Make Wine Cup Earrings

Before: Toy Wine Cups

These little wine cups are of undetermined origin. We found them in the basement when we were sorting out the toy box. My daughter thinks they once belonged to her Fisher-Price dollhouse set. My sons think they were from a LEGO® set gifted to them from their cousins. The DH has no idea and contributes to the debate by shaking his head and muttering about all the money spent on no longer loved toys.

Bottom line: I have no idea where these little yellow wine goblets came from... but there are two of them. They match ...and we all agreed they would make fun, very cute earrings.

After: Earrings by GeltDesigns.com

Materials
2 matching toy wine goblets
20-gauge round wire in brass, copper, sterling silver, silver plate, silver colored or gold filled

Tools
Nylon jaw pliers
Chain nose pliers
Needle files (optional)
Round nose pliers or

Gather your tools

Wire looping pliers
Wire cutters
Ear wire jig or WigJig
Flex shaft and 19 gauge cup bur or wire rounder
Plastic mallet

Step 1
Use your nylon jaw pliers to straighten and harden the 20-gauge round wire.

Feed wire; make loop.

Step 2
Feed the wire through a plastic toy wine glass. Make a small loop at the end of the wire.

Step 3
Make a loop at the top of the wine glass. Wrap the wire three times to secure the loop. Use a needle file or your chain nose pliers to file the end of the wire smooth.
Step 4
Make a second wire wrapped loop at the end of the wire and connect the two loops together. Again, wrap the wire three times to secure the loop.

Step 5
Place the second of the two wire wrapped loops on the ear wire jig. Wrap the wire to create the ear wire finding. Cut the wire at the peg.

Step 6
Remove the ear wire from the jig. Bend the wire at the end of the finding so it is parallel with the loop.

Step 7
Hit the ear wire with the plastic mallet to harden the wire and ensure it retains its shape when handled, used and worn. Adjust the wire with your pliers, if needed, to ensure the best shape for your finding.

Make second earrings

Step 8
File the end of the ear wire so it is smooth and comfortable when worn.


Step 9
Repeat to create matching earring.


Related Tutorials
Make Earrings from an iTunes Gift Card
How to Straighten Wire
How to Measure Wire
How to Use a Wire Gauge 
How to Make an Ear Wire Jig  
How to Use a Flex Shaft to Make Jewelry 
How to Smooth Sharp Wire Edges 

Further Reading
"30-Minute Earrings: 60 Quick & Creative Projects for Jewelers"; Marthe Le Van; 2010.
"500 Earrings: New Directions in Contemporary Jewelry (500 Series)"; Lark; 2007.

Day 73.  Month 4. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: toys
New Jewelry a Day.

Make a Bracelet from a Handle

Before: Plastic Handle

Sometimes ideas come easy. At other times, creative energy is hard to find. The other day when I was bringing in DH's dry cleaning and I removed the handle from the box of dress shirts, I knew I found a perfect item to repurpose into a bangle bracelet.

My daughter and I played with a lot of ideas. We thought about weaving satin, cloth, imitation leather or suede through the holes or adding beads to embellish. We played with different styles of clasps. In the end, we decided simple was better and more striking.

Tools
Automatic center punch or center punch
Drill 
Size 41 drill bit

After: Bracelet by GeltDesigns.com

Materials
Handle
Sterling silver "S" clasp

Step 1
Remove the 7-inch handle from the box and wash it.

Step 2
Use an automatic center punch to mark where you want to drill holes to attach the finding. Drill a hole where you marked the plastic.

We drilled the holes in the center of the end pieces, but you may want to adjust the location of the holes depending on the finding you use.

After: Bracelet by GeltDesign

Step 3

Add the handmade or commercial finding. Test to be sure the finding will stay secure on one side but can slip in  and out of the other side rather easily when putting on or taking off the cuff bracelet.


Related Tutorials
How to Make a Simple "S" Clasp 
Make a Cuff Bracelet from a Plastic Bottle

Further Reading
"500 Bracelets: An Inspiring Collection of Extraordinary Designs (500 Series)"; Lark; 2005.
"EveryDay Upcycle: 101 Scrap Crafts and Repurpose Projects"

Day 72.  Month 3. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: plastic handle
New Jewelry a Day.

Make Hex Nut Earrings

Before: Hex Nuts

Hardware comes in many interesting shapes and sizes. The hardware store is a great source for inexpensive, often colorful materials to use in jewelry making.

We had another busy weekend but we found time to make a set of simple earrings using stray stainless steel hex nuts leftover from a long finished remodeling project. We liked the combination of silver and blue in these simple, easy to make earrings.

Spool of blue suede

Materials
2 stainless steel hex nuts
2 surgical steel hypoallergenic fish hook earring findings
Blue suede or other stringing materials

After: Earring by GeltDesigns.com

Tools
Scissors


Step 1
Select the hex nuts.


Step 2
Cut about five inches of blue suede or the stringing material of your choice.


Step 3
Fold the suede in half and then make a square knot about midway to make a loop at the top of the suede.

Step 4
Slide the hex nut over the loop so the hex nut sits on top of the knot.

Step 5
Add an earring finding to the loop.

Step 6
Repeat to create the matching earring.

Related Tutorials
Make Earrings from Grommets
Make a Bracelet from Grommets
Make a Three Strand Bracelet from Copper Washers
Make a Bib Necklace from Washers  

Further Reading
"Making Designer Jewelry from Hardware, Gems, and Beads": Nicole Noelle Sherman; 2008.
"Hardwear: Jewelry from a Toolbox"; Hannah Rogge; 2006.


Day 71.  Month 3. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: hex nuts
New Jewelry a Day.

Make Wishbone Earrings from Wire

Before: Scrap Metal

Another glum, dark snowy day in Washington, DC. Yes, I know it is winter. It is supposed to be cold... but DC is south of the Mason Dixon line so we are NOT supposed to have THIS much snow.

And, to make matter worse, the snow is not fun snow. It is not cross country down the avenue on a weekend snow. It is not good sledding snow. It is not snow ball snow. The snow is a wet, icy, yucky mess. Even the kids are sick of starting the day shoveling snow. OK, enough complaining.

Luckily the power is back on and it is nice and warm in our studio... where we spent the morning making a pair of simple elegant earrings from scrap wire.


Materials
19-gauge round gold filled wire
(or sterling silver, brass or copper)

Tools
Nylon jaw pliers
Mandrel or  Wrap n' Tap pliers 

After: Earrings by GeltDesigns.com

Wire cutters
Needle file, wire rounder or flex shaft and 18-gauge cup burr
Tumbler or rawhide mallet and steel bench block or anvil

Step 1
Use nylon jaw pliers to smooth out the wire and remove kinks.

Step 2
Cut about 4 inches of wire of 19-gauge round gold filled or other wire.

Step 3
File the ends smooth.

Step 4
Place the wire on a steel bench block or anvil and hammer about 1-1/2 to 2 inches of the wire until flat.

Bend wire

Step 5
Bend the wire until the hammered front is about 2-1/8 inches (5.4 cm) long and the back is about 1-1/4 inches (3.2 cm). The front should have only the lower portion hammered.

Take care that the wire that fits through the ear (including the arc) is not hammered. Adjust the wire as needed to shape.

Adjust wire

Step 6
Tumble the earrings to harden the wire and add shine.

Related Tutorials
How to Straighten Wire
How to Use a File for Jewelry Making
How to Smooth Sharp Edges on Copper Brass and Sterling Wire
How to Make a Paddle Head Pin
How to Make an Eye Pin
How to Make A Simple Head Pin
How to Decide Wire Gauge for Wire Wrapped Jewelry
How to Use a Flex Shaft to Make Jewelry
How to Make a Ball Head Pin
How to Twist Wire
How to Clean Gold Filled Jewelry

Further Reading 
"Make Your Own Great Earrings: Beads, Wire, Polymer Clay, Fabric, Found Objects"; Jane LaFerla; 1999.
"101 Wire Earrings: Step-by-Step Projects and Techniques"; Denise Peck; 2009.
"The Earring Style Book: Making Designer Earrings, Capturing Celebrity Style, and Getting the Look for Less"; Stephanie A. Wells; 2010.

Day 70.  Month 3. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: scrap wire
New Jewelry a Day.