Recycled Tetrapak Jewelry

Tetrapak is that ubiquitous material used in literally billions of drinks and other food cartons all over the world, it's made of layers of paper, plastic and aluminium foil.

Have you ever opened up one of those cartons to take a look inside? My friend Manuela, did just that one day when her milk finished, and the result is some jewelry of surprising beauty.

She used origami techniques to make the tetrapak into square bead shapes, which she made into earrings. I saw them, liked them, bought them, then asked her to make a necklace too.

I received my necklace today, it's lovely! The worked tetrapak resembles silvery leather. It's very lightweight, and perfect for summer. I love the idea that she uses a material normally discarded and creates something beautiful.

Manuela also makes jewelry using the same techniques on  recycled or handmade paper, if you'd like to know more do take a look at her Etsy shop, Manufactapaper