How to make beads from plastic bottles
Colored plastic bottles can be used to make beads for crafts. For this, a very simple technology is used that can be easily recreated at home. The quality and appearance of such beads is no worse than store-bought glass beads.
The essence of the technology is to cut a plastic bottle into a ribbon, further process it into a tube and cut the latter into beads. The process is simple, but has some subtleties that are important to follow. The first step is to prepare the bottle. The label is torn off and the remaining glue is washed off. Then the bottom is cut off from the bottle.
To obtain beads with a diameter of 3.5 mm, you need to set the bottle cutter to cut a ribbon 14 mm wide. That is, the width should be 4 times greater than the diameter of the beads. This proportion is almost always suitable, but may differ slightly for softer or harder bottles. The tape itself is cut as usual.
To make a tube out of tape, you need to heat it up and pass it through a narrow hole of a certain diameter. Thanks to this, it will take a round shape. It is best to make such a hole in the form of a wire spring. To do this, the wire is wound around a drill or rod with a pre-known diameter. The most common bead diameter is 3.5 mm, so it is better to use just such a drill.
The end of the tape is inserted into the resulting wire spiral.
To do this, you will need to cut it at an angle so that it goes through. Next, the spring with the tape is clamped in pliers, but so as not to bend it. An air flow from a hair dryer is directed onto the tape in front of the spiral. As it warms up, you need to pull the end of the tape, pulling it through the spring.
When pulling the tape, you need to stop 10 cm from the edge. This is necessary to be able to pull the resulting tube from all sides until it cools down. If you put it warm, it will bend and its seam will not be sealed.
In less than a minute the tube will harden and become rigid. After this, it can be cut into beads. To do this, the tube is applied to a cutting board or any wooden surface and cut into pieces of equal length using a mounting knife with a new blade.
This method can be easily adjusted to suit you and your existing equipment. For example, if you don’t have a hair dryer, you can stretch the tape over a gas stove, burner, or candles. You can also build a small machine to cut beads quickly.
What you will need:
- colored PET bottles;
- tape bottle cutter;
- pliers;
- mounting hair dryer;
- knitting wire;
- drill 3.5 mm;
- assembly or stationery knife.
Bead making process
The essence of the technology is to cut a plastic bottle into a ribbon, further process it into a tube and cut the latter into beads. The process is simple, but has some subtleties that are important to follow. The first step is to prepare the bottle. The label is torn off and the remaining glue is washed off. Then the bottom is cut off from the bottle.
To obtain beads with a diameter of 3.5 mm, you need to set the bottle cutter to cut a ribbon 14 mm wide. That is, the width should be 4 times greater than the diameter of the beads. This proportion is almost always suitable, but may differ slightly for softer or harder bottles. The tape itself is cut as usual.
To make a tube out of tape, you need to heat it up and pass it through a narrow hole of a certain diameter. Thanks to this, it will take a round shape. It is best to make such a hole in the form of a wire spring. To do this, the wire is wound around a drill or rod with a pre-known diameter. The most common bead diameter is 3.5 mm, so it is better to use just such a drill.
The end of the tape is inserted into the resulting wire spiral.
To do this, you will need to cut it at an angle so that it goes through. Next, the spring with the tape is clamped in pliers, but so as not to bend it. An air flow from a hair dryer is directed onto the tape in front of the spiral. As it warms up, you need to pull the end of the tape, pulling it through the spring.
When pulling the tape, you need to stop 10 cm from the edge. This is necessary to be able to pull the resulting tube from all sides until it cools down. If you put it warm, it will bend and its seam will not be sealed.
In less than a minute the tube will harden and become rigid. After this, it can be cut into beads. To do this, the tube is applied to a cutting board or any wooden surface and cut into pieces of equal length using a mounting knife with a new blade.
This method can be easily adjusted to suit you and your existing equipment. For example, if you don’t have a hair dryer, you can stretch the tape over a gas stove, burner, or candles. You can also build a small machine to cut beads quickly.
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