Earth Day Craft: Aluminum Soda Tab Jewelry

Aluminum soda tabs can be recycled, sure, but they can also be upcycled. Start saving the tabs from your aluminum cans to create colorful, sparkly jewelry.

The ball chain we used for this how-to is a necklace length, but you could also create the same project using a bracelet-length chain.

What you'll need:

• Aluminum soda tabs
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrush
• Flat-back rhinestones in various colors
• Glue
• Ball chain

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Instructions:

1. Place the aluminum soda tabs on a flat, covered surface. With the paintbrush, paint a coat of acrylic paint onto one side of each tab. Allow the paint to dry.

2. Repeat step 1, adding two more coats of paint to one side of each tab.

3. When the tabs are completely dry, flip them over and paint three coats onto the other side of the tabs. Allow the paint to dry.

4. Apply a dab of glue to the back of a flat-back rhinestone, then place the rhinestone on the soda tab. You can add as many rhinestones as you'd like. Larger rhinestones work well to cover the larger opening in the tab. Allow the rhinestones to dry.

5. Insert a ball chain through the smaller opening of each tab, stringing them onto the jewelry. When kids aren't wearing the jewelry, snap the chain closed so that the tabs do not slip off.

Photo credit: BEADTIN Candy Multi 25mm Plastic Soda Pop Tabs via Amazon