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Although you can purchase chainmail from a dive or sporting good store, why not put all those empty soda cans to good use and create your own with the tabs? The supply you will need most is time as it will take approximately 1,000 or more pop tabs to create anything substantial.
Steps
Prepare the pop tabs. Bend the collar side downward using the key. Use the key to continue bending the collar backward so that it's tucked firmly against the tab. Repeat for each pop tab.
Snip one end of the pop tab. Cut in the middle of the pull part of the tab using the cutter tool. Make sure you cut in the same place on every tab, for consistency.Advertisement
Bend each pop tab using the manual staple remover. Place the tab inside the staple remover, cut the side first and close the remover down on top of pop tab. Use your finger to push the cut side down. The remover should create a slight bend or bridge looking shape in the pop tab when complete.
Continue this process with each pop tab until you have prepared all of the ones you're using. This may take a little time. Consider maintaining finished pop tabs in a separate bowl, bag or stacked off to one side.
Link the prepared pop tabs together. Hold one pop tab in your left hand, cut side facing outward. Join another pop tab with your right hand by pushing the tab in your right hand, uncut side, through the cut side on the left.
Grab another pop tab with your right hand and repeat the same step by pushing another pop tab, uncut side through the cut side in your left hand. You should have one pop tab in your left hand that contains two other pop tabs at the top.
Add another pop tab to your trio of tabs. Join the top two tabs into one more pop tab, push the new pop tab inward, cut side down.
Repeat this process in order to link and weave the pop tabs. This should create a diamond shape as you go.
Community Q&A
- QuestionWill the pop tabs become loose because of the cut in them?
Community AnswerI used some long-nose pliers to close the gaps a bit more, and made the cut as tiny as possible. It works pretty well, and it's still pretty durable. - QuestionAbout how many pop tabs would be needed to make a piece of chain mail about a foot square?Community AnswerIt would take about 225 pop tabs to do this.
- QuestionIs it necessary to bend it?
T. ChinsenTop AnswererIt is necessary to bend the tabs to get a flat surface. Not bending the tabs will result in the chain mail curling up on itself. Piece together 10 flat pieces to see what happens.
Video
Tips
- Consider test driving the chainmail to ensure it stays linked (if cut too large, it can come apart). If you find that the first few links come undone too easily, cut along one side instead of in the center and fold the side downward to close the cut after you have linked.Thanks
- Enlist the help of friends for this project. Preparing hundreds (if not a thousand) pop tabs can be very time consuming. Ply friends with delicious food and even a gift card if necessary.Thanks
- Avoid tangling chainmail as the piece gets larger by laying it on a piece of duct tape to keep it flat and intact.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Lots of pop tabs; carefully remove pop tabs from the tops of empty cans––use gloves to avoid cuts
- A key to bend or flatten the rivet collars of the pop tabs
- Cutters or strong pair of scissors
- Manual staple remover to help bend pop tabs
About This Article
If you drink a lot of canned soda, you can collect the pop tabs and make chainmail from them. You’ll need about 1,000 tabs to create something substantial, but if you ask your friends and family to save their tabs for you, you’ll get there quicker. Use a key to pry each pop tab from the cans. Once you’ve collected enough tabs, snip one end of each with wire cutters so you can link tabs together. You'll need to link 2 pop tabs to another 1, then link the 2 tabs into a 4th tab to create a diamond formation. All you need to do is repeat this with more tabs to make a larger piece of chainmail. For more tips, including how to avoid cutting yourself on your pop tabs, read on!
Reader Success Stories
"I am always looking for a way to use everything! If it keeps it out of a landfill, I am all for it. These are some things I have been saving for a long time, just did not know how to put them together. This was a simple, detailed explanation."..." more
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