In this Instructable I will be showing you how to up cycle sheet aluminum from a soda can and combine it with a wood to make a pendant for a necklace. This is a very simple necklace to make and you can change the shape of the pendant and pattern of the metal to anything you want to customize it to your look!

Tools & Materials
• Soda can
• Vinyl Cutter
• Scrap Wood
• Wood Stain
• Glue

Step 1: Designing & Cutting Pattern

I designed the honeycomb pattern in my vinyl cutters software, by stacking up a bunch of shapes until I got the exact look I wanted. I was cutting this out of a really thin sheet of aluminum which I got from an empty soda can, which adds a really nice touch to the final product. Once the vinyl cutter cut out the shapes, I still needed to pop them free from the rest of the sheet, because the vinyl cutter wasn’t able to cut all the way through even after 4 passes. The walls which make up soda cans are incredibly thin, so even if you don't have a vinyl cutter, you can easily cut through it with scissors, a box cutter, or Xacto. You can easily change the design to whatever you want, so it is super easy to customize and personalize this project! Once the vinyl cutter cut out the shapes, I still needed to pop them free from the rest of the sheet, because the vinyl cutter wasn’t able to cut all the way through even after 4 passes.

Step 2: Making the Wooden Pendant

I took a thin piece of scrap wood I had, and cut it to the desired shaped by tracing the metal embellishment, and adding about a quarter of an inch around the outside. I then took sandpaper and knocked down all of the edges to make it comfortable to wear and to give the pendant a more polished look. I added a medium colored stain to the light wood to give it a much more appealing color, and increase the contrast between the pale wood and the light aluminum.

Step 3: Final Assembly

To put it all together, I glued the aluminum pattern onto the front of the wooden pendant, making sure to line everything up properly. I then drilled a small hole through the back, and strung the pendant onto cording for a necklace. I experimented with using a metal chain and some high quality twine to give it a more rustic look, and I can’t chose between. The twine gives it a really awesome rustic look, but the metal chain really makes the aluminum design pop, and really brings it to life!

Step 4: Final Thoughts

This is a super easy, super versatile project, that can be used to create an extremely ornate piece of jewelry, or a very simple patterned piece. This technique can be used by people with all skill levels and any amount of tools. It can be a great first project to introduce yourself into jewelry, or you can challenge the limits of using the aluminum and create incredibly complex designs in the metal.

Thank you!

Brandon (17)