Now that Halloween is over and you’ve filled up on sugary sweets, a ghoulish pile of non-recyclable candy wrappers remains to haunt you. Here’s a trick for bringing your dearly departed treats back from the dead: Turn the discarded plastic packaging into wearable gems. With a little bit of tracing and cutting, you’ll have brand-new, low-cost beads that will last you long after your sugar buzz is gone. Click below the fold to learn how.
MATERIALS
- Clean candy wrappers
- Toothpick
- Scissors
- Clear tape
- Non-permanent marker
- Bead template
- Jewelry findings
1. Download and cut out the bead template. Trace onto your candy wrapper with your marker and cut. Wipe away any marker left on the wrapper.
Tip: If you’re candy wrappers are too short for the template, you can always tape them together to make them longer.
2. Place the cut candy strip onto a flat surface with the printed side face down. Lay your toothpick on the widest end and roll it up.
3. Cut tiny little pieces of tape to about 0.5×0.25 inches. Use one of these pieces to secure the end of the rolled bead.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 to make as many beads as you’d like. Then use the beads to create your own jewelry. To make a simple necklace or bracelet, string the beads onto stretchy cord. Good lengths for a necklace and bracelet are 16 inches and 6 inches, respectively. You can also add little seed beads in between the wrapper beads for extra glitz or try your hand at a candy wrapper cuff style bracelet.
Looking for other things to do with your candy wrappers? Sign up for TerraCycle’s candy-wrapper brigade. Collect and send in your wrappers, and earn money for your favorite nonprofit.
I love this idea. The results are beautiful, and it’s a great way to teach kids about reuse.