15 Clever Ways To Craft With Soda Can Tabs

The tabs from soda cans are a surprisingly versatile craft supply for something so small. Not only that, but you can find them everywhere without necessarily having to drink all that soda yourself. Just find a recycling bin at work or school, leave a bowl and a friendly note requesting help, and you'll have a ton in no time! 

And don't limit yourself to standard soda cans. Lots of other beverages require tabs to open, and sometimes you can find unique colors and shapes from certain brands!

1. Link them up to make a keychain.

There are lots of ways you can link the tabs together: wire, string, ribbon, or you could even cut the aluminum to link them directly with each other. 

2. Go farther and make a lanyard.

Great for keys or for things like security swipe cards or ID. 

3. Keep it simple with a buckle.

Soda tabs are perfect for small buckles on handmade items like this phone pouch. 

4. Decorate your tree.

I really love this Christmas ornament. You could leave the tabs their classic aluminum, or go crazy with spray paint and glitter. 

5. Make a medieval costume.

Link your tabs together with wire to make chainmail for Halloween, your local Renaissance Fair, or just because! You can use duct tape to line it and make it sturdier.

6. Decorate a frame.

You can use hot glue to stick tabs to a boring frame. Get creative with colors and patterns too! The pop of pink ribbon and the soda tab flowers on each corner add a feminine touch to this metallic frame.

7. Go bigger with a framed mirror!

Some brands have colored tabs you can use to create patterns, or you could spray paint the tabs prior to making the frame. 

8. Fill the holes with clay to make cute charms.

How adorable are these? The artist uses polymer clay to turn the tabs into little people before hanging them from necklaces. 

9. Weave with ribbon to make a bracelet.

If you are going to wear your tab creations, you'll want to sand or file off any sharp edges created by bending the aluminum off the can. 

10. Make a purse.

You can scale this project up from a small clutch to a full tote-sized bag. Line with your favorite sturdy fabric. 

11. Bend and link together for a lampshade.

This project skips the wire and string in favor of using just the tabs to link everything together. 

12. It doesn't have to be a small lamp, either.

This crafter went big with a pendant shade.

13. Make a sun hat.

This one even uses a tab as the buckle on the ribbon!

14. Go all out for prom!

There is always that one DIY prom dress everyone is talking about. Often, it's a duct tape dress, but I think this one blows that concept out of the water. Love the matching tie for her date. 

15. Make amazing sculptures.

Look at this dragon! The detail is insane!

Got a favorite use for soda can tabs, or a handy hack for them?

Share them with everyone in the COMMENTS!