Make a Handcrafted Bracelet with Colorful, Quirky Green Style

Plastic bottles are so colorful, it's a shame to toss them into the trash or even pitch them into a recycle bin; why not upcycle them instead? Follow these simple jewelry making instructions and turn some of that pretty plastic into a colorful, fun and quirky bracelet. Your non-crafty friends will be so inspired by your eco-friendly jewelry style, they'll want a bracelet too; and since these jewelry making instructions are so simple, they can do it themselves.

This is the point where I would usually talk about landfills and "Green" plastic choices; but for now I will simply explain the steps for making a colorful bracelet from plastic you might otherwise throw away. If you want my 'save the planet' spiel, please check out How to create "Green" Jewelry.

Tools

-Pliers

-Sturdy scissors

-Hole punching tool (Fig 3): sturdy paper punch (office supply or craft store), precision punch (riogrande.com or firemountain.com) or hand drill (about 3 dollars at craft stores)

Materials

-Colorful Plastic: bottles, used credit or gift cards, coffee can lids, etc.

-25 to 30 Base metal jump rings or spring rings from a craft store like Michael's.

-Wire for trim (Optional)

-Fine line marker

-Bracelet length chain with clasp. Links should have openings big enough to dangle a jump ring. Keep it inexpensive; remember you're creating a fun, plastic bracelet, not a family heirloom. Here are a few options:

1) Try digging through your old jewelry for a chain.

2) Buy an inexpensive base metal chain from a craft store.

3) Make a simple chain by connecting jump rings or spring rings together and adding a a clasp at one end.

4) Or follow the Figure 8 Chain instructions in Make a Wire Bracelet Even a Grandma Could Love.

Prepare Plastic

Clean and cut your plastic into large workable pieces. (fig. 4) See How to Create "Green" Jewelry for additional tips on plastic preparation.

Create Plastic Shapes

-Use the marker to draw 25 to 30 shapes on plastic (hearts, flowers, circles, etc) more if you like.

-Cut out shapes with scissors (Fig 5)

-Punch holes in your shapes. The paper hole punch will work well with thin, flexible plastic. For thicker plastic try a hand drill or precision hole metal punch

Finish Bracelet

-Slip a jump ring through the hole in a plastic shape and add to chain.

-Try layering two colors before adding.

-Continue adding pieces, as many or as few as you desire, spacing them evenly along the chain length.

-Add wire trim if you choose.

Source: My personal craft projects