I am Crafter . . . Hear me Roar!

My husband tells me that I collect all kinds of "junk". 


And he isn't wrong in that. I have bit and bobs of all sorts lying about. A sandwich bag full of soda can tabs, a stash of cardboard from all sorts of places (such as dividers from a new blender box). My desk has a cubby filled with paper clips, twist ties, the foil from Hershey's Kisses and various chewing gums. So when he says that I collect all sorts of "junk" he's only looking at it with the eye of a non-crafter.


I see inside my "junk". That's right, to the very soul of the object and that soul cries out to me. It says things like "I'm really a necklace just waiting to be put together" or it might just whimper "I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful". What ever may come out of said objects' nonexistent mouth, I am the one listening. And I am the one creating.


Today I heard the cries from an object that may have gone on to contribute to global warming. But I listened and I saved him from the fiery depths of landfill hell and here's what he's turned out to be.

As you can see from this first pic he started life as the lid to a can of Lightly Salted Pringles. I listened intently . . . (c'mon, put your hand behind your ear and listen with me) and I heard, "I want . . . *cough cough* . . . to be jewelry." 


<insert dramatic sounds of coughing as if someone, or in this case something, is dying> 


Okay, I'm done. Thanks for playing along though, it was fun.


Take a sharp pair of scissors and trim the inside from a lid to a can of <insert chip preference here>. This week I bought Pringles so that's why it's in the picture. After you trim the inside this is what you should have. Bear in mind that you should trim as close to the edge of the lip as possible leaving you with only the rim of the lid.

Choose your yarn/twine/cloth strips. I picked out a 4-ply worsted weight yarn from I Love This Yarn and paired it with some Homespun from Lionbrand. Of course the colors don't matter as long as you like it. Mine are Yellow from the I Love This Yarn and Shaker from Homespun by Lionbrand. 


Now let me think. I didn't actually measure the length of the amount I used so I'm guessing here. Cut 3 to 5 feet of yarn and working with both strands at the same time, wind it around the plastic rim that you now have. What I do is this; I tie a simple knot leaving 2 inches of a tail, I then wind in one direction all the way around the rim making sure to cover the tail as the work progresses. Make sure the yarn covers all the plastic so it doesn't show through. Once you come to the end, tie 2 simple knots. Make sure the knot is on the inside of the rim because we're going to bury it in a second.

Now is the time to try on your bracelet. Make sure the yarn is snug enough that the action of putting it on and taking it off doesn't cause a slip that would let the plastic show through. Are you comfortable with what you have? If not, wrap it again. You don't have to undo what you've already completed, just wind over it until you're happy. Now once you're happy, take the end of your yarn (after you've knotted it securely) and thread it into an embroidery needle. Using the embroidery needle, pull the end through the inside rim of the bracelet, pulling just enough that the knot gets tucked securely away on the inside of the piece. Closely trim any excess and you are finished!

There you have it. A rescued piece of rubbish that you can wear anytime. Heck, this is so simple, you can make one to match every outfit you have! How? Well, let me tell you something. The lid isn't the only thing that can be made into jewelry! Mwhahahaha!!! 

I AM CRAFTER!! HEAR ME ROAR!!