Have you ever wondered what to do with those aluminium coffee pods?
Some of them are so pretty, and it's so easy to suddenly end up with a big pile without really knowing what to do with them. If I sound like I've done it before...I have! Now, I'm sure there are swanky, objet d'art projects out there, and I admire them as much as anybody else. But, if you feel both excited and intimidated that it's paralysing, here's a project that can get you started. I did them quite a bit ago, way before I thought of CFR.
I love making..."hanging things" from stuff I collect - shells, glass beads, chandelier crystals; heck, even old and scratched CDs! Yup, we lugged those around to all the house-moves we've made.
And yes, I made several from aluminium coffee pods. I initially thought of making a curtain; you know, just like those bead or shell curtains. Or maybe a wind chime...come to think of it, if I put them outside, I can have both!
Anyway, backstory over.
Let's get to making!
How to:
Well, first, you need to clean out your pods.
Open the bottom of the cup and tip out the coffee grounds. You can use these in the garden!
Clean them in a deep container with soapy water.
Lay them out on a towel or cooling rack to dry.
Meanwhile...
Measure how long you want your sting to be. You can use whatever kind of material you want!
Add 1/3 of your preferred length to your total measurement. You'll need this extra length to compensate for the knots you'll make for each pod.
Assembly
When the pods are dry, punch a whole at the top of each. Depending on your string of choice, you can use a large sewing needle or any pointed implement sharp enough to punch through aluminium.
Be careful; they're not that tough and can crumple if your hole-punching tool isn't sharp enough.
Secure your pod on a stable surface, and use a towel or rag underneath the pod so it doesn't slip or damage your surface. Don't do this on your hand - safety first!
You can do a mock-up of the spacing & design of your pods by laying out the string and the pods on their sides in the design or sequence that you like.
If you're happy (or confident) with your spacing & design (or sequencing of the pods), tie a knot on one end of your sting. This, and subsequent knots, will function as stoppers for the pods.
Thread the other end through your first pod from the cavity, not the top.
If you want your string of pods to create a soft sound when moved, measure how much overlap you want to have between cups.
Mark where the top of the pod falls on the string.
Tie a knot there, then thread the cup through.
If you want more space in between, adjust the knot.
Rinse and Repeat
You'll eventually get a feel of where the succeeding knots should be, skipping the need to measure each and every pod in the sequence, making the process faster and easier.
Depending on how many pods you have (or intend to have) , you can do as many strings of aluminium pods as you want!
I hope you enjoyed that and happy...pod stringing?...is that what we'll call it?
Tell me your thoughts and show me your projects in the comments!
💙 Aileen & Dodz
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