Soda or Beer Can Beads

Love making your own jewelry? It's fun, sure, but what's your total tab now for all those beads? Getting expensive, isn't it? Yes, you make some lovely designs, but you don't really save money over purchasing costume jewelry. It's the excitement of making the jewelry that the part we jewelry-makers crave. Hey, tell you what. Put away the clay - and all that goes with it. There are other ways to make fabulous beads. In fact, if you have soda or beer cans at your house, you're well on your way to creating stunning, metallic beads - and jewelry - that you'll be proud to wear.

Aluminum cans are perfect for creating unusual beads. To begin, cut the top and bottom off of the can with a sharp knife or scissors. Smash the can flat and begin cutting inch-wide sections across the width of the can. Open each section and you'll have a ring of aluminum.

Cut each aluminum ring into several lengths. These lengths will represent the length of each bead you make. When you're actually getting ready to make the beads themselves, wear heavy gloves. For each aluminum piece, roll it from one end to the other, and you'll create the bead. It can be helpful to use crimpers, or needle-nose pliers, to get the look you want. Each aluminum piece should be tightly rolled, but make sure there is a tiny opening in the center where you can string the bead. You'll find it really easy to make the beads since aluminum is very easy to bend and curl.

You can create various types of beads by the way you make them. For example, you can twist the aluminum so that the printed side of the can shows on the bead, or so that the raw aluminum shows instead. Cut the rings to be very wide for a bulky bead, or an inch-wide, for a more slender bead. Cut the aluminum sections from the ring and, roll them from one long side to the other, to make a long bead, or roll from one short end to the other, for a round bead. You can even bang and dent the can, before making the beads, to create faceted metal beads.

Aluminum beads can be painted or worn as-is. They can be strung alone or can be combined with other beads. Make them into a necklace, a bracelet, or even an anklet. You'll wear the jewelry with pride because it's unique and cost you next to nothing. Of course, you're the only one who will know that!