Wastelet

A beautiful bracelet made out of plastic bottle caps ! Wastelet is a bracelet we designed especially for you. Made out of plastic trash, it will add a real fancy and trendy note to your outfit!

You will need to use some specific machines to make it by yourself from beginning to end ! For now, only the Makerlab at CRI (in Paris) can welcome you for sure, but you can try to go in a fablab near your place ! (Click here to see where the CRI is).

Here is the list of supplies needed :

• 10 bottle caps of the same kind of plastic (HDPE or PP)
• Used plastic wrap
• Laser cutter and plexiglass of 5 mm thickness
• Injection press
• Heatproof gloves
• Driller

If the Makerlab already has the mold prepared, move directly to the next section (making the beads). Otherwise begin with step 1:

1) Upload the document mold_beads.ai on a USB key and bring it to the Makerlab

2) In the Makerlab, find a person who knows how to use the laser cutter

3) With his help, cut the mold in a plexiglass of 5mm thickness

This step is the most challenging one and requires your full attention to security measures and the assistance of a Makerlab manager. But it is also the coolest as you will be able to use machines and have a lot of fun !

Here is what you need to do :

1) First, when you arrive, exchange your bottle caps against shredded plastic or, if you have time, find someone able to explain to you the functioning of the shredding machine, and shred your bottle caps by yourself.

Be careful ! Always wear heatproof gloves for the following steps until the last steps

2) Find a person who knows how the injection press works

3) With his help, insert the mold and the shredded plastic in the machine

4) Press to fill the mold with melted plastic (see video)

5) Take it back, open the mold and take your cast after a few minutes of cooling down (see picture)

6) Cut the beads from the cast

7) You can repeat the operation, in function of the number of beads you need. But always make sure that the surplus plastic of your cast is put back in the injection press for reuse

8) Make holes inside with a driller, and choose point 2.0 (see video)

9) Smooth the beads with a lighter where they have been cut (see video)

Now that you have the beads, you can make the thread, and it's easier, especially if you know how to braid hair !

Here it is :

1) Take used plastic wraps

2) Wash and dry them

3) Cut 3 straps in it (~ 40cm x 2 cm)

4) Roll each strap on itself

5) Make a braid out of the rolled straps

Here comes the final part of the project, you are nearly there ! You just need to assemble all the elements into one beautiful Wastelet ! Follow these steps

1) Tie a knot at the end of the thread

2) Insert the beads

3) Make a final knot to secure your bracelet around your wrist