How to Make a Toothbrush Bracelet

If you hate throwing stuff away and love wearing unique jewelry, then turning your old toothbrushes into bracelets is a match made in heaven. It's easy to save those toothbrushes from the landfill and give them a spot in your jewelry box! All you need is an old toothbrush, pliers, a pot to boil water in, and a jar. If using old toothbrushes grosses you out, then you can use a brand new one instead.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Preparing the Toothbrush

Clear ones work the best, but you can also use colorful, patterned ones instead. For a more interesting bracelet, use a glow-in-the-dark or sparkly toothbrush. Make sure that the toothbrush does not have rubber grips, and is the same width all along the handle.
You will be placing the entire toothbrush into this pot, so make sure that it is big enough. The water needs to be deep enough to cover the toothbrush, plus a few extra inches/centimeters.
3
Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Do not put the toothbrush into the water just yet.^{[1]XResearch source} If you don't have access to a stove, you can heat some water in a large, microwave-safe bowl or dish in the microwave instead.
- If you are heating the water in the microwave, you will need to cook it for 2 to 5 minutes to ensure that it is hot enough.
- Place a chopstick or wooden spoon over the bowl before putting it into the microwave to prevent the water from boiling over.
4
Pull the bristles out with pliers. Hold the brush in one hand, and the pliers in the other. Grip one of the plugs with the plies, and tug it out. Pinch and pull out any remaining bristles. Repeat this step for the rest of the plugs until the brush is completely bare.
- Work over a trashcan for easy clean-up.
- If the bristles are too hard to remove, hold the brush over the boiling water for a few minutes. The hot steam will cause the bristles to loosen.^{[2]XResearch source}
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Heating and Shaping the Toothbrush

1
Dip the toothbrush in the boiling water. Drop the entire toothbrush into the water, and leave it there until it softens. How long this takes depends on the size and thickness of the toothbrush, as well as the type of plastic used. This can take as little as 10 seconds to as long as 5 or 10 minutes.^{[3]XResearch source}^{[4]XResearch source}
- Poke the toothbrush with heat-safe tongs from time to time. It's ready when it becomes flexible.
- If you heated the water in the microwave, you may have to leave the brushes in it for 10 to 15 minutes.
2
Pull the toothbrush out with a pair of heat-safe tongs. Have a towel ready to shape the toothbrush. If you don't have a towel handy, put on a pair of oven mitts before pulling out the toothbrush.
- Don't turn off the stove yet; you may need to reheat the toothbrush.
3
Shape the toothbrush into a ring. Drop the toothbrush onto the towel. Hold the toothbrush through the towel, and bend it into a ring. Try to bend it so that the holes left from the bristles are on the inside. Also, be sure to leave a small space between the head and the bottom of the toothbrush.
- If you don't have a towel, simply shape the toothbrush while wearing oven mitts.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Work quickly, you only have a few seconds before the toothbrush hardens.
If the toothbrush hardened before you finished shaping it, you can reheat it again. Grab the brush with the heat-safe tongs, and dip the part you didn't finish into the water. Wait a few seconds, then pull the brush out. Reshape the part you just heated.^{[6]XResearch source}
5
Drop the bracelet into a bowl filled with cold water to harden it. It would be even better if this bowl is filled with some ice as well. Leave the bracelet in the water for a few minutes until it cools off, then pull it out and dry it off with a towel.^{[7]XResearch source}
- You can also hold the bracelet under the faucet, and run cold water over it instead.^{[8]XResearch source}
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Decorating the Bracelet (Optional)

You can leave your bracelet plain, especially if it already has designs printed onto it. You can also take it to the next level by decorating it in one of the following ways listed below.
You can wrap the tape in a spiral around the bracelet for a candy cane effect, or you can overlap it for a solid effect. If you want a striped bracelet, tear the tape into short pieces first, then wrap them around the bracelet, leaving space between each one.
Choose tiny stickers that fit the width of the bracelet. Stick them onto the outside of the bracelet. You can use as many or as few stickers as you like. These work especially well with solid-colored and opaque bracelets.^{[9]XResearch source}
You can use stick-on rhinestones or flat-backed rhinestones. If you are using flat-backed rhinestones, you will need to glue them on yourself with superglue. These work especially well with clear or glittery toothbrush bracelets.^{[10]XResearch source}
5
Paint the bracelet with nail polish for extra sparkle. Choose a clear nail polish with glitter in it, then paint it over the bracelet. Let the polish dry, then add another coat, if desired. Use a polish that already matches the color of your bracelet for best results.
- Give the bracelet an added layer of protection by coating it with clear polish afterwards.
6
Add a charm if the toothbrush has a hole in it. Some toothbrushes have a hole in the base of the handle. If you have a toothbrush like this, you can add a charm to it. Get a pair of pliers, a large jump ring, and a pretty bead or charm, then do the following:
- Hold one side of the jump ring with your fingers and the other with the pliers.
- Open the jump ring by pulling the two sides past each other (not away).
- Slip a charm or bead onto the jump ring.
- Slide one side of the jump ring through the hole in the toothbrush.
- Close the jump ring by pushing the two sides back towards each other.
- Pinch the jump ring shut the rest of the way, if needed.
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Question
What do I do if the bracelet is too small?
Outoftheshadowofpink
Community Answer
Reheat and then reshape it. If you are using a jar or glass to form the circle, select a larger one.
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Question
What can you use to shape it?
Sister Society
Community Answer
Get a jar the size you want the bracelet to be, and mold the toothbrush around the jar.
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Tips

Give the toothbrush a twist before shaping it. While the toothbrush is still hot, twist it into a spiral shape, then curl it into a ring. This will create an interesting, bulky bracelet.^{[11]XResearch source}
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You can also shape the bracelet by dropping it into a mug.^{[12]XResearch source}
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You can get a pack of clear toothbrushes in assorted colors at any dollar store.
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Warnings

Don't force the toothbrush to bend; if it is too stiff, soak it in the boiling water for a few more minutes.
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Be careful with the toothbrush after you take it out of the water. It will be very hot.
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