Craftzine.com blog: Jewelry Archives

Archive: Jewelry

February 7, 2010

The Crafty Chica's Husband Made Glitter Earrings

February 6th is the anniversary of Bob Marley's birthday, and so I have been listening to a playlist of his songs all day. When I saw the Crafty Chica's flickr photostream, with these bold glitter earrings (in red, gold and green) that her husband made, I swooned. He put them together to sell at a reggae festival that he was playing at tonight. I think it's a perfect accessory, and I just love a man who can get some sparkles under his nails!

February 5, 2010

Intern's Corner: How to Make "Silverwear" Earrings

CRAFT: Intern's Corner
Every other week, CRAFT's awesome interns tell about the projects they're building in the Craft: Labs, the trouble they've gotten into, and what they'll make next.

By Lindsey North, projects intern

The trend now -- and I love it -- is recycled accessories: earrings made of bottle caps full of resin, belts made from candy wrappers, purses from pull tabs, and a plethora of other cool things. In CRAFT Volume 02, Kathy Cano Murillo showed how to fashion earrings from recycled tin, and in CRAFT Volume 03, Casey Dougherty showed how to make Fishing Lure Earrings. And then I saw some really cool jewelry at Maker Faire made from funky old utensils, watch gears, and tons of other random things that you'd never think of.

Ever since Maker Faire, I'd been looking for the perfect something to make into a fun pendant or pair of earrings (I'm an earring junkie, a constant collector). While visiting my grandparents recently, I found my inspiration: a silverware set that had once belonged to my great-grandmother, the most beautiful utensils I have ever seen. They were aged to perfection, slightly tarnished, but that only served to enhance the delicate flower pattern that decorated the handles. And so I was inspired to create earrings out of spoon handles.

Of course I wasn't allowed, nor did I want, to make the earrings out of my great-grandmother's spoons -- they're a family heirloom. Instead I went to the local thrift store and purchased some mismatched utensils. You can find some very fun and inexpensive flatware at thrift stores. I also found some cool inexpensive silverware at the local Safeway grocery store.

Once you've found your pieces of silver, cut the utensils to the desired length. I used a band saw at the Craft: Labs but you can also use a hacksaw. I like to vary the earring length, it just makes them more interesting.

After you cut the flatware, drill a hole near the top with a small drill bit. It's a good idea to oil the bit as you're drilling, to save your bit, especially if you're drilling stainless steel. Use sandpaper to sand down the rough edges of the metal to prevent future cuts and scratches.

Then just put in your jump ring and your earring hook! Now I wear my silverwear all the time.

Your CRAFT intern,
Lindsey

February 2, 2010

How-To: Velvet Charm Brocade Necklace

How-To Tuesdays

Last week I shared a necklace that I made using some brocade and velvet scraps and simple chains. I love this piece, but I made it in a true creative moment with no camera in hand to capture the steps. Today I've finally got a tutorial to put up. I'm not a jewelry maker, and only have simple tools, so there could be better ways to work, but this is how I put it all together. Simple but gorgeous!

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January 29, 2010

How-To: Felt Owl Brooch

You'll be able to whip up this cute little felt owl brooch in a snap with the help of this fun tutorial from Laura of Bugs and Fishes by Lupin.

Velvet Charm and Chain Necklace

Sometimes inspiration hits me like a freight train. Ideas pop into my head with little warning, and I become completely obsessed with making them real. That's how it went with this necklace. I've had the brocade scraps and a hot pink velvet ribbon around the house for a while now, and during a recent trip to Michael's I scored chain and findings for $3. I often gather materials like this, (especially when they are on sale!) without any clue as to how I will use them. So on Wednesday night, when I had a hundred better things to do, this is what I did instead. I stiffened the brocade with a backing, and I cut the velvet ribbon into petal like strips. Then I just linked it all together with jump rings and chain. It took a bit of experimentation to find the perfect length, but I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome. Nothing is more rewarding than actualizing a concept into a wearable piece of art. Here's the thing, though, I was so in the moment while I was designing and creating the piece that I didn't stop to take step-by-step shots, but if you'd like, I can put together a tutorial. Just let me know in the comments! Cheers!

January 17, 2010

Clip-on Earrings to Necklace

This transformation of a pair of clip-on earrings to beautiful necklace from doe-c-doe is fantastic! See how she did it over on her blog.

January 14, 2010

3D Printed Bracelet From the Future

Will Langford made this 3D printed bracelet from the future with his MakerBot and some felt. Stylish! He's got them for sale in his Etsy shop.

January 13, 2010

How-To: Decoratively Twist Wire

Instructables user barefootbohemian shows us how to make perfect twisted wire for your art/jewelry using a screwdriver and cordless drill! I've seen a similar technique used in rope-making, too.

January 12, 2010

Interlocking Lego Rings

Heather from Dollar Store Crafts points us to these awesome interlocking Lego rings created by Shannon from Ruby Girl. Shannon creates the pieces using a sand casting process, which she details in this photo tutorial.

January 6, 2010

Colored Pencil Jewelry

I love the look of these fascinating jewelry pieces made from colored pencils by Italian designer Maria Cristina Belluci. [via HAUTE*NATURE]

January 5, 2010

Organizing Beads

Susan of West Coast Crafty shows you how to organize your beads with beaded labels for easy access. Love this! This was a tip she discovered last year while organizing her craft room. Stay tuned for an update from Susan in a Craft Spaces profile later this week!

How-To: Make a Jewelry Tree

This weekend I went crazy searching for a particular pair of earrings. My jewelry was a tangled mess and I was beyond frustrated trying to get ready in a hurry and not finding what I wanted. I decided then to take time out to craft a solution. This is a simple project that is cute, effective, and easy to create.

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