How to Make Soda Can Bead Leather Earrings

Today’s upcycle had me digging deep; into the recycling bin again! If you’re looking for a creative way to turn small leather scraps and drink cans into something stylish, these earrings - featuring soda can beads - are a fun DIY to try. Watch the video or continue below to the I'ble!

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1. Cotter pin; longer than 1"
2. Aluminum from a soda can
3. Ultra fine sharpie for marking on the metal or bead template (sign up for the template to gain access to our freebie library here)
4. Paper cutter or scissors
5. Foil tape: this foil tape might be ok for crafts, but I can't vouch for the stickiness. We used a high quality tape left over from a ducting project.
6. 3mm (1/8") Hole Metal Grommets
7. Seed beads approx 2-3 mm
8. Leather scraps
9. 20 or 22 gauge wire or head pins
10. Earring hooks
11. Round nose jewelry pliers (for making the loops)
12. Varathane wateribased clear coat polyurethane - gloss, or Mod Podge
13. Multi hole leather punch

As someone who upcycles on the regular, I’ve developed a sixth sense for spotting soda cans in the wild. (Neighbourhood walks on recycle day are more like urban treasure hunts.) Normally, I’m all about bold graphics and quirky logos, but sometimes those ‘too-good-to-be-true’ designs are just plastic pretenders, leaving me with nothing but the shiny aluminum underneath.

Such was the case with what I thought was a beautiful printed graphic on this aluminum can. One of these can's has a plastic wrap and the other one is a printed can. It's hard to tell the difference at first glance.

Whomp whomp! The can on the right in the 1st pic above was actually a plastic wrapper over plain aluminum.

So what’s a gal to do when life hands her plain soda cans? Make earrings, of course! I paired the humble aluminum with the some leather scraps, eyelets and glass seed beads found at the thrift store. To create a focal, I handcrafted long metal beads from the can itself to swing freely in the middle, for an elevated curbside-meets-couture vibe.

Here’s how this project started by removing the plastic wrapper on the can.

By the way, I'm using a shorter drink can for this project (2nd pic). A standard size can is find if you're only making a few beads. However, larger cans (like the first one shown above) will garner you more material if you want to make more than just a pair of leather earrings.

Hubs found me a bunch of scrap leather online, which I previously used to wrap the handle of this cool upcycled remote control holder. It's the bag that just keeps on giving!

Simply cut two strips from the leather and punch holes at either end. I used my Olfa safety cutter to cut each strip.

The length will depend on how long your neck is; also keep in mind cut cut twice the length so it's the exact drop you want when doubled-up.

For the holes at either end, you'll need a heavy duty leather punch, like the one shown above, to punch through the leather. I didn't get a picture of the actual ones I punched, so the hole will be much smaller; just big enough to fit a jump ring.

Cut and flatten your aluminum can (see how to cut tin cans). Then, cut the aluminum into two long triangular strips. I just use a marker to mark the metal.

By the way, if you don't have plain aluminum, just use the unprinted side of the can. Or incorporate the printed side into your design; the choice is up to you!

You can draw your bead shape with marker or use my template (which you'll find here by signing up to our Freebie Library). Then I cut it on a paper cutter.

Cut a piece of foil tape to the same shape as the metal, but make sure it extends so it can wrap around and hold it.

The foil should be long enough to wrap twice; it will keep it in place until you seal it. The foil tape was leftover from when we installed a new bathroom fan (see how to replace a bathroom fan).

Peel back one end and place on the end of the metal before rolling it up.

I raided my husbands cotter pins and used one of the longer ones to roll the strip of aluminum. However, if you have a paper bead roller (2nd last pic) you can use that too. I actually bought one after I finished this project, to make bead en masse, but the cotter pin works great for small quantities!

Before you start to roll the metal, wear cut resistant gloves while rolling the aluminum. I like a rubber coated glove shown ahead.

Insert the metal into the slit of the cotter pin.

Now you can begin rolling. Keep rolling until you reach the end. A glove with a rubber coating can help grip the slippery metal.

Carefully wrap the foil tape around the rolled soda can bead.

Your first soda can bead is done! Getting it off the cotter pin can be tricky, but I find the rubber glove to be helpful to push it off from the end.

You can adjust the bead so the aluminum tape sits in the middle if it comes off the cotter pin a little out of shape.

Once your bead are off the cotter pin, you'll notice that the metal on the inside of the bead where you inserted the metal onto the pin, is bent.

Use something round, like a toothpick, or heavier skewer, to flatten the metal against the inside of the bead. You need to clear the hole for the next step.

Tip: to neaten the raw edges and keep the soda can bead from wobbling on the head pin wire, I use two grommets at either end. Dry fit them, but be sure to glue these with a suitable glue to attach them permanently in place.

Seal the aluminum bead with a good quality clear coat, or Mod Podge if that's what you have; you can do this before adding the grommets, but be sure not to obstruct the hole.

Now, create a head pin out of wire; form the first loop, then insert the wire through the middle of:

1. a glass bead
2. the soda can bead
3. 3 more glass beads to embellish the drop.

Now you can form the loop at the top of the head pin to enclose everything.

Feed a large jump ring through both sides of the leather (where you punched the holes), catching the soda can bead in the middle (through the top loop of the head pin).

Add one more jump ring and then an earring wire and your leather earrings are ready to wear!

Here's how it should look when all the beads are stacked onto the head pin and captured on the leather:

These leather earrings with soda can beads started life as yesterday’s drink, but today? They’ve gone from recycle bin to boho chic. Plain Jane cans really add the glam factor to rustic leather scraps! Now I’m no longer sad when I find what I think is a splashy can is only a plastic wrapper imposter?

This isn’t the first time I’ve transformed plain Jane aluminum cans. In the past, I an aluminum can wall hanging that reflects the colours of the surroundings and shimmers in the breeze like giant sequins!

Who knew you could make something beautiful out of something you'd normally just recycle? There are so many things you can make with drink cans like this eyeglass holder made from pull tabs, or this incredible pop art can art aluminum dog made from colourful drink cans!

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