From the page: A thousand colors in a few grams
Idea 4
Fused "plate" pieces
Melting plastic into plates is a technique popularized by handcraft recycling collectives, which turned colorful bottle caps into dense, eye-catching surfaces. The magic is in the chemistry: the polyethylene in the caps softens between 120 and 130 degrees, so it melts in the oven without releasing a strong smell, becoming a homogeneous mass that hardens as it cools.
What you need
- Clean plastic caps (preferably all the same type)
- A home oven
- A metal or glass pan greased with oil (or lined with parchment paper)
- A flat weight (a can with stones) for pressing
- Oven mitts
How to make it
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1
Wash the caps well and dry them: any dirt gets marked inside the plate and interferes with the fusion between plastics.
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2
Cover the bottom of the pan with a single layer of caps placed close together — if you stack too many, the center won't melt evenly.
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3
Place in a low oven (about 265 °F / 130 °C) with the kitchen window open and keep an eye on it: within 10 to 20 minutes the caps flatten and join together.
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4
Remove with oven mitts once it looks uniform and press with the weight for a few minutes — this eliminates bubbles and leaves the plate smooth and dense.
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5
Let it cool completely before unmolding: the plastic hardens as it returns to room temperature.
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6
Sand the edges with fine sandpaper or cut with a craft knife to give it the final shape.
Finishing touches
Arrange the colors in a gradient or mandalas before fusing — the design becomes forever set in the plate. Use it as a coaster, a charger plate, or cut it to make bookmarks and ornaments.
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