How-To: Candy Wrapper Barrettes

Create these sweet, upcycled barrettes to go with your Easter dress.
By Tiffany Threadgould
Looking for a sweet way to show off your upcycling style this Easter season? This year’s best accessory is something that you were about to throw away. In this project, I’ll show you how to dress up your Sunday best with this fun candy wrapper project. Start collecting those Cadbury candy and gum wrappers and you’ll turn your Sour Patch into a sweet fashion accessory!
If you find yourself with more candy wrappers than you can upcycle on your own, sign up for TerraCycle’s candy wrapper brigade. We’ll not only upcycle them into new products, we’ll also donate money to your favorite charity.

Materials

Cadbury candy or gum wrapper that is at least 5.5″ long
Scissors
Ruler
Clear, shiny tape
Barrette with spring clip

Directions

Step 1: Measure and cut four pieces of wrapper to these sizes:
Cut one piece each: 5.5″ x .5″; 4.5″ x .5″; 3.5″ x .5″; 1.5″ x .5″
Step 2: Create a loop with the longest piece and wrap a thin piece of tape around the middle of the piece, pinching the center and creating two loops with the piece. Repeat this for the next two pieces.
Step 3: Take the shortest piece and create a loop. Secure the loop with a piece of tape.
Step 4: Stack all four pieces on top of each other with the shortest piece on top and ending with the longest piece.
Step 5: Place the stacked pieces on top of the barrette. Place a piece of tape through the center of the shortest piece and wrap around the other pieces, securing it onto the barrette. Your sweet new hair piece is ready for Easter day!
About the Author:

Tiffany Threadgould is a design junkie who gives scrap materials a second life. She’s the head of design at TerraCycle, a company that collects and creates products from waste. She also keeps up her own green biz, RePlayGround, where you can find ReMake It recycling kits and oodles of DIY projects. Tiffany thinks that garbage has feelings too and can sometimes be found talking to her pile of junk at her design studio in Brooklyn, N.Y. For more DIY upcycling projects, check out her book, ReMake It!, from Sterling Publishing.