Fortunately, I have a crafty partner who always helps me find a way around buying things. When I showed him the straws online, which would have cost almost $30 for a simple set of four, he scoffed and said he could easily make some. The one drawback is that they wouldn't be glass, but I could deal with that.
He simply bought a piece of stainless steel tubing, and then cut it to about 6" lengths. The first cut was made with a pipe cutter, which makes a clean cut, but the blade was pretty much used up on that one straw. For the next three straws he used a hacksaw, and then sanded the edges smooth. He says if he were to make them again, he would use a circular saw, which would be a little easier.
My kids now use them every day for green smoothies, and occasionally for milk bubbles, and we don't create any plastic garbage. Nor do we ever have to buy straws again.
If you use a dishwasher, you can just toss them in, but we do pretty much everything manually around here ;) I'd like to get a brush cleaner that could fit inside the straws, but for now Nik attached a small piece of rag to a length of sturdy wire, for a DIY straw cleaner. However, I find that if I just rinse them right away they clean up fine without the rag-on-a-wire setup.
One major difference between these and disposable straws that you will notice is the weight. You won't want to use them in a delicate wine glass, for example. The six inch straws are perfect for our 3 or 4 inch tall glasses, but if you use pint glasses you would want to make them longer.
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DIY Stainless Steel Drinking Straws
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Mellow
57 comments
Write commentsWhat a great idea. Where would one purchase stainless steel tubing? I love that you can make them different lengths too. Thanks.
ReplyI love this idea and I know my husband could easily make them, too. I'm also enjoying your entire blog and have added you to my sidebar, under "REAL FOOD BLOGS". Thanks for your inspiring ideas!
ReplyThank you Brenda!
ReplyHe got ours near the shipyard in Seattle, but I just did a google search for "stainless steel tubing" and got lots of results. It looks like you can order it online, or buy from local retailers.
ReplyCool Thanks for the tips. I love bubble tea and I found some wide stainless steel straws on ebay
Replyhttp://stores.ebay.com/malabarhillz
Awesome tips!! Glad to meet you this is a great blog and my first time here! Happy to have found you and cant wait to see what other awesome things your come up with to post!
ReplyBest,
Ash
xox
http://abpetite.blogspot.com/
Thanks Ashlee!
ReplyLook in the baby section - they make tiny brush cleaners for Dr. Brown's bottles - you can buy a set of 5 and they are inexpensive. I saved ours after the boys were weaned and we still use them to clean things like sippy straws.
ReplyOh great idea, thanks!
ReplyGood idea! Does the stainless steel affect the taste? And does it need to be food grade stainless steel or am I over thinking this?
ReplyWell, I honestly didn't consider the grade of stainless steel when we made these. My kids have very sensitive tastebuds (I'm sure all kids do, until they get wrecked with old age) and they always use the straws when they can. I'm pretty sure there's no metallic flavor or anything with the stainless steel. I think the grades of stainless steel only really matters if you're using it for a fermentation vessel, or for long term storage, when you wouldn't want the metal oxidizing from acidic foods.
ReplyLike you, I don't like using plastic straws and yours looks like a good alternative.
ReplyVisiting via Rural Thursday Blog Hop.
Well, that's just too cool. Love those partners that have an inventive mind and are able to make it a reality. :)
ReplyYes, for sure!
Replyvery cool! Will have to do this. Glass straws just does not sit well with me. Breakage is uncool and in our part of the "Seattle metro" area we cannot recycle that kind of glass if it does break. I'm also thinking copper tubing would be a fun alternative.
ReplyOh I love this idea! I love straws but get tired of always having to use plastic and throw them away... this is brilliant! Thank you for sharing!
Replyhttp://justdawnelle.blogspot.com
Dawnelle
As much as I love copper, I think it would have a metallic taste. The glass straws are supposed to be "unbreakable" but Nik was suspicious of that as well. I think stainless steel is the best option, although some edible flower stalks, I have heard, make great straws as well!
ReplyI'm stopping over from Freaky Friday. I love that idea. I've been eyeing some of those glass straws, too, but haven't wanted to pay that much for them. What a great idea!
ReplyI recently launched a new real food blog carnival called Fill Those Jars Friday. I'd love to have you come stop by and share this on it: http://toomanyjarsinmykitchen.com/2012/08/23/fill-those-jars-friday-august-24-2012/
See you there!
Mindy
Brilliant, absolutely brilliant! I am featuring your post on my H&S Hop highlights.
ReplyThanks, I'll have to check it out!
ReplyThanks Alea!
ReplyPretty Nice. I would cut them with a tubing cutter. Just the plumber in me!
ReplyHi there! I'm visiting from Eat Make Grow :) I use pipe cleaners to clean out my straws. I know, right?! They were literally made for cleaning out little tubes, but these days most of us only think of pipe cleaners in terms of arts and crafts. But they work great.
ReplyPipe cleaners! The very same ones we use for kids' crafts? That's a great idea, thanks!
ReplyRob, no doubt that would be easier than a hacksaw. Is a tubing cutter different than a pipe cutter? Nik used a pipe cutter on the first one but it ate up the blade.
ReplyYou nned to use a stsinless steel tubing cutter or use a stainless steel cutting wheel in your tubing cutter
Replyhttp://www.ohiopowertool.com/P-1439-ridgid-14-1-38-stainless-steel-35s-tubing-cutter-29963.aspx?CAWELAID=435423342&cagpspn=pla&gclid=CNWQ9c7Ai7ICFShxQgody3MAVw
Hi Emily,
ReplyThis is a really great idea. I never thought of stainless steel straws. Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party last week. This weeks Link Party is opened at http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/08/free-bee-sweet-hat-pattern-crocheted.html
Hope to see you there.
Debi Bolocofsky
Adorned From Above
www.adornedfromabove.com
I saw some straws like this at a local store a bit back and thought that would be cool, but cringed at the price....love that I could make them myself :o)
ReplyHow much were they charging for them?
ReplyHi Mellow,
ReplyYou and your hubby are awesome DIYers. I love the straws.
Thanks Heidi!
ReplyI believe some grades of stainless steel are okay to use even if they aren't food grade, but some are not safe. Some types of stainless steel called ferritic stainless steel can contain lead, for example, and they are less able to resist corrosion, so I imagine that could be a safety issue.
ReplyThere are also grades that contain higher levels of molybdenum. I know you can get molybdenum toxicity, but I don't know if the molybdenum can leach out of the stainless steel or not, to be honest.
I'm still hoping to find out more information about what grades of stainless steel are safe, even if they aren't food grade, but I'm still pretty early on in my researching. :-)
You really have to be creative so that you can come up with better and brighter ideas. It’s great to know that your kids love to use this stainless steel straw. Aside from that, you also help the environment by not adding to the already rising plastic waste. ;) Nice one!
ReplyThanks Carl!
ReplyHello, Mellow! :D We also use stainless steel straws in our home. I love it when our visitors are amazed every time we offer them drinks with our stainless steel straw. Haha! They even said that it was cool, which is true, right? ;)
ReplyThey are definitely cool ;)
ReplyI love this idea! And I don't know if anyone has already mentioned this, but pipe cleaners work great for cleaning straws! I clean and re-use my pipe cleaners until they look like they've been through a war.
ReplyThanks Alison! Do you use crafting pipe cleaners? I thought of doing that, but my partner said they wouldn't really work because they're not real pipe cleaners, they're too soft or something. Anyway, we did finally get a real bristle cleaner that fits right inside the straws. It's nice knowing that they're really getting clean, and basically effortless!
ReplyHow about wire pipe cleaners? You can get them in the craft section of the dollar store.
ReplyAs a Christmas present, we received a perfect bristly cleaning brush that fits inside the straws. I don't think craft pipe cleaners are burly enough to really scrub inside the straws, but they might work! I also think they would rust if left wet at all, making reuse tricky.
ReplyTHAT IS COOL!!!
ReplyThat is so COOL!
ReplyThank you!
ReplyI would *LOVE* to have a few long stainless straws!
ReplyYup - gotta do this! Oh dearest hubby of mine............
ReplyThese would make great gifts for the grandchildren! Thanks so much for the idea! Vickie
Those are beautiful!! Especially against rose petal ice cubes :) What kind of blade would he attach to a circular saw and would it have to be a carpenter's quality saw? I have a middle-of-the road one and would love to try this. Also, where did he get the tubing? Thanks M!
ReplyHarbor freight has $8 pneumatic, or $20 electric, rotating metal cutoff tools. He used something different back when he made these, but recently bought the electric cutoff tool and it would work way better. Plus it makes awesome sparks! http://www.harborfreight.com/power-tools.html?CatPath=All%2BProducts%252F%252F%252F%252FPower%2BTools%252F%252F%252F%252FAttribSelect%253DPrice%2BRange%253D%2527%252410%2B-%2B%252430%2527%2F%2F%2F%2FCut-off+Saws&RequestData=CA_CategoryExpand
ReplyThe rods he cut into straws were from onlinemetals.com
Great idea to cut down on garbage, plus you know you will always have straws!
ReplyThanks for linking up to The Creative HomeAcre Blog Hop! : )
I have been looking at glass and ss straws. Thanks for DIY tips and thanks for sharing with us at Eco-Kids Tuesday! I featured your post today! http://likemamalikedaughter.blogspot.com/2013/07/eco-kids-tuesday.html
ReplyI will must love stainless straws!your link is so great and popular.That is so awesome, i just love and follow it.Thanks for the share nice link.
ReplyThis was cool! We shared with our FB readers at homesteadlady.com.
ReplyDoes it matter whether its welded tubing or seamless tubing? The welded 304 tubing is cheaper than the seamless.
ReplyI think seamless will give a nicer finished product! That might be the only difference. Also, you might want to look into what metals they use for welding the seams. I think for something we use against our lips, a perfectly round tube is just nicer. But it's up to you if the price difference is worth it!
ReplyI really like cast iron for frying pans (and even for baking!) They have a non-stick finish as long as they're cared for properly (gently washed without soap).
ReplyCool! Stainless steel straws does not only help your kids to sip pearls easily but I agree that this is one of the most helpful way to lessen plastic wastes like plastic straws! I love this! Thanks for sharing! By the way, I'm into sheet metal fabrication if you need some!
ReplyNice information anyway did you know any company that provides pipe fittings
ReplyCool! Stainless Steel Pipe
Reply