Beads from Plastic Bottle

DianaHM
Silver Answer Medal for All Time! 440 Answers

A collection of recycled plastic beads. There are many ways to use plastic bottles in craft. I suggest you make beads out of plastic bottles. It is not difficult at all and will not take much time.

Total Time: 15 Minutes for 1 bead

Yield: bead 0.4'' wide, 0.6" in diameter

Supplies:

plastic bottle
awl or compass
ruler
scissors
iron

Steps:

Cut a flat part (middle) from a plastic bottle.
Mark a strip 0.4 inch wide (scratch off), about 10 inches long. Cut out the strip.

Measuring a strip of plastic from a soda bottle.

Roll up the strip. Then roll the strip in the opposite direction.

Rolling the strip in the other direction.

Turn the iron on to the highest temperature setting. Adjust the diameter of the rolled plastic strip (if necessary, roll it tighter) and press for a few seconds to the heated iron, first on one side. Press down to keep the opposite side straight. Do not hold for long, otherwise the plastic will begin to bend. Then press the rolled strip on the other side for a few seconds. The rolled strip should stop unrolling, but also not bend. The plastic bead is ready.

Placing the plastic bead on an iron to melt it.

Repeat the previous steps to make new beads. You can use different colored plastic bottles to create colored plastic beads.

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gggd
Silver Answer Medal for All Time! 425 Answers

September 11, 20210 found this helpful

The plastic doesn't melt on the iron?

A good way to reuse a plastic bottle. I could see cutting the bottle at an angle, and spiral cutting the whole bottle, then coil, twist, bend the strip into all kinds of shapes. Then do the iron to "fix" the plastic shape to stay the way you manipulated it.

You could make larger shapes for necklaces, bracelets, earrings, key chains, wind chime dangles... the uses are almost endless !!!!!! Thanks for the idea.

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DianaHM
Silver Answer Medal for All Time! 440 Answers

September 12, 20210 found this helpful

As far as I know, plastic bottles (I don't mean cosmetic containers) are made from Polyethylene terephthalate, commonly abbreviated PET, PETE. Melting point of Polyethylene terephthalate is > 250°C (482°F; 523 K) en.wikipedia.org/.../Polyethylene_terephthalate.
The maximum heating temperature of an iron is about 205°C.

Thank you for the idea too! :)

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