Week 5: Experiment Results & Midterm Proposal – Maya Wang

Experiment Results

Results (in order from left to right, top to down)

We used type 4 plastic for all of the ironing experiments.

1. Temperature: 80 degrees Celsius, Time: 10 seconds, Results: Sticky but not fully mended with each other
   1. Temperature: 80 degrees Celsius, Time: Another 10 seconds, Results: Only attached in one spot
2. Temperature: 150 degrees Celsius, Time: 10 seconds, Results: Too hot, the plastic crumpled and holes formed
3. Temperature: 150 degrees Celsius, Time: 5 seconds, Results: Still too hot, the plastic crumpled but less holes formed
4. Temperature: 120 degrees Celsius, Time: 5 seconds, Results: Just right, the plastic only crumpled a slight but the pieces were fully stuck to each other and there were no holes.

Midterm Proposal

After the various guest lectures on plastic, my personal research, the vinyl cutter workshop, and plastic ironing experiments, I have come up with a midterm project idea. I want to use plastic bottles and plastic bags to create a series of accessories. I personally love accessories of all kinds: earrings, bracelets, necklaces, sunglasses, etc. The unique texture of melted plastic would be great for some one-of-a kind accessories, and thin plastic bags are pliable yet durable.

I want to create a set of 5 earrings, 3 bracelets, and 3 necklaces to make a full jewelry line. The materials I plan on using are scrap wire, plastic bags of any thickness and color, plastic bottles that can be heat pressed, and straws. The designs of my proposed jewelry line are pictured in my sketches below:

I based the designs off of jewelry that is trending currently, and my personal favorite kinds of earrings. I will be making dangly statement earrings, friendship bracelets that are hand woven, and small thin necklaces that are like chokers.

I have researched some plastic bag upcycling methods for creating jewelry, and I will be consulting those websites and tutorials for more technical help. These are some plastic bracelets that already exist:

For the earrings, I plan on using scrap wire from the IMA studio to make the hooks and jump rings to connect the plastic pieces together. The decorative parts will be made out of plastic strips, heat pressed plastic bottles (to emulate acrylic, which is very popular in earrings), and straws.

The bracelets will use scrap wire for the clasps and I will use some friendship bracelet weaving techniques to make plastic bracelets. I will also use plastic straws as beads for decoration in the bracelets.

I am going to make the necklaces the same way I make the bracelets. I will add small plastic straw “beads” or heat pressed plastic baubles to change the styles, and use wire for the clasps.

This week, I will sort through all of the trash that I have collected and begin creating each of the jewelry pieces.