Hip Pop!! Handmade belts with a twist!

I am craft crazy! Creating something truly aesthetically pleasing from seeming bits and pieces is always a spirit building process. I love creating beautiful books and framed art from family photos, sketching faces in pencil, sewing brightly patterned and lushly textured fabrics into beautiful and functional pieces. Discovering new crafts opens a whole new world. I am currently learning to make soap and hope to learn wool felting. One of my favourite hobbies though is to find new ways of using "garbage" as a medium for creation. Yes, garbage....or recyclables. Reusing materials is growing more and more popular in crafting and in manufacturing. This new wave of green has caused the creative juices of many to flow!

One of my favourite "recycling" crafts lately is the pop tab belt! I have been playing with the design (which I realize is not all that unique) adding colour and embellishment to create a trendy accessory for adult or child to enjoy. My children love the latest additions to their wardrobe!

These belts are made with the tabs from the tops of pop and beer cans woven together using cord. You can vary the cord colours, add beads to the ends, and even thread buttons or other embelishments onto the body of the belt itself. I cleaned and filed down the tabs first.

My eldest daughter Emma wanted a "Hannah Montana" style belt which I made using hot pink and purple, some rock star motif buttons, prupls and pink beads, and finally to add really character I wove on a key clip. My daughter clips on her little "Hannah Montana" change purse (in which she carries a lip gloss)!

I will share the instructions for the craft in the future!