Crafter Tiffany Threadgould’s new book, ReMake It!: Recycling Projects from the Stuff You Usually Scrap (Sterling Publishing) is a fantastic way to learn how to easily turn your trash into something crafty and new. Tiffany of course is no stranger to recycling crafts as we’ve seen some of her great trash to crafts projects here on CRAFT as well as on her blog, RePlayGround. The book is broken up into sections according to material such as paper, plastic, fabric, metal, glass and just plain o’ junk. Old t-shirts can transform into t-shirt rugs or a scrap flower pin. Records can be made into a clock and felted sweater sleeves can keep you warm as a cozy scarf. This book is a great way to get yourself to rethink what really is trash and to turn your recycling bin into a craft haven.
As a special treat, we have the full instructions to make this Soda Can Tab Belt. It’s a fashionable piece that can dress up your summer outfits and you can also make a matching bracelet! Learn how to make this Soda Tab Belt and Bracelet after the jump!
Materials
110 Soda can tabs, the rough edges cut off or sanded away
100-inch Long shoelace or nylon cord
Scissors
Measuring tape
Measure: The belt in this project is for someone with a waist size of 25 inches to 30 inches. You can scale it up or down if you need a different size. For every 4 inches of belt, 13 tabs are needed.
Directions
Step 1: With adult supervision, bend down, cut off with wire cutters, or sand down any rough edges on the soda tabs.
Step 2: Tie a loop at the center of the cord that is about 1 inch in diameter. Secure it with a tight double knot. The entire loop should be about the same size as a soda tab. Later, this loop will become the belt closure.
Step 3: Thread the one end of the cord through one of the soda tab holes, and thread the other end of the cord through the other soda tab hole. Always thread from back to front of the tabs.
Step 4: Place a second tab on top of the first. Bring the ends of the cord over one side and through the middle of this second tab. Then, bring the ends of the cord back through the middle of the first tab.
Step 5: Put a third tab under the second tab. Then, bring the ends of the cord through one side of the third tab and then up through the center of the second tab. You’ll be stacking your soda tabs like two layers of bricks. The top layer will overlap the bottom layer by a half tab.
Step 6: Repeat steps 4 and 5 until the belt is a few inches longer than your waist size.
Step 7: Tie the end of the cord in a tight double knot and trim the loose ends.
Step 8: To wear the belt, just slip the knotted end through the loop you tied at the beginning. If you’re thirsty for more soda tab projects, try the same technique with a bracelet.
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.
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