Craft your own soda pop tab bracelets – and then stack ’em up because they’re so fun! When you’re done, try this flip flop friendship bracelet tutorial too. This post contains affiliate links.

Soda pop tab bracelets were a mainstay summer camp craft when I was a kid (90’s-00’s, I know you were wanting to ask…)

We used to collect the tabs from the cans we used and use those.

Today I’m sharing how to make them, and yes, I did buy them. You can use collected soda pop tabs or purchased ones – and I’ll be sharing the pros and cons of each…

Part of my challenge here was to make it slide-on, instead of a classic ribbon tie and I think I nailed it.

Ready for the details?

Tips for making Soda Pop Tab Bracelets

The process form making soda pop tab bracelets can be quite specific, but once you master the process, it becomes a take-and-go easy craft to make loads of.

Purchased pop tabs vs. collected ones

I purchased black and white pop tabs to make this bracelet. You can also get really cool colorful ones, but hey, the black and white ones were cheaper! I figured I’d add the color with the elastic (and then went minimal even with that).

But then the black and white also looks so sharp!

You can, of course, make these using collected soda can tabs. There are a few drawbacks:

They often have scratchy protruding parts.
They don’t come in fun colors…
And they are not really finished for durability.

If you’re making these just for fun, as a recycled summer camp craft, go with the collected variety. It’s a fabulous upcycling lesson on something common and easy to collect.

You can color it with sharpies, or spray paint them if you want. And when you assemble the soda pop tab bracelets, you’ll be making sure that the sharp parts face each other on the two layer bracelet.

It’s all about how polished you’re wanting it to look.

Using elastic to make it a slide-on

Ribbon, cord, wire… there are so many materials you can use to make soda pop tab bracelets!

I’m showing you how to do it using elastic for a simple reason: that way you can get it on and off your hand without opening or closing it.

It wears like a bangle, but that little stretch allows you to make it secure and less bulky.

And I wanted to show you: elastic can be fun! I chose some pops of color to play things up.

There are many different elastics you can try – and my first instinct was to use 1/4 inch braided elastic (also in fun colors) but using a flat elastic adds a challenge of keeping it running flat through the bracelet.

So I stuck with a round elastic.

You can also get regular stretch beading cord like this one in fun colors, but for durability, elastic cord is a better option.

How to Make Soda Pop Tab Bracelets

Supplies needed

Soda pop tabs (18-22 soda pop tabs per bracelet, depending on size.)
Elastic cord (36 inches per bracelet is a generous figure)
Scissors

Video Tutorial

Watch the full-length video on YouTube if you prefer to learn that way! Or scroll down for written instructions with photos.

Step-by-step Process

Starting off the soda pop tab bracelets

1. Take your first soda pop tab. Cut a piece of elastic cord about 36 inches (we’re being generous here) and find the center at 18 inches. If using a recycled one, any sharp ends should be facing back. Thread half through the top hole of the soda pop tab and the bottom through the bottom, pulling the string all the way through. The center fold sits over the horizontal line on the soda pop tab.

2. Position another soda pop tab next to it but a little behind it. If you’re using a recycled one with a side that has sharp edges, make sure the sharp edges face up. This way the sharp edges on both layers of the bracelet face each other.

At this stage I’ll point out that the soda pop tab has two ends – a flat one and a curved one. I played with different formations and on this one, my front tabs are rounded end face up and my back ones are rounded end face down. You can mix this up, just be consistent with what you choose so that it looks clean.

Pull the two ends from back to front through the two holes. You’re still holding the second pop tab a bit behind the first.

3. Now, shift your first pop tab a bit more to the right so that you have a part of the holes that overlap. Thread the two sides back through the front over that part. You’ve “started” your soda pop tab bracelet.

Threading up all the tabs on your soda pop tab bracelets

4. The rest of your bracelet length will be created using the same repeating pattern. Take a third soda pop tab. Place it right next to your first one, in front of your second one. You should have overlapping holes about halfway through the tabs.

5. At this point, we’re going to cross over the two threads. This forms the X pattern on the front and also makes it more rigid and secure, holding its positions – but you can also go straight if you’d like.

Thread the top elastic from front to back through the bottom hole. Thread the bottom elastic from front to back through the top holes.

When you pull it all the way through, it forms an X.

6. Place a fourth soda pop tab next to the second one, behind the third one. Here you’re NOT making an X (I find that the X on the back of the bracelet adds unwanted bulk). Thread the bottom elastic back-to-front through the bottom overlapping holes and the top through the top holes, pull tight.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 until you’re happy with the size of your bracelet. I did 11 on each side, but I have an adult size wrist so figure a total of on average18-22 soda pop tabs per bracelet, depending on size.

You’re ending off with a back soda pop tab, since you started with a front one.

Finishing off your soda pop tab bracelet

8. The process of finishing off your bracelets can be played with. I tried to do it as seamlessly as possible, in a way that kids can safely do it themselves (that is, no lighters or end zappers).

Start by bringing your last soda pop tab under the first one, as if you’re continuing it, overlapping the holes on the “single” half of the tab.

9. Thread both ends of your elastic from front to back through those overlapped hoels, forming an X, as if you’re just continuing the bracelet but in a ring.

10. Now it would look just lovely if we knotted it on the back, but that might be uncomfortable. You can try it that way, but I decided to go to the next set of holes and bring the elastics back to the front.

11. And then I knotted it in a tight overhand knot before trimming the ends. Of course, you can triple knot, glue it, or do whatever you’d like to make it more secure if you’d like.

Your soda pop tab bracelets are complete! Did these totally fill you with nostalgia? Which materials will you be using to make these? Comment below!

DIY Soda Pop Tab Bracelets

Craft your own soda pop tab bracelets - and then stack 'em up because they're so fun!

Materials

Soda pop tabs (18-22 soda pop tabs per bracelet, depending on size.)
Elastic cord (36 inches per bracelet is a generous figure)
Scissors

Instructions

1. Take your first soda pop tab. Cut a piece of elastic cord about 36 inches (we're being generous here) and find the center at 18 inches. If using a recycled one, any sharp ends should be facing back. Thread half through the top hole of the soda pop tab and the bottom through the bottom, pulling the string all the way through. The center fold sits over the horizontal line on the soda pop tab.

2. Position another soda pop tab next to it but a little behind it. If you're using a recycled one with a side that has sharp edges, make sure the sharp edges face up. This way the sharp edges on both layers of the bracelet face each other.

At this stage I'll point out that the soda pop tab has two ends - a flat one and a curved one. I played with different formations and on this one, my front tabs are rounded end face up and my back ones are rounded end face down. You can mix this up, just be consistent with what you choose so that it looks clean.

Pull the two ends from back to front through the two holes. You're still holding the second pop tab a bit behind the first.

3. Now, shift your first pop tab a bit more to the right so that you have a part of the holes that overlap. Thread the two sides back through the front over that part. You've "started" your soda pop tab bracelet.

5. At this point, we're going to cross over the two threads. This forms the X pattern on the front and also makes it more rigid and secure, holding its positions - but you can also go straight if you'd like.

Thread the top elastic from front to back through the bottom hole. Thread the bottom elastic from front to back through the top holes.

When you pull it all the way through, it forms an X.

6. Place a fourth soda pop tab next to the second one, behind the third one. Here you're NOT making an X (I find that the X on the back of the bracelet adds unwanted bulk). Thread the bottom elastic back-to-front through the bottom overlapping holes and the top through the top holes, pull tight.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 until you're happy with the size of your bracelet. I did 11 on each side, but I have an adult size wrist so figure a total of on average18-22 soda pop tabs per bracelet, depending on size.

You're ending off with a back soda pop tab, since you started with a front one.

8. The process of finishing off your bracelets can be played with. I tried to do it as seamlessly as possible, in a way that kids can safely do it themselves (that is, no lighters or end zappers).

Start by bringing your last soda pop tab under the first one, as if you're continuing it, overlapping the holes on the "single" half of the tab.

9. Thread both ends of your elastic from front to back through those overlapped hoels, forming an X, as if you're just continuing the bracelet but in a ring.

11. And then I knotted it in a tight overhand knot before trimming the ends. Of course, you can triple knot, glue it, or do whatever you'd like to make it more secure if you'd like.

Soda Pop Tab Bracelets