How to Make Earrings from Plastic Bags

Not many people use plastic bags any more, most people use a more sustainable type of bag, but so many people have plastic bags left over, don't throw them away, they can be used to make creative and beautiful jewellery.

You will need.

Plastic bags, the number depends on how many earrings you want to make. 2 bags are sufficient for 3 pairs of small earrings.

Scissors

Newspaper

An Iron.

Acrylic paint or nail polish

Ear wires and jump rings.

Pliers

Needle/compass

Step 1: Cut the handles off the plastic bags, cut down the side seams of each bag and across the bottom until you are left with sheets.

Step 2: Lay the sheets out flat on a ironing board or a work surface that you can iron on.. Place a book over the bags for a while so they settle, this also helps to remove some of the creases.

Step 3: Place a sheet of newspaper over the bags and one under them (you can use brow paper instead of newspaper if you like)

Step 4: With the iron on a medium heat setting, iron the paper, keeping the iron moving constantly to avoid burning. Do this for about 5 minutes.

Step 5: Remove the paper and fold the plastic in half, replace the paper and continue ironing for 10 minutes. Fold again and iron until the bags have fused together.

Step 6: Leave the sheet to cool, place something heavy and flat on top of it to avoid the edges curling up. When cool, draw the shapes you want to cut out with a water soluble marker directly onto the plastic.

Step 7: Cut the shapes out using the scissors, using a needle or a compass, pierce a hole where the ear wires will be. Paint both sides using acrylic paint or nail polish.

Step 8: Finish with a coat of clear paint or clear nail polish. Add the jump rings and the ear wires.