Make a Memory Wire Necklace from Rubber and Sterling Silver Orphan Beads

I don't love memory wire. We have a lot of the stuff around, because it just isn't my favorite beading material. I've tried to use memory wire because I have friends who really love it... but memory wire just is not one of my "go to" materials. With that said, memory wire is easy to work with and is a great material to use if you need a fast gift or an emergency "make in a few minutes" accessory to complete your outfit.

Memory wire bracelet by GeltDesigns.com

For this project, my daughter and I arranged some leftover sterling silver beads. We decided to highlight the beads using black rubber tubing to cover the remainder of the memory wire.

Materials
Sterling silver beads
Rubber tubing
Memory wire for necklace

Tools
Wire cutters
Round nose pliers

Step 1
Select the beads and use a plate or beadboard to design the pattern.

Step 2
Cut the memory wire to choker length using wire cutters designed especially for memory wire.  

Warning: do not use wire cutters used for wire wrapping or other jewelry making (and do not use your favorite wire cutters!) as the memory wire will dull and perhaps damage the wire cutters.

Step 3
Feed the sterling silver beads on the wire so the beads are centered.

Step 4
Cut the rubber tubing into two long pieces. Cut the tubing to the length needed to cover the remainder of the wire.

Step 5
Slide the rubber tubing onto the wire.

Step 6
Use round nose pliers to make a loop at each end of the wire to hold the rubber tubing in place.

Related Tutorials
Make Paper and Rubber Earrings

Further Reading
"Memory Wire Magic, 20 Ideas for Jewelry and Home Decorating"; Katie Hacker
Bead And Wire Jewelry Exposed: 50 Designer Projects Featuring Beadalon And Swarovski; Margot Potter, Katie Hacker, Fernando Dasilva; 2009.


Month 5. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
Found materials: leftover craft materials
New Jewelry a Day.  

Make a Hatpin from a Bottle Cap

Hatpins are decorative pins that help women secure hats so they do not fly away when the wind blows. Hats had fallen out of favor until the recent engagement of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The lovely Kate appears to have brought large hats back to the masses. No need to wait for the Kentucky Derby to get out your old hat... or to brandish that wonderful find from the estate sale.

Hats are making a come back and that means a renewed need for hatpins! We made this simple hatpin using wire and beer bottle cap. We used 16-gauge nickle silver wire because nickel silver is quite strong and is unlikely to bend with use over time. (Of course, some folks are allergic to nickel. Don't use nickel silver if you are allergic to nickel. Stainless steel is a good substitute.) You can also use brass, copper, sterling silver, gold-fill or even gold for this project, but those are all softer metals that are not as great to use as a stick pin or hat pin.

Materials
Bottle cap
16-gauge wire
Clutch finding
JB Weld

Before: bottle cap and wire

Tools
Wire cutter
Vise
Ball pein hammer
Drill & size 55 drill bit

Step 1
Measure a 5-inch piece of 16-gauge nickel silver wire. Cut the wire using a wire cutter.

Step 2
Secure the wire in a vise so that only 1/4-inch of the wire shows. Hit the top of the wire with a hammer to flatten that end of the wire and create a "head" for the pin. Remove the wire from the vise. Sand away tool marks, if any.

Step 3
Sharpen the other end of the wire to a point using a file. Be sure the point is

Feed the wire through the bottle cap

centered and that the point has a gradual slope that will easily pass through fabric.

Step 4
Mark the bottle cap with an automatic center punch and prepare to drill two holes in the bottle cap. Check to be sure the two holes are aligned and the wire will pass through the two holes. Drill the holes using a size 55 drill bit.

 Step 5

After: Hat pin by GeltDesigns.com

Feed the wire through the two holes in the bottle cap. The 16-gauge wire will just barely fit through the holes drilled with a size 55 bit. Use pliers to pull the wire through the bottle cap until the head of the pin sits fluch against the bottle cap.

 Step 6
Add a drop of JB Weld where the bottle cap hits the wire for added security (if desired).

Step 7
Slip clutch finding on the pointed end of the wire to secure the pin.

Related Tutorials
Make Earrings from Beer Bottle Caps
Make a Bracelet from Beer Bottle Caps
Make Cuff Links from Beer Bottle Caps
Make Earrings from Plastic Bottle Caps
Make a Necklace from Plastic Bottle Caps
Make Chanukah Menorah Earrings from Plastic Bottle Caps

Further Reading
"1000 Jewelry Inspirations (mini): Beads, Baubles, Dangles, and Chains (1000 Series)"; Sandra Salamony; 2011.

Day 117 Month 5. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
Found materials: beer bottle cap, wire
New Jewelry a Day.  

Make a Pate De Verre Clover Pin

Before: Glass by GeltDesigns.com & pin

OK, so today's project is not made with found objects... but I really wanted to share the pate de verre pin we made to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. We toyed with a number of different colors and designed and bothe the girls at NJAD were really pleased with the results with this pin.


Materials
Pate de verre clover
1-inch pin back
Glue

Tools
Glass fusing tools
Bullseye glass powder

After: Pin by GeltDesigns.com

Step 1
Make the pate de verre glass clover. Make a mold and fill the mold with glass powder. Place the filled mold in the freezer for at least one hour but no longer than overnight. Unmold the frozen glass powder. Fire the glass in a glass fusing kiln taking care to anneal the glass. Allow the glass to cool to room temperature. Remove the glass from the kiln. File rough edges, if any, with a diamond file. Wash the glass.

Glue pin finding

Step 2
Glue the pin back to the back of the glass.


Related Tutorials
Make a Beer Bottle into a Heart Pin
Make a Pin from a Glass Pebble
Make Glass & Copper Earrings
Make a Pendant from a Bottle
Turn a Glass Jar into a Pendant
Make a Glass & Knotted Leather Necklace
Make a Glass & Brass Link Bracelet
Make Recycled Glass & Sterling Silver Earrings
Make a Kiln Formed Bracelet
Make a Glass Charm Necklace
Freeze & Fuse: Pate de Verre the Easy Way

Questions about Glass Clay
Fused Glass Tutorials by GeltDesigns 
Further Reading
"Warm Glass: A Complete Guide to Kiln-Forming Techniques: Fusing, Slumping, Casting"; Philippa Beveridge, Ignasi Domenech, Eva Pacual; 2005.
"Contemporary Warm Glass: A Guide to Fusing, Slumping & Kiln-Forming Techniques"; Brad Walker; 2000.
"Kiln Firing Glass: Glass Fusing Book One"; Boyce Lundstrom, Daniel Schwoerer; 1994. 

Day 117. Month 5. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
New Jewelry a Day.  

Make a Green Necklace for St. Patrick's Day from a Plastic Bottle

Before: empty bottle

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We decided to make a green necklace to wear today. We used the plastic recovered from an empty Garnier Fructise bottle. The plastic is a bright, cheery green perfect for St. Patrick's Day.

Don't forget to wear green to keep from being pinched by a leprechaun!

Tools
Xacto knife or scissor
Self healing cutting mat
Automatic center punch

Drill and bit
Round nose pliers or wire looping pliers
Chain nose pliers

Gather your tools

Wire cutters
Steel block
Rawhide mallet
Wire rounder, needle file or cup bur (and flex shaft or rotary tool)

Materials
Garneir Fructis plastic bottle
18-gauge brass wire

Step 1

Cut the plastic charms

Remove the label from the bottle. Wash the empty plastic bottle. Cut the plastic into charms using scissors or an xacto knife on a self healing mat.

Step 2

Mark the plastic and drill hole

Mark the plastic charms with the automatic center punch and then drill holes in the plastic where marked.

Step 3
Use pliers to create the links from the 18-gauge wire. Cut the formed link from the wire spool and then file both ends of the formed link smooth using a wire rounder, needle file or cup bur and flex shaft or rotary tool. Repeat to create the needed number of links.

Step 4
Assemble the links and charms into a chain.

Hook and eye clasp by GeltDesigns.com

Step 5
Make the hook clasp and eye from the 18-gauge wire. Place the finding on a steel bench block and hammer with a raw hide mallet to harden the wire and protect the shape of the finding.

Step 6
Attach the finding to the chain.

Related Tutorials
Make a Bracelet from a Plastic Bottle

After: Necklace by GeltDesigns.

Make a Cuff Bracelet from a Plastic Bottle

Further Reading
"500 Plastic Jewelry Designs: A Groundbreaking Survey of A Modern Material (500 Series)"; Lark; 2009.

Day 116. Month 5. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
Found materials: plastic bottle
New Jewelry a Day.  

How to Make a Pin from a Button

Before: button and pin finding

I have no idea where I first bought this button. I think I bought it at Britex on a trip to San Francisco many, many years ago. I know I used it on a suit made when Reagan was in office (I remember wearing the suit on the day that Gorbachev got out of his limo and decided to take an unscheduled stroll down Connecticut Avenue at lunch hour during one of his visits to DC). The button made a reappearance on a dress I recall wearing to a dear friend's wedding. Those are long gone.... I have no idea what happened to the matching buttons or why I only have one button left.... but I still really like the button so we decided to turn the button into a pin.

Materials
Button
1/2-inch pin finding
JB Weld or glue of your choice

Tools
Wire cutter
Wet/dry sandpaper

Step 1
Select the button.

Remove the button shank

Step 2
Use a wire cutter to cut off the shank of the button.

Step 3
Sand the button, if needed, to remove all sharp edges caused by removing the shank. 

After: Pin by GeltDesigns.com

Step 4
Glue on the pin back. (We did not solder the pin because we were not sure if the button was solid brass or just brass plated and we did not want to risk harming the button).

Allow the glue to cure overnight or according to the glue maker's instructions.

Related Tutorials
Make a Hair Clip from a Button
Make a Leather & Button Bracelet
Make a Button Bracelet
Make Button Earrings
Make a Chain and Button Bib Necklace

Further Reading
"Beautiful Button Jewelry: 60 Easy Heirloom Treasures"; Susan Davis; 2010.
"French-Inspired Jewelry: Creating with Vintage Beads, Buttons & Baubles"; Kaari Meng; 2007.
"Button Jewelry & Accessories: 20 Unique Projects"; Tair Parnes; 2006.

Day 115. Month 5. Jewelry from Found Objects.  $ spent: 0
Found materials: button
New Jewelry a Day.