Handmade Jewelry Using Plastic Spoons: Dish Up Quirky Style

The ubiquitous plastic spoon transforms into an unexpected jewelry making material for crafters seeking to dish up unique adornments. While metal cutlery can also be repurposed, lightweight plastic spoons offer versatility for bending, cutting, and molding into personalized pendants, rings, bracelets, and more. Vintage colored spoons make especially cool focal points. With some basic jewelry making techniques, it’s simple to upcycle old plastic spoons from the picnic or camping supplies into charming earrings, necklaces, and accessories. Beyond their funky flair, recycled plastic spoons provide an eco-friendly and budget-friendly crafting material to spark imagination.

Why Make Jewelry from Plastic Spoons?

Plastic spoons have many benefits as a repurposed jewelry crafting material:

• Unique – Spoons make unexpected jewelry components with fun retro vibes.
• Affordable – Plastic spoons can often be sourced for free.
• Lightweight – Easy to cut, bend, mold compared to metal spoons.
• Colorful – Vintage plastic spoons come in vibrant hues.
• Customizable – Easy to cut, stamp, embellish into personalized designs.
• Sustainable – Repurposes single-use plastics into art.
• Accessible – Find these basic supplies easily in kitchens or at picnics.

With just some simple jewelry making supplies and techniques, it’s easy to create dazzling accessories from ordinary plastic spoons!

Best Plastic Spoons for DIY Jewelry Projects

Plastic spoons come in many sizes, shapes, and colors. When selecting spoons to transform into jewelry, look for:

• Vintage spoons – Mid-century multicolor molded spoons offer retro appeal.
• Textured spoons – Intricate handle detailing adds visual interest.
• Clear spoons – Unadorned transparent spoons work well for dyeing or glitter.
• Large spoons – More surface area for cutting pieces or embellishing.
• Biodegradable spoons – Made from renewable materials like wood pulp or PLA. Gentler on the earth when discarded after making jewelry.

Helpful Supplies for Making Spoon Jewelry

In addition to the plastic spoons themselves, you’ll need some jewelry making materials:

• Jewelry pliers – For bending and shaping wires and findings.
• Wire cutters – For cleanly cutting wires as needed.
• Jewelry wire – For wrapping spoon components to attach bails, headpins, eye pins, jump rings.
• Clasps and findings – Lobster clasps, chain, eye pins, barrel clasps, ear wires, etc.
• Glue – For permanently adhering elements. Hot glue and E6000 work well.
• Paint pens – To add color and details to plain plastic spoon surfaces.
• Sealant spray – Seal painted spoons to prevent color wearing.
• Embellishments – Rhinestones, glitter, charms to further decorate spoons.

Techniques for Crafting Spoon Jewelry Creations

Use these basic skills to transform plastic spoons into wearable jewelry:

• Cleaning spoons – Wash in soapy water and dry fully before using.
• Cutting spoons – Use sharp scissors or hacksaw to cut bowl and handle pieces.
• Sanding cut edges – Smooth any sharp areas with nail file or fine sandpaper.
• Bending and shaping – Gently shape plastic spoon parts using pliers. Take care not to crack the plastic.
• Painting designs – Use acrylic paint pens to add color, patterns, dots, stripes, etc.
• Attaching findings – Glue on earring backs or posts, pin backs. Use pliers to open and close jump rings, chain, clasps, and wires.
• Assembling pieces – Combine spoon components with beads, chains, jump rings, according to jewelry designs.

Quick DIY Plastic Spoon Jewelry for Beginners

These easy projects are great starters for making jewelry from plastic spoons:

Spoon Pendant Necklace

Transform colorful spoon into a pendant.

• Select a vintage colored plastic spoon.
• Clean spoon and dry fully.
• Using pliers, attach a bail or jump ring to the spoon bowl top.
• Attach spoon to a delicate chain to wear as pendant.

Molded Cuff Bracelet

Press spoons into custom cuff shape for an artsy molded bracelet.

• Arrange plastic spoons closely together in a row on a work surface.
• Place a rigid metal bangle on top of the aligned spoons.
• Press bangle down firmly to mold the plastic spoons to its shape.

Dangly Spoon Earrings

Cut spoons into long triangular drops for funky statement earrings.

• Trim handle and bowl off a plastic spoon, leaving a long center triangular piece.
• Using pliers, attach small jump rings onto the top two corners.
• Dangle triangle drops from ear wires through the jump rings.

Unique Upcycled Plastic Spoon Jewelry Designs

Get creative with these cool ideas for repurposing plastic spoons into wearable art:

Melted Crayon Spoon Pendants

Inlay colorful melted crayon wax into spoon bowls for vibrant mosaic pendants.

• Clean and dry plastic spoon bowls.
• Fill indentations with broken crayon bits. Melt crayons carefully with heat gun.
• After wax hardens, attach bail with glue or pliers to wear as pendant.

Etched Vintage Spoon Bracelet

Transform vintage spoons into one-of-a-kind etched cuff bracelets.

• Choose vintage plastic spoons with pretty handle details to feature.
• Use Dremel or engraving tool to etch designs onto the handle surface.
• Cut and bend handle into cuff shape; glue ends together to make bracelet.

Beaded Spoon Chandelier Earrings

Create whimsical beaded earrings by threading and dangling beads from cut spoon pieces.

• Cut spoon bowl edges into curved pieces with the indentations.
• Thread beads onto jewelry wire through the underside of spoon curves.
• Dangle the beaded spoon pieces from leverback earring wires for a chandelier effect.

Stamped Spoon Ring

Upcycle a plastic spoon into a cool homemade stamped ring.

• Cut the spoon handle to leave a straight solid band. Size to fit finger.
• Use metal stamping tools to impress designs along the ring band.
• Seal stamped impressions with clear enamel spray.

More Plastic Spoon Jewelry Inspiration

• Coat handles in nail polish, rubbing alcohol inks, or leafing pens for metallic spoon pendants
• Glue rows of stacked cut spoon bowls together for bold acrylic beaded bib necklaces
• Pierce holes in handles and string together to make beaded curtains or necklaces
• Cut spoons into skinny tapered triangles and cluster together for fringe earrings
• Impress spoon bowls into molding clay to transfer their shape, then cast into metal charms
• Paint handles and cut into strips to make quirky embroidered jewelry with dimensional texture

With a little imagination and some simple jewelry making techniques, the ordinary plastic spoon can become extraordinary wearable art. Upcycling cutlery into necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings prevents waste while creating fun conversation-starting accessories.