Make Paper and Rubber Earrings

After: Earrings by GeltDesigns.com

Today is a short post because we had a very busy weekend. Sorry to be so brief. Today we share a variation on the paper earrings we shared earlier this week.

Materials
Pink paper
Rubber
24-gauge,  22-gauge or
20-gauge copper sheet
19-gauge copper wire

Tools
Wet/dry sandpaper
Disc cutter
Doming block
Flex shaft, Dremel or drill press
Micro-drill bit set (#61-80)
Half round file
Needle files 
18-gauge cup burr or wire rounder
Mandrel

 
Step 1
Make the beads.

Earrings by GeltDesigns.com

Step 2
Assemble the earring as instructed in our earlier tutorial except use a pencil as mandrel to form the wire.

Step 3
Repeat to create the second matching earring.
 
Related Tutorials
Make Earrings from Paper
Make a Necklace from Paper

References 
"500 Earrings: New Directions in Contemporary Jewelry (500 Series)"; Lark; 2007.
"Making Designer Mixed-Media and Memory Jewelry: Fun and Experimental Techniques and Materials for the Home Studio"; Tammy Powley; 2007.
"1,000 Jewelry Inspirations: Beads, Baubles, Dangles, and Chains (1000 Series)"; Sandra Salamony; 2008.

Further Reading
"The Art of Jewelry: Paper Jewelry: 35 Creative Projects (Lark Jewelry Books)"; Marthe Le Van; 2006.
"Altered Paper Jewelry: Artful Adornments from Beautiful Papers"; Jenn Mason; 2008.

Other
Grobet Jewelry Making Kit



Day 64.  Month 3. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: scrap copper, rubber, paper
New Jewelry a Day.

Make a Necklace from Paper

Before: Wire

We made this necklace using the same basic technique we used yesterday to create our paper earrings. We used scrap paper (in hot pink!), rubber and copper sheet metal to create beads that we joined using copper wire.

After: Paper Necklace by GeltDesgins.c

Materials
Pink paper
Rubber
24-gauge,  22-gauge or
20-gauge copper sheet
18-gauge round copper wire

Tools
Wet/dry sandpaper
Disc cutter or jewelry saw
Doming block and hammer
Flex shaft, Dremel or drill press
Micro-drill bit set (#61-80)
Half round file or needle files 
16-gauge cup burr and flex shaft or wire rounder


Step 1
Make the beads. Cut, form and drill the copper disks. Stack the copper disks, paper and rubber and bind by wire wrapping using 18-gauge round copper wire.

Step 2
Attach the beads as you make them. We wire wrapped each bead together but you could change the design by adding links between the beads. 


Continue until the chain is the length you want. Hint: make a shorter version if you want to create a bracelet.


Step 3
Make and attach the clasp. We made a hook and eye style clasp using 18-gauge round wire. If I were to repeat, I would likely use 16-gauge copper wire for the clasp.


Related Tutorials
Make Earrings from Paper
How to Use a Jewelry Saw
How to Use a Disc Cutter
How to Dome Metal 
How to Use Sand Paper
How to Use a File for Jewelry Making
How to Select a Cup Burr
How to Measure Wire
How to Measure Drill Bits
How to Smooth Sharp Wire Ends

Blog Index
NJAD Index by Topic
NJAD Index by Type of Jewelry

Further Reading  
"500 Necklaces: Contemporary Interpretations of a Timeless Form (500 Series)"; Lark; 2006.
"Complete Metalsmith: Professional Edition"; Tim McCreight; 2004.

Day 62.  Month 3. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: scrap copper, rubber, paper
New Jewelry a Day.

TGIF!!

Make a Necklace from Figurines

Before: Toys in the toy box

The toy box is a great source of material for jewelry making. Toys tend to be bright, colorful and attractive. Toy manufacturers' conduct extensive research and work hard to create a pleasing color palette and extraordinary detail for toys so kids and the adults around them will want to buy the toys.

Many toys are easily made into charms, beads or other jewelry components. Moreover, child safety laws for toys dictate that most toys are safe to wear against the body as jewelry.

After: Necklace by GeltDesigns.com

For this project we collected some animal figurines of similar size. When I first saw these figurines I thought I would paint them with electro-conductive paint and electroform the figurines so they had a copper coating. My daughter thought better. After discussing the design, we decided it would be a shame to cover up all the great color of the figurines. Thus, we converted the figurines into beads to use "as is" without first electroforming.


Materials
Toy figurines
16-gauge round brass wire

Gather your tools

Tools
Drill (flex shaft, Dremel or drill press)
#55 (1.3mm) drill bit
Bead board
Side cutters 
Wire looping pliers 
Flex shaft or Dremel and cup burr 
(or wire rounder ) 

Select & arrange the toys

Step 1
Select the toy figurines you want to use and arrange the toys in the order you plan to string them using a bead board.


Step 2
Turn the toys into beads. Wash the toys and drill a hole through each toy.

Slide wire through bead.

Step 3
Create beaded links. Slide the wire through the first toy.

Make a loop.

File the end of the wire until smooth. Make a loop at the end of the wire.

Make second loop.

Make a second loop on the other side of the figurine. Cut the wire and file smooth using a needle file, cup burr or wire rounder.


Step 4
Repeat to create the additional beaded links.

Step 5
Create "S" links to insert between beaded links.

Assemble the links.

Step 6
Assemble the links.

Add clasp

Step 7
Select or make the clasp. Attach the clasp to the chain.


Related Tutorials
How to Use Electroplating Equipment
Make Your Own Hook & Eye Clasp
Make Your Own "S" Link

How to Select a Cup Burr
How to Measure Wire
Drill Bit Size Chart

Further Reading 
"Bead on a Wire: Making Handcrafted Wire and Beaded Jewelry by Sharilyn Miller"; Sharilyn Miller; 2009.
"Wire-Jewelry Workshop: Techniques For Working With Wire & Beads"; Susan Ray; 2008.
"Bead & Wire Art Jewelry: Techniques & Designs for all Skill Levels"; J. Marsha Michler; 2006.
"Making Designer Bead and Wire Jewelry: Techniques for Unique Designs and Handmade Findings"; Tammy Powley; 2005.
"Making Bead & Wire Jewelry: Simple Techniques, Stunning Designs";  Dawn Cusick; 2002.

Day 59.  Month 3. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: toys
New Jewelry a Day.