In my efforts to declutter some old photos, I came across packets and packets of old film negatives. I had dozens of strips of photos of generic landscapes and forgotten museum exhibits. (Remember when you didn’t even know if a picture was going to be good until you got it printed weeks later?)

Needless to say, I knew I didn’t need to keep all of these negatives, but I couldn’t quite bear to throw them away. (I mean, they’re practically historical artifacts at this point!) I wanted to find some way to upcycle them into something new and useful. That’s when I had the odd idea to create these quirky film earrings.

Supplies

• Film negatives
• Scissors
• Jewelry pins
• Beads
• Earring backs
• Rounded pliers

Instructions

1. Cut your film strips into small squares. Make sure to leave the edges on, as the sprocket holes are what will attach to the earring backs. Once you have a size you like, use the scissors to round out the corners so they’re not sharp.
2. String some beads onto a jewelry pin. Use whatever style you’d like! Then, use rounded pliers to curl the end of each post into a loop.
3. With your pliers, open up the loops at the bottom of your earring backs. Hook a film square and a beaded jewelry pin onto each earring back and close the loops.

And that’s all! These film earrings were super easy to make, and you can create several pairs with a single strip of negatives. It’s such a fun way to get creative, and they make a great conversation piece!