A few weeks back, I mentioned a book I had ordered on Amazon called Create Colorful Aluminum Jewelry.  There is a simple flower bracelet project inside that inspired me to create my own versions.  This project is inexpensive, green, quick, easy, and you will love the outcome!

You will need:

• metal shears
• Aluminum cans in desired colors, empty, washed with soapy warm water, rinsed and dried
• E6000
• Small Craft Punches in flower shapes
• Metal hole punch, or hammer with nail and small scrap of wood
• 5 or 6 mm jump rings, flat or chain nose pliers, 2 pairs
• Clasp for closure
• Sizzix and embossing folder, or embosser of your choice

Here is what to do:

• Carefully cut a flat sheet to fit emboss folder from can.  You may want to wear gloves for this part as the shear cut edges of the aluminum can may be sharp (I have yet to cut myself, but it does look scary)
• Run flat sheet through embossing machine
• Use paper punch to punch out shapes from desired areas of can.  You will have to cut away the negative area as you go to get to un-punched, colored areas of the can on occasion

• I like my bracelets to be double sided, so I punch out double the amount I need for desired bracelet length, and glue shapes back to back with E6000.  Use the same can or an entirely different can to have a reversible bracelet (the purple and yellow bracelets pictured are one reversible bracelet)
• When double sided pieces are dry, you are ready to punch holes for jumprings.  I use a hand held metal punch, but you can use a simple hammer and nail on a block of scrap wood to create the hole as well
• Attach jump rings and closure and you are finished

***For the orange one, I attached 2 jump rings to each flower

What do you think?  Are you using your cans in creative ways?  In case you missed it: