Did you know you can make some pretty nifty jewellery using plastic drinking straws? Here are some cool ways to melt and make some cute jewellery at home.
You will need:
• brightly coloured drinking straws
• an iron
• baking paper
• a hole punch
• ribbon or string
• scissors
Method #1: Rainbow method
Put a sheet of baking paper onto the ironing board and get Mum to heat the iron.
Choose four or five coloured straws and arrange them together, side by side.
Place the straws, in their colour sequence, onto the middle of the baking paper. Fold the paper over the top of the straws. The baking paper should be underneath and on top of the straws so that they don’t melt onto your ironing board.
Iron over the folded baking paper until the straws melt together.
Wait for the melted straws to cool and then peel them off the baking paper.
Trim the straws to fit snugly around your wrist.
Punch two holes in each end and thread string through the holes to get your bracelet on and off your wrist.
Method #2: Snipped ends method
Choose a selection of coloured straws. Snip 5mm pieces of the straws into a bowl until you have about a quarter of a cup.
Pour the snipped ends onto the baking paper and fold the baking paper over the top.
Iron the baking paper until the straw ends are melted together.
Wait for the straws to cool, then peel the mottled melted shape off the baking paper.
Cut it into a shape – e.g. heart, circle or diamond.
Punch a hole in the centre of your amulet and thread string through to hang it around your neck.
Hints and tips:
You can make an amulet using the rainbow method, just melt a thicker band of straws together and cut the shape out of the melted rainbow.
You can also make a bracelet using the ‘snipped ends method.’ Tip the ends onto the baking paper and arrange into a strip, melt with the iron and trim it into a bracelet.