [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Intercompany debt receivables	(1,792)	(1,769)
Investments	(2,585)	(2,517)
Total	(4,377)	(4,286)
Long-term intercompany debt	(1,792)	(1,769)
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	(2,585)	(2,517)
Total equity/(deficit)	(2,585)	(2,517)
Total	(4,377)	(4,286)
Crown Americas, LLC, Crown Americas Capital Corp. And Crown Americas Capital Corp. II [Member] | Parent [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	1
Total current assets	0	1
Investments	772	749
Total	772	750
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	6	18
Total current liabilities	6	18
Long-term intercompany debt	894	894
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	(128)	(162)
Total equity/(deficit)	(128)	(162)
Total	772	750
Crown Americas, LLC, Crown Americas Capital Corp. And Crown Americas Capital Corp. II [Member] | Issuer [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	26	27	28	21
Receivables, net	0	2
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1	1
Total current assets	27	30
Intercompany debt receivables	1,626	1,530
Investments	1,615	1,560
Property, plant and equipment, net	1	1
Other non-current assets	31	26
Total	3,300	3,147
Current maturities of long-term debt	28	28
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	27	33
Total current liabilities	55	61
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	2,006	1,616
Long-term intercompany debt	501	756
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	738	714
Total equity/(deficit)	738	714
Total	3,300	3,147
Crown Americas, LLC, Crown Americas Capital Corp. And Crown Americas Capital Corp. II [Member] | Guarantors [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0	1	1	1
Receivables, net	17	14
Intercompany receivables	14	7
Inventories	329	282
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	95	92
Total current assets	455	396
Intercompany debt receivables	1,531	1,483
Investments	605	606
Goodwill	453	453
Property, plant and equipment, net	303	308
Other non-current assets	518	529
Total	3,865	3,775
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	313	317
Intercompany payables	13	17
Total current liabilities	326	334
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	412	412
Long-term intercompany debt	1,536	1,447
Postretirement and pension liabilities	538	545
Other non-current liabilities	281	288
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	772	749
Total equity/(deficit)	772	749
Total	3,865	3,775
Crown Americas, LLC, Crown Americas Capital Corp. And Crown Americas Capital Corp. II [Member] | Non-Guarantors [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	278	322	221	320
Receivables, net	1,158	1,041
Intercompany receivables	13	17
Inventories	1,023	884
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	97	83
Total current assets	2,569	2,347
Intercompany debt receivables	10	279
Goodwill	1,484	1,545
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,684	1,686
Other non-current assets	203	192
Total	5,950	6,049
Short-term debt	267	261
Current maturities of long-term debt	101	87
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,584	1,774
Intercompany payables	14	7
Total current liabilities	1,966	2,129
Long-term debt, excluding current maturities	1,290	1,261
Long-term intercompany debt	236	195
Postretirement and pension liabilities	504	553
Other non-current liabilities	180	174
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Noncontrolling interests	292	285
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	1,482	1,452
Total equity/(deficit)	1,774	1,737
Total	5,950	6,049
Crown Americas, LLC, Crown Americas Capital Corp. And Crown Americas Capital Corp. II [Member] | Eliminations [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0
Intercompany receivables	(27)	(24)
Total current assets	(27)	(24)
Intercompany debt receivables	(3,167)	(3,292)
Investments	(2,992)	(2,915)
Total	(6,186)	(6,231)
Intercompany payables	(27)	(24)
Total current liabilities	(27)	(24)
Long-term intercompany debt	(3,167)	(3,292)
Commitments and contingent liabilities
Crown Holdings shareholders' equity/(deficit)	(2,992)	(2,915)
Total equity/(deficit)	(2,992)	(2,915)
Total	$ (6,186)	$ (6,231)