Recycled plastic beads

Hello!

Today I’d like to show you one of my latest ideas & creations. There are already quite some recycled jewelry tutorials on this blog, but here comes yet another 🙂 I personally love this necklace: it’s bright and colorful and it’s basically FREE: all you need are plastic bottles (we use way too many in our day-to-day life) and some time to make them.

This necklace, together with recycled plastic earrings, were given to my friend Vale, who now proudly wears them to office 🙂

Here’s what you need:

plastic bottles in many colors

scissors, candle, lighter

jewelry pliers, round nose.

Tutorial after the jump!

 

Premise: making these beads means melting plastic: obviously this can’t be so healthy…. so I only do it near an open window. Moreover, it’s it not good for your sight to watch candle light for too long. That’s why I only make some beads at a time, working maximum 20 minutes.

1) Cut your bottle in strips. They should be more or less 7 mm high. If the bottle is thick, the strips can be  about 5 cm long, otherwise it should be longer.

2) Roll the strips around the pliers’ nose. One of the “noses” must stay in the center of the bead, so that, while melting, we keep the hole.

3) Then, put the tip of the pliers close to the candle’s fire. Plastic will begin to melt. You can experiment: each plastic will melt in a different way. Slowly melt firs one end, then the other. You must avoid burning the plastic: it will become brown.

This is the bead you will obtain.

… then you can use it as you want!

I made a necklace, by simply stringing many beads on transparent fishing thread.

Not bad, huh? 🙂

Everything starting only from simple BOTTLES!!

Bottles that can have a second life (what about the caps??)

But how many things you can make out of bottles???!!!

You can find some clicking here. 

What about this bottle cap curtain? Splendid!

Catherine-wheels? Cub scout level!

I also love Serena’s PET earrings!

via: suonatrice di carillon

And this necklace is dangerous too 🙂

via: francine bricole

See you soon!

Cecilia

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