Are there any plastic-like materials that can be easily shaped/moulded to make jewellery?

Question

I am looking for any plastic like materials that can be easily shaped, cut or even moulded (with heat) to make jewellery. I am looking for a cheap material like acrylic sheeting?

Answer 1

Most plastics will slump or actually melt with sufficient heat.

There are materials you can purchase to do that (Friendly Plastic, shrink plastics, and various plastic granules, etc.), or you can slump, melt, and/or shrink materials you might already have around (clear rubbery-plastic drinking cups, and clear salad containers, "Styrofoam" cups/plates, etc., gummy fishing lures, vinyl record albums, plastic army men toys, CD's, prescription containers, etc.). Many of these can be colored or otherwise embellished before of after heating.

Polymer clays** are also plastics... raw clay can be cured (hardened) after shaping in a 275 degree home oven, and of course lots of effects and types of jewelry can be made with polymer clays.
(**some brands available in the US are Premo, FimoClassic, FimoSoft, Kato Polyclay, Cernit, Sculpey --original, flesh-colored, and Sculpey III, etc.)

If you're interested in a bit more on some of those, check out these pages at my site (click on each name from inside the alphabetical navigation bar):
http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm

Other Materials (meltables, shrinkables, etc.)
Covering > CD's
Onlays > CD's

(for polymer clay:)
Jewelry ... Pendants....Beads... Buttons


HTH,

Diane B.

Answer 2

I've never tried the heat before - I'd try that first. If you can't take it back to the store - you will just have to work at it with pliers- it can be done, but it's a pain! If it is in a discreet place - you might be able to cut it off and then stitch or glue the seam so it doesn't unravel. I've bought things home only to find out later that there are still tags. (What makes me wonder is why the alarms don't go off when that happens - it always works when I'm shopping anywhere near the door! But I have found the dang tags at home too.) Best of luck

Answer 3

If you're willing to go the extra mile, you can actually get a two part mix and make plastic. I've done this, and used the results for a jewelry project. The stuff I used came from www.smooth-on.com (sorry, I don't know how to make links).

Answer 4

polycarbonate granules melted for making synthetic glass

Answer 5

theres also FIMO clay