I once boasted that I could make earrings out of a banana peel and some other unlikely and undoubtedly icky material. It wasn’t my finest moment, and not surprisingly, my banana peel and bacon grease? earrings never materialized. My comment was meant as a statement on the innumerable objects that could be used for shaping a pair of ornaments to dangle from one’s ears. All one needed was an earring hook, a jump ring, and something to hang off the aforementioned jump ring. Easy peasy. Right?

I also thought the DIY jewelry ground was pretty well covered by novices and professionals alike.

To be completely transparent, I didn’t consider making earrings from recycled and repurposed materials to be much of a challenge, and therefore it didn’t interest me that much. I guess that makes me a trash snob, which is clearly ridiculous on its face.

But as is sometimes the case, I find that I am quick to jump to the wrong conclusion, and a turnabout is in order. For example, I recently discovered crimp beads. My first impression was that they were amazing, even magical. But after using them, I discovered, much to my chagrin, that I do not have crimp bead competency. And while we are on the subject of my abilities or lack-there-of I have made the acquaintance of way too many uncooperative jump rings that slide off or lose their grip on whatever I have entrusted to their care.

As it turns out, jewelry making has its own learning curve. To be clear, I never doubted the talents and skill of fine jewelry artists; I merely maintained that it didn’t take much to hook a dangling thing on an earring hook.

But I was missing the point on two fronts. First, it turns out that even hanging a dangling thing on an earring hook can be trickier than it seems, and secondly, the truth is that while many things can be transformed into ear adornments, earrings are fun to make and fun to wear. They are a simple, easy, and inexpensive way to express your own style. And the possibilities truly are endless.

Every handmade pair is its own little masterpiece. And since we humans have liked to adorn ourselves ever since we learned to walk upright, I suspect that the DIY earring trend will continue.

So with my new, more humble attitude towards earrings and jewelry making in general, I am sharing 5 new design ideas for earrings made from aluminum cans. You can check out the video tutorial below.

If you happen to be following my Trash Fashion Wedding Dress series, one of these pair of earrings will be selected to accompany the rest of the ensemble. I would love it if you would let me know which one is your favorite in the comments.

Happy Upcycling,

Cindy

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