How-to: Make a Soda Tab Bracelet

Soda Tab Bracelet

We have lots of projects for crafting with soda cans, but what about those humble little tabs? If you’ve been saving your tabs for the right project, this upcycled soda tab bracelet might just be the one!

Recycling metal is much more efficient than recycling plastic, but when you reuse metal soda can tabs in your crafts you’re still using less energy than recycling, and you’re also replacing new craft supplies with something that would have otherwise landed in the bin. It’s a double win!

Crafter Tiffany Threadgould – author of ReMake It! – emailed us about her soda tab project, which is part of a series created with the New York Hall of Science to get people psyched about the mega-fantastic World Maker Faire coming up this very weekend in New York! The 2012 Maker Faire is planning over 500 exhibits where folks can learn all manner of making from arts and crafts to technology and even food. Threadgould is exhibiting at the Faire, where she’ll be teaching folks how to make upcycled pinwheels and the soda tab bracelets she demonstrates in the video below!

Make a Soda Tab Bracelet

You only need a few materials to create your own soda tab bracelet:

  • 24 soda tabs
  • 26″ of elastic cord
  • tape measure
  • scissors

She walks you through how to make the bracelet in this video:

Have you guys done any cool soda tab crafts lately? I’d love to hear what you’re working on in the comments!

Image Credit: Photo by Tiffany Threadgould

9 thoughts on “How-to: Make a Soda Tab Bracelet”

  1. I’ve made a knee-length “chainmail” hauberk out of pop tabs my friends collected for me. The only problem is that it’s heavy enough that the weight pulls the tabs apart. In order to wear it, I need to find a long-sleeved plain grey shirt to sew it onto so it doesn’t fall apart. Any suggestions where I might find a shirt without designs or embellishments would be greatly appreciated!
    http://tinypic.com/r/2prejd1/6

    1. That is so cool, Rachel!

      Isn’t it crazy how hard it is to find plain tops? It seems like everything’s printed or embellished. If you can’t find what you need at the thrift store, I did a little searching for an organic cotton, long-sleeved grey women’s tee and found this one:

      http://shoptwoowls.com/index.php/women-s-apparel/long-sleeve-tees/black-coral-women-s-long-sleeve-tunic-top.html

      Something close to your skin tone might work well, too. Let me know how it all turns out!

  2. This is a wonderful idea for children to do for Mother’s Day. Can you send me photos on a step-by-step, on how to do bracelet? The video does not show too much on how to do it. I will appreciate it. This is a good idea.

    Thank you,

    Celia Galvan

  3. can you send me a step by step instruction on how to finish up the soda tab braclet using ribbon. Thank you, what a great idea too do with my grandaughter

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