How to make a recycled plastic food container Valentine " XO" necklace

Making jewelry and playing with letters and type has got to be the ultimate culmination of getting to do two things at once for me. Today I made this fun "XO" (hug and kiss) Valentine's Day necklace out of a black plastic party to-go tray with inspiration from the book Upcycled Jewelry: Bags, Belts, and More.

I die cut the X and O using a Sizzix die cutter out of the black plastic party tray.

I went through my stash of jewelry chain and parts to find elements to put with my plastic letters.

As it turned out a vintage clip earring worked great to use to link the X to the necklace! Totally random and cool.

If you like making recycled jewelry and working with materials in different ways I bet you will really like the book:



Upcycle to create 35 stunning pieces of jewellery and accessories. Discover how to take something that was destined for the rubbish bin and give it a new purpose, transforming it into something beautiful. Expert crafter Linda Peterson shows you 35 creative ways to upcycle ring pulls from drinks cans, zips, plastic, bike chains, tyre tubes and more. From a stylish ring pull belt to a pretty gold zip bracelet, and from stamped plastic earrings to a chunky bike chain bangle, there's plenty here to inspire you to get crafting. Every project has clear step-by-step photographs to guide you, and a basic techniques section covers all you'll need to know.