Ideas for Recycled Jewelry
Making jewelry from recycled goods is a fun way to prevent waste, reduce your consumption of fresh raw material and, most of all, create a unique and eco-friendly item for you to wear at little cost. Whether using a cereal box, an unused computer keyboard or old records, you can make original pieces of jewelry for yourself and your friends.
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Cereal Box Bracelet
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Recycle colorful cereal boxes into beads for necklaces or bracelets. Grab an empty cereal box. Cut the cardboard into triangular strips. Hold the widest end of the triangle onto a knitting needle and roll it up to the tip of the triangle. Apply craft glue to the underside of the triangle's point and hold down until the glue is secure to make a cardboard bead. Slide the knitting needle out slowly. Repeat with all the strips. String the completed beads onto a cotton thread and dip them up and down into water-based floor varnish a few times. Allow the bracelet to dry. Finally, slide your completed beads onto a new thread to complete your bracelet.
Computer Keyboard Necklace
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If you have an old computer keyboard lying around, transform it into a unique necklace. Pop they keys from the keyboard -- a screwdriver may be required to dislodge them. Wash and sanitize them. Next, file down the back of the keys to remove any sharp edges. Drill a hole in the top of each key and thread a jump ring through them. Using pliers, secure the jump ring onto thread to be strung around your neck. Be creative: spell out your name with the keys or just use your initials.
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Bottle Cap Earrings
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Be sure to select colorful bottle caps to make interesting earrings. Sanitize two bottle caps -- be creative and choose colorful ones that will be eye catching. Using a craft drill, make a hole in both bottle caps. Start at the back of the bottle caps, under the ridge, and drill all the way through. Slip a jump ring through the holes you have made in both bottle caps and secure them with pliers. Next, make two chains of jump rings. The length is up to you. Attach these chains to the jump rings you have already slid through the bottle caps. Finally, attach an ear wire to the final jump ring on each chain to complete your earrings.
Vinyl Record Ring
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Rather than throw out old vinyl records, transform them into a wearable ring. Heat your oven to 250C (480F). Place your record onto a baking tray and slide it into the oven. After a few minutes, the vinyl with soften. Take the record out using mitts. Cut the record into very thin strips and place these back into the oven. Once the strips are soft, remove them, and when they are cool enough to touch, wrap a strip around your finger and press firmly. Pop the strip back into the oven for one last time to soften. Remove the rings from the oven, cut off any ends from the strip, round off the corners for a polished finish and sand away any rough edges.
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References
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