Make Earrings from Copper Pipe and Wire

Before: copper pipe

My daughter and I both love the lush, elegant look of copper ....and it is an added bonus that we have an abundance of copper around our house leftover from renovations.

Today, we went back to our stash of copper pipe and cut pieces of pipe to make lightweight but large, elegant earrings.

After: Earrings by GeltDesigns.com

Materials
Copper pipe
16-gauge round copper wire
20-gauge round copper wire

Tools
Jewelry saw & blades
3M wet/dry sandpaper
Nylon jaw pliers
Chain nose pliers
Needle files (optional)
Round nose pliers or

Gather your too

Wire looping pliers
Mandrel or Wrap n' Tap pliers
Wire cutters
Flex shaft and 19 gauge cup bur or wire rounder
Rawhide or plastic mallet
Lortone Tumbler (optional)

Cut the pipe

Step 1
Create the copper beads. Cut the copper pipe with a jewelry saw. Use sandpaper to sand the edges of the copper pipe smooth.

Step 2

Slide the pipe on the wire

Create the beaded dangle component. Slide the copper pipe onto the 16-gauge copper wire. Form the wire around the copper pipe. Hit the wire with a rawhide mallet to harden the wire.

Make the ear wires

Repeat to create a matching component.

Step 3
Make the ear wires using round nose pliers to make the ring and a mandrel or Wrap n' Tap pliers to shape the ear wire. Hit the ear wires with the rawhide mallet to harden.

Step 4

Attach the ear wires

Attach the ear wires to the dangle component.

Step 5
Place the completed earrings in the tumbler to further harden the copper wires, prevent the earrings from becoming misshapen when worn and adding sparkle and shine by burnishing.

Related Tutorials
How to Make an Ear Wire Jig 
How to Straighten Wire
How to Smooth Edges on Wire
How to Measure Wire
How to Use a Wire Gauge
GeltDesigns Tutorials by Topic
Make an Enamel Necklace from a Copper Pipe
Make a Beaded Bracelet with Copper Pipe & Wire
Make a Neck-Ring from Copper Pipe
Make a Bangle Bracelet from a Copper Pipe
NJAD Index (Days 1 to 60) by Type of Jewelry
NJAD Index (Days 1 to 60) by Type of Found Object  

Further Reading 
"Contemporary Copper Jewelry w/DVD: Step-by-Step Techniques and Projects";  Sharilyn Miller; 2010.
"Complete Metalsmith: Professional Edition";  Tim McCreight; 2004.

Day 88  Month 4. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: copper pipe, wire
New Jewelry a Day.

Make a Necklace from Lock Washers & Toys

Before: toys and lock washers

I am not sure what type of toys these are; my daughter thinks that they belonged to one of her brothers. She thinks they were used to build action figures that were "like tranformers but not transformers." 

After: Necklace by GeltDesigns.com

Whatever they were, we both thought they were interesting to look at and the hole made them prefect to use as beads. We used lock washers as spacer beads and strung them simply on 2 mm satin. OK, not the most innovative project we've done this year... but it was quick, easy and made a  cheerful, fun accessory.

Materials
4 lock washers
2 toys
2mm satin cord & findings


Related Tutorials
Make a Necklace from Figurines
Make a Lizard Pin from a Toy
Make Dog Earrings from Toys
Make Post Earrings from Vintage Game Pieces

Day 87  Month 4. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: toys, lock washers
New Jewelry a Day.

Make a Valentine's Day Cuff Bracelet

Before: Scrap paper, metal

Happy Valentine's Day! Today is the last day in our V-Day series as the big day has arrived. Whether you love Valentine's Day or think it is a commercial hoax victimizing the American people, February 14 arrives every year. We like to use V-Day as an excuse to craft using hearts and other themes of love. 

Oops! Stamping error

Today we grabbed some scrap metal and the front page of a magazine to make a cuff bracelet. The metal was previously cut into cuff bracelet length but was relegated to the scrap heap due to a stamping error. The second letter was sideways. Oops. Nobody will know the cuff bracelet was originally created for a different design because we covered the stamping error with paper that we decoupaged as a form of cold enamel over the entire surface of the cuff bracelet.

After: Bracelet by GeltDesigns.com

Tools
Xacto knife
Self-healing cutting mat 
Oval bracelet mandrel  
Rawhide mallet 
Cross peen hammer 
Steel bench block
Half-round file 
Lortone tumbler (optional)


Materials
Scrap paper 
Scrap 16-gauge nickel silver sheet metal
Diamond Glaze or Mod Podge
Paint brush
Bowl of water (to clean paint brush)
Transparent embossing powder
Heat It Craft Tool

Cut paper to size

Step 1
Place the paper on a self-healing mat and cut out the paper using an Xacto knife. 

Step 2

Hammer the edges

Form the bracelet. Use the rawhide mallet to shape the cuff bracelet around the oval mandrel. File the edges of the metal until jewelry smooth. Place the cuff bracelet on the steel bench block and hammer the edges of the cuff bracelet to thicken the edges, add sparkle and harden the metal so it retains the oval cuff shape.

Stamped Gelt

We stamped the inside of the bracelet with our signature "Gelt."


Step 3
Decoupage the paper to the cuff. Glue the paper to the cuff. Paint Mod Podge over the surface of the paper using a paint brush. Sprinkle transparent embossing powder over

Decoupage the paper onto the bracelet

the wet Mod Podge. Shake off excess powder. Use a heat gun to melt the embossing powder.

Related Tutorials
Cold Enamel a Washer to Make a Pendant
Make a Valentine's Day Necklace from Shoe Lace Charms
Make Heart Earrings from Copper Staples
Make a Beer Bottle into a Heart Pin
Make "Kiss Me" Heart Earrings
Make a Valentine's Day Pendant from a Scrabble® Tile
Make a "True Love" Bracelet from Scrabble® Tiles
Make a Valentine's Day Pendant from a Copper Washer
GeltDesigns Tutorials by Topic
NJAD Index (Days 1 to 60) by Type of Jewelry
NJAD Index (Days 1 to 60) by Type of Found Object  


Further Reading 
"500 Bracelets: An Inspiring Collection of Extraordinary Designs (500 Series)"; Lark; 2005.

Day 86  Month 4. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent to date: 0
Found materials: magazine, scrap metal
New Jewelry a Day.

Have a very happy and crafty Valentine's Day! Tell a friend, family member or lover how much they mean to you.