A friend at work was making chain mail with pop can tabs. I could tell it was two basic things, a bend in the tab top where it connects to the other tabs above it to enable it to lay nice and flat, and a single snip in that ring to enable it to be connected. I can’t believe how easy this is. I’ll definitely be starting my first chain shirt with these. They’re not as accurate, of course, but they have that DIY/steampunk feel to them and they’re much lighter than mail made from wire.

You need to cut off these rings where the tab connected to the top of the beer Soda Pop can. These tend to be jagged and sharp, don’t want that in your chain mail, ‘aint no body got time for that! Safety third

Bend that thing to not quite a 45 degree angle, maybe 33rd degree.

It looks like a tiny, stubby skateboard deck with the top half of that top ring bent over. It’s time to snip that ring.

Just a quick, easy snip with a pair of wire cutters. No need to spread the ring out or anything, that will just misshape it. You can pretty easily slide the ring over the bottom rings of the two tabs above it.

 

 

 

First slip the ring you snipped through the bottom ring of one tab, then turn it and slip it over the ring on the other side. That’s how you do it! I’ll post an update if/when I complete a chain shirt made from these.

It’s like magic!