Upcycling: Nespresso Pods

I drink lots of coffee. I do. Lots. Prepared in all sorts of ways. French-pressed, aeropressed, moka potted, slow-dripped, turkish-style and when I just need a quick one to get me going, I use a Nespresso machine. But what about all those evil little pods?

I upcycle them into craft materials. So far, I’ve used them on magnets, as notebook embellishments and to make jewellery.

To prepare the used pods for a project, remove the perforated foil at the top, empty out the coffee grounds and rinse.

You could use a rubber mallet to flatten them into discs but I really enjoy crunching them down with my feet.

Once they’ve been flattened, you can use the discs as they are to stand in for boardgame tokens or as the base for an embellishment.

I sometimes create little rosettes for jewellery or magnets. To make those, snip into the flattened capsule and stop when you’re at the centre. Use a rounded plier to coil the cut disc into a rose-shape. Create a second rosette with a much wider twist and glue the rosettes together for a more complex look.

I’ve created a few really basic applications for upcycled nespresso pods. For more intricate projects, click here and check out the really astounding work that’s been pinned on to Pinterest.