Whether you love funky and chunky jewelry or simple and subtle jewelry, there's no reason why you can't take a few notes from this whole recycled jewelry fad and make some yourself. Supporting artists who make jewelry out of recycled materials is important, but it's even better for our environment if you can go through your own garage, junk drawers, etc. and make some cool pieces yourself out of the things you no longer use.
With a simple trip to a craft store like Michaels, you can gather up the necessary pieces to make cohesive and cool jewelry. You'll need earring hooks, hemp or chains for necklaces, as well as fasteners for necklaces. If you don't have glue around the house, pick some of that up, too!
Here are some simple ideas and tips to get your gears going for this kind of craft project:
- Loose items: Loose items alone can look really great on an earring hook or necklace chain. Consider some of these: spare keys, mini locks, bolts, safety pins, and any other metal scraps.
- Flexible materials: Some items can simply be molded into bracelets, necklaces, and rings. Vinyl records, when heated, can be molded, for example. Eating utensils and plastic from bottles and containers are also good choices.
- Items that can form beads: Lots of items can be folded and molded to make bead-like shapes that can be strung onto almost anything. Magazines, newspapers, wrappers, labels, cardboard, etc.
So if you're a fan of jewelry, consider these household items the next time you have the urge to find a new accessory. My guess is that you'll be able to find a creative way to recycle used goods into jewelry.
This post was inspired by Hollywood Green.
