Antjie

Antjie

Thursday, 5 July 2012

Plastic Spoon Roses

By: Maureen Wilson

Recycle plastic spoons into cute plastic roses with this recycling craft idea. Learn how to make a rose from a leftover spoon and turn it into a hair accessory, embellishment, or piece of jewelry.



Materials:
  • Plastic party spoons (any color) 
  • Candle & lighter 
  • Tweezers 
  • Scrap of felt 
  • Pins or clips 
Video:
Instructions:

Please remember, any project that involves fire isn’t a good project for kids. Use caution when melting, and work in a well-ventilated area.
We’ll start by making the rolled center of our rose. Light the candle. Heat the inside bowl of the spoon until it begins to soften and warp. (The length of time this will take will depend on the quality of the spoons you’re using. Heavyweight spoons will take a little longer to soften.)

Then, pinch the edges inward to form a bud shape. Then, heat the neck of the spoon to soften, and snip off the handle close to the bowl, using a pair of craft scissors.

Now we’ll make some petals. For the petals, heat the underside of the spoon. Once it starts to melt, roll the tip of the spoon backwards. Ideally, you want the plastic to be warm enough to manipulate, but not hot enough to burn your hands. If the heat of is uncomfortable for you, you can wear a pair of stretchy winter gloves while doing this.

Warm the neck of the spoon and snip off the handle. Now we’ll join the petal to the bud. Pinch the two pieces together, and heat the bottom over the flame. As it melts, flatten the plastic into one piece with a pair of tweezers.

Continue adding petals. Every once in a while, warm the bottom of the rose and press it against a heat-proof surface, such as a ceramic plate or a piece of glass. Don’t feel discouraged if you mess up on a petal or two. If a spoon gets singed and turns brown, discard it. You’ll get the hang of it!

You can strengthen your rose by filling in small gaps with melted plastic. Heat a spoon handle, then press the end into the gap. Let cool slightly, then twist to break off.

It’s up to you to decide when your flower is finished, but I used 9 or 10 spoons on each of my roses. Hot glue a scrap of felt to the bottom of your rose. Now you can add a pin, hairclip, or a segment of ribbon to hang your rose from a necklace.