Oswego Couple Transforms Trash into Treasure

Everyone has heard the phrase, “reduce, reuse and recycle” but few are able to apply it in life quite like Oswego couple Jazzy and John Steel, who literally turn trash into treasure.

The two are founders, creators and owners of Jazzy Pop Can Jewelry, where they “up-cycle” aluminum cans and turn them into necklaces, charms and more.

Jazzy Steel said it all started about five years ago when she was cutting up expired credit cards and decided to make herself a pair of MasterCard earrings.

“People all started saving and then sending me their expired giftcards and I was all of a sudden making jewelry,” said Steel.

She had a website for artisan jewelry, where she had previously sold beads, and posted some jewelry of little figures made out of the giftcards, not expecting anything.

“A lady bought one and I was stunned,” laughed Steel. “I thought they were kind of gaudy and didn’t think anyone would actually want to wear them.”

And then another surprise. The woman who purchased it wanted to know if it would be possible to make her another using Starbucks images.

Steel got a Starbucks can from her neighbor and started playing around with it.

“It was extremely thin and I was cutting it with scissors,” she recalled. “It can be very dangerous.”

She and her husband now wear special gloves when handling the aluminum and also have a machine that helps them cut the cans into a multitude of shapes –including hearts, flowers, dog tags and ribbons.

What started as a hobby for Jazzy Steel turned serious following a go green segment on NBC 5 in Sept. 2010 where her pop can jewelry was featured.

“In the two hours it took to drive back to our home, then in Millbrook, everything on our website sold out,” said Steel. “And people started writing in saying they wanted this and that.”

She roped her husband, John, into helping her fill the insane amount of orders, and replenish the stock for the craft fair she was attending in Sandwich in just a couple of days.

John, whose background was metal fabrication, had recently lost his job and Pop Can Jewelry suddenly opened a brand new door for him.

“He became the designer,” said Jazzy. “He makes the most fantastic designs.”

Some of the new, recent ones under John’s eye have included owls, pigs, the breast cancer awareness ribbons and more.

But it’s not as simple as just putting the can in the design punch-out tool and making a piece of jewelry.

John Steel said it has to be very, very accurate since he only has one shot per can.

He gestured at a small breast cancer ribbon charm made from a Pepsi can that displayed all three colors in the logo, and a heart necklace that perfectly centered the two bulls on a Red Bull can.

“I have to punch it backwards so I can’t see the can design,” said John, once he places it. He said he’s got a pretty good eye and rhythm for it now.

The designs come from a multitude of cans, but the most popular ones are the Green Monster Cans and the Arizona Iced tea cans.

But Jazzy and John don’t really drink any of the pop themselves.

“We have a lot of people donate cans,” said Jazzy, who said they have collection bins at the country market each week. “We also have a trash for treasures program.”

For every 30 undented cans you donate you can trade for $20 in free jewelry, or receive $.10 per can, the going rate in Michigan.

Some cans, like Arizona or Monster, are super popular. You can view which cans the Steels are in need of here. They also collect pop tabs for jewelry pieces and 1 pound of pop tabs earns a free bracelet. Every bracelet they sell they donate part of the profit back to Ronald McDonald House charities.

While her husband handles the design elements of the pieces, Jazzy handles the filing and packaging.

All of their work is done in the basement of their home by the two of them.

That home recently means Oswego, where the couple just moved in under a month ago.

“We love Oswego,” said Jazzy Steel. “It’s such a welcoming community.”

Pop Can Jewelry is sold in over 70 retail locations across the U.S., but predominantly in the Midwest.

Oswego though is now the home base of operations, and the Steels like to make sure they stay in their new community. They participate weekly at the Wednesday market at Emerson Creek Pottery and every Sunday are at the Oswego Country Market. They will also be vendors at the Antique Market once a month and recently sold at PrairieFest.

Keep up with Pop Can Jewelry by visiting their Facebook page.