By Elizabeth Seward
New York, NY, USA | Fri May 29 16:00:00 GMT 2009
Part of being green is getting the most use out of everything that you use. But when it comes down to toothbrushes, you can only use them for so long. Eventually, they are going to go bad and damage your gums if you use them longer than you should. So then what? Well, most of us already know that old toothbrushes are great for small and intricate cleaning jobs, but they're also good for jewelry. Making a cool necklace out of a toothbrush is easier than you might think.
How to make a cool necklace out of your old toothbrush:
Locate your old toothbrush. Make sure you've used it to its full potential. (I don't want anyone buying new toothbrushes for this project!).
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Seward
Let your toothbrush sit in boiling water for about 10 minutes.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Seward
Once it's boiled for long enough, remove it from the water with tongs and immediately bend it. You'll need to have something between your skin and the toothbrush at this stage because it will be very hot. Oven mitts or a thick cloth should work fine. While the toothbrush is still hot, use scissors to cut off the head of it.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Seward
Make two holes in the toothbrush—one at each end. You can do this by heating something pointy and metal, like a bobby pin, and pressing it through the ends of the toothbrush. You can also achieve this by hammering a small nail into each end and then removing it. If you want to decorate your toothbrush in any way, now is the time to do it.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Seward
Connect a chain, or any other sort of material you want to use for your necklace, through the holes of the necklace.
Enjoy! This project is a great way to make use of those annoying old toothbrushes and have creative jewelry while you're at it.
Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Seward
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