One of the great things about Recycled glass beads, besides the fact that they are environmentally friendly, is that they are immensely versatile. Ghana Recycled glass beads especially, come in all different colors, sizes, and shapes. People who make jewelry use them to make all sorts of creations, including necklaces, earrings, and bracelets.

I looked around on Etsy to find inspiration for new beading projects, and I thought I’d share what I found. Here are three cool handmade Etsy creations made with African recycled glass beads from Ghana:

Recycled Glass Anklet / Bracelet – Sea Glass Green and Silver, Macrame

This cool recycled glass bead bracelet, or anklet, whichever you prefer, is made with floral tubes and dark brown cotton cord.

The African Queen Bracelet

Here you have the “African Queen Bracelet”, made with Ghana recycled powder glass beads, as well as Ghana Rondelle “Donut” beads.
It is held together with a antiqued pure copper clasp, and carries an intricate African look.

Ghana Divinity of Mother Earth Necklace

This is a cool necklace, featuring an African Ghana recycled glass bead as the centerpiece. This symbol represents the importance
of the Earth in sustaining life. It is made with a jump ring, and strung on a 24″ sterling silver ball chain.

As you can see, recycled glass beads work well with a vast array of creations. Whether you are making a necklace, bracelet, or even earrings, these beads can be used as filler, or even as the centerpiece. Hundreds of jewelry makers on Etsy use Recycled glass beads in their creation. Whether it is because of the beauty of the beads themselves, or their care for the environment, either way, they make a great addition to any kind of jewelry.

Recycled glass beads are in high demand because of their uniqueness. The process of making Recycled glass beads varies from one region to the other. This means Recycled glass beads are different in size, shape, color, and other aspects. Most common shapes of Recycled glass beads are round, cubic, drops, rondelle, barrel, tubular, disks and heart shaped.

African rondelle Beads are round, flat and can be made from a variety of materials. They are usually used as spacers in beadwork. Since they are highly decorative and tend to give great visual interest to any piece they are added to. There is a lot of interest in African recycled rondalle beads because their form and color invite touch, and because no two beads are the same.

Step #1

The first step in making the beads is collecting and sorting bottles according to their color. After this, it is crushed to form fritt. After the crushing, moulds are made for the beads depending on the size and shape of the beads you want to make.

Step #2

The next step is the baking of the recycled glass. This is done in a kiln and traditional kilns are still used in different parts of Africa. After the baking, the recycled glass beads are shaped. Shaping is done immediately after the beads have been removed from the kiln. This is done using two awls in some places and tools shaped like ice picks in others. When the beads are still hot, they are perforated using sharp metal tools.

Step #3

After this, the beads are cooled down and painting begins. The painting is done using a wooden stick and the paste used is made from colored glass powder that is dissolved in water. The beads are then baked again to make the décor permanent. The beads are then ready for making ornaments.

Eco-friendly conservation is on the world map with phrases such as “going green” featuring prominently. A lot of emphasis is being placed on the need to conserve natural resources which have been depleted over a long period of time as well as energy. Recycling of resources is one of the proposed ways towards achieving these goal especially waste products that are generated at the homestead. Recycling of glass products for example is a step in the right direction through reduction of waste to the environment.

Recycled glass beads are made from recycled glass which is readily available around our homesteads. If not recycled, glass is one of the major polluters of the environment as it does not decompose. Examples of glass products that can be recycled include bottles and jars. They are made through melting down crushed glass in a furnace after which they are molded into glass beads.

Energy is saved in the recycling of glass beads as less energy is used as compared to that of molding new glass. Besides this, it also utilizes resources that would have otherwise been wasted and pollute the environment thereby saving Earth’s natural resources.

Uses of Recycled glass beads include making jewelry and beadwork as well as a variety of other colorful artwork as they can be colored and hand molded to give unique shapes and crafts. As a matter of fact, before you throw out those empty glass bottles next time you might want to give recycling a chance.

Glass is not as easy to handle as other waste products around the homestead but it can still be salvaged and re-used. The fight against global warming and for achieving a ‘green’ environment begins at the homestead with the likes of embracing recycled glass beads and other waste products.

Hello and welcome to my new blog, which will be covering Recycled glass beads and everything related to them. As an environmentalist and hippie , I am infatuated by Recycled glass beads. Not only are they nicer to our environment and the world, but they look great too!

On this blog, I will writing about different styles of Recycled glass beads, talk about how they are made, and direct you to great places online to buy these fun beads! Check back often, as I will be updating this blog regularly.