by Mark Montano
4 silver-tone jump rings
HERE’S HOW
1 Glue your letters together side by side on some wax paper with E-6000 and let dry.
2 Hold the safety pin with pliers and heat it with the tealight. Carefully poke a hole in the outer edge of each of the two end letters. These will be for your jump rings, so make sure the holes are big enough for a jump ring to fit.
3 Cut the chain into two 6-inch pieces. Attach jump rings to the end letters and attach a piece of chain from each jump ring.
4 Attach jump rings and a lobster claw to the ends of the chains for the closure.
ZAMBIA!
Not only could ZAMBIA! be the name of a Broadway show that Julie Tamor would direct, but it also fills me with images of vibrant colors and tribal drum beats. I think it perfectly describes this piece.
YOU’LL NEED
23 large zip ties
Perler beads in various colors (www.createforless.com has a terrific selection)
E-6000 glue
Scissors
9 inches of black chain
Crimp beads
2 silver-tone jump rings
1 silver-tone lobster claw closure
18 inches of silver beading wire
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
The perfect thing about large nylon zip ties is that the Perler beads fit on them perfectly without moving. If by chance the beads do move when you put them on the zip ties, dab some E-6000 at the base to keep them in place
HERE’S HOW
1 Create loops at the end of each of your 23 zip ties by closing the zip ties, leaving only a small hole at the ends.
2 String 10 beads each on 6 of the nylon ties.
3 String 15 beads on 6 of the nylon ties.
4 String 19 beads on 6 of the nylon ties.
5 String 21 beads on 5 of the nylon ties.
6 Cut two 41/2-inch pieces of black chain. Place the beading wire and a crimping bead on the end link of one of your 41/2-inch pieces of black chain. Your beading wire should be 15 to 17 inches long depending on the size of your neck.
7 Thread the beaded nylon ties in this order with a bead in between each nylon tie:
3 ties with 10 beads
3 ties with 15 beads
3 ties with 19 beads
5 ties with 21 beads
3 ties with 19 beads
3 ties with 15 beads
3 ties with 10 beads
8 Finish off your string of beaded nylon ties by looping the end of the beading wire over the end loop of your other 41/2-inch piece of black chain and using a crimping bead to secure it.
9 Add jump rings to the end of each chain and a lobster claw for the closure.
10 Trim the zip ties so that they graduate in length, with the longest strands in the middle.
PIN PIN POW!
I’ll admit it, I’m a hoarder! When I hit the dollar store, I stock up on things that I may or may not use right away. In my haul there are always packages of bobby pins and safety pins because I know that one day I WILL use them! That day has finally arrived! Bobby pins and safety pins make up the projects in this chapter, and I’ve done my best to use them in ways that are a little bit different. My favorite pieces are the Starbursts and Bobby’s Red Gem Necklace and Earrings. I know you’ll be able to take these ideas even further and make them your own. When you do, make sure you send me a shout-out and share with me what you made. I’m proud of you already!
BOBBIES AND CHAINS
I think today is the day you should challenge yourself to make something amazing out of an ordinary object. Things like bobby pins, paper clips, and simple chains can become amazing pieces of jewelry if you use your imagination and just go for it. I’m constantly on a quest for new ways to use common things. Any bit of chain you have hanging around your craft bin will work for this project.
YOU’LL NEED
12 inches of heavy-gauge wire that doesn’t bend easily
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
2 yards of various chains in silver and gold tones and in different sizes
95 bobby pins
24 inches of medium silver-tone chain
About 20 silver- or gold-tone jump rings
1 silver- or gold-tone lobster claw
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut your wire into three pieces: 4 inches, 31/2 inches, and 3 inches. Bend loops on one side of each piece with your needle-nose pliers.
2 Cut the medium silver chain into two 12-inch pieces. Thread the 4-inch wire through the bottom link of one of the 12-inch chains.
3 Place 40 bobby pins on the wire and thread the wire through the bottom link of the other 12-inch chain.
4 Create another loop with your needle-nose pliers. This will keep it in place.
5 Working up the necklace, measure above the first row of bobby pins the length of a bobby pin and add 3/8 inch. Thread the 31/2-inch wire through the chain.
6 Repeat steps 3 and 4, adding only 30 bobby pins.
7 Repeat steps 3, 4, and 5 for your last row of bobby pins, using only 25 bobby pins.
8 Add jump rings to the ends of your 12-inch pieces of silver chain and a lobster claw for the closure. The top wire is 3 inches long.
9 With jump rings and your various pieces of extra chain cut into 7- to 12-inch pieces, drape your chains and connect them to the 12-inch side chains, letting the sides of each chain dangle.
10 Repeat step 9 until you’re satisfied with your design.
STARBURST NECKLACE
I think this actually looks like the key to another dimension. If you were to neatly place the smaller stones, could you perhaps make your astrology sign? Just a thought.
YOU’LL NEED
90 (11/2-inch) silver- or gold-tone safety pins
Aluminum flashing
Tin shears or heavy-duty scissors with serrated blades
Scrap wood
7 inches of silver or gold medium-gauge wire
E-6000 glue
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
1 large flat-back crystal or acrylic gem
Several small flat-back crystals or acrylic gems
15 silver- or gold-tone jump rings
22 inches of small to medium gold or silver chain
1 silver- or gold-tone lobster claw
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut a 7-inch piece of the wire. String 60 safety pins on the wire.
2 Bend the wire into a circle, twist the ends together, and cut off the excess, leaving about 1/2 inch of twisted wire. Tuck this in between the safety pins.
3 With tin shears or heavy-duty serrated scissors, cut a 11/2-inch-diameter circle from the aluminum flashing. Glue your starburst of pins on the circle with E-6000 and let dry.
4 Glue the larger gem in the center of the starburst and let dry.
5 Glue the smaller gems in a random design around the starburst.
6 Place a jump ring on the end of one of the safety pins and attach at the center of your chain.
7 Place jump rings on the ends of the chain and a lobster claw for the closure.
8 Place three safety pins on the remaining jump rings and hang them from the bottom of the starburst as shown below. Add the remaining safety pins to the bottom of these to create a fringe effect.
STARBURST BRACELET
There is something cosmic about this design that reminds me of the ’50s.
YOU’LL NEED
Aluminum flashing
Tin shears or heavy-duty scissors with serrated blades
Scrap wood
7 inches of 18- to 20-gauge wire
Wide flat silver cuff
60 (1-inch) silver safety pins
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
E-6000 glue
1 large flat-back crystal or acrylic gem
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut a 7-inch piece of wire and string the safety
pins on it.
2 Bend the wire into a circle, twist the wire ends together, and cut off the excess, leaving about 1/2 inch of twisted wire. Tuck this in between the safety pins.
3 With tin shears or heavy-duty serrated scissors, cut a 11/2-inch-diameter circle from the aluminum flashing. Glue your starburst of pins onto the circle with E-6000 and let dry.
4 Glue your aluminum circle to the center of the metal bracelet with E-6000 and let dry.
5 Glue your crystal in the center of the starburst and let dry.
STARBURST BROOCH: (ODE TO TONY DUQUETTE)
Tony Duquette is one of my all-time favorite artist-designers. He loved dollar stores and using mundane materials to create magical jewelry and enchanting environments. I would stalk him if he were alive today and would have jumped at the chance to work as his assistant (I’d even have done the job for free!). Is there someone who inspires your creativity? If that person is still alive, you must let them know what they mean to you.
YOU’LL NEED
14 inches of medium-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Aluminum flashing
Tin shears or heavy-duty scissors with serrated blades
Scrap wood
60 large (no. 3) silver safety pins
60 smaller silver safety pins
25 gold and silver safety pins in various sizes
E-6000 glue
8 to 10 silver-tone jump rings
1 large flat-back crystal or acrylic gem
Black bugle beads
Elmer’s Glue-All
Krylon flat black spray paint
1 pin back
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut a piece of wire 7 inches long. String the 60 large safety pins on.
2 Bend the wire into a circle. Twist the wire to close off the circle, and cut off the extra wire, leaving about 1/2 inch of twisted wire. Tuck this in between the safety pins.
3 Repeat with the 60 smaller safety pins.
4 With tin shears or heavy-duty serrated scissors, cut a 2-inch-diameter circle from the aluminum flashing.
5 Glue your large starburst on the circle of flashing with E-6000 and let dry.
6 Glue your smaller starburst on top with E-6000 and let dry.
7 Glue your crystal or gem on top of both starbursts and let dry.
8 Smear Elmer’s glue all around the edges of the crystal or gem and sprinkle black bugle beads over the glue (as if it were glitter). Reapply glue and bugle beads if you feel you need more. Let dry in place.
9 Carefully spray the ends of the larger starburst of safety pins with the black paint and let dry. You can use any color—I just happen to like the black.
10 Create your safety pin dangler by adding some more bugle beads to the smaller pins and connecting them together and to the bottom of your pin with jump rings.
11 Glue on the pin back with E-6000 and let dry.
PIN-TASTIC BLINGED-OUT HANDBAG
I know you have an old bag hanging in your closet that you don’t know what to do with. Maybe it was a gift from a friend and you’re just not in love with it? Well, it’s time to give it a makeover and at the same time show the world how crafty you are! Prove that you’ve got plenty of glamour to spare.
YOU’LL NEED
Handbag in need of a makeover
1 yard of crystal chain (you can substitute a sparkly brooch here)
1 large flat-back crystal or acrylic gem in oval or square
E-6000 glue
Toothpicks
500 large (no. 3) silver safety pins (hunt around on the Internet to buy in bulk)
50 large silver-tone jump rings
Optional: Large-link silver-tone chain (or dog chain from the dollar store) if you need to replace the handle
HERE’S HOW
Important!
Your purse will end up looking different from mine. This is a technique that will work on many different kinds of handbags.
1 Glue down your large gem in the center of the bag with E-6000 and let dry.
2 With dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick, start at the edges of the gem, gluing and wrapping the crystal chain around the stone until you have a medallion the size you want in the middle of the bag.
3 Determine your safety pin design. You can do this on paper first—or just go for it! You can always remove pins if you’re not loving them. A good rule of thumb is to start around the edges and work your way in.
4 Line up your pins evenly as you pin around your bag. This will take a little practice, but it’s worth it for speed and accuracy.
5 Once you have one row of pins fastened to the bag, again with E-6000 on a toothpick, add more crystal chain as you need for your design, and let dry.
6 Continue adding more safety pins until your bag is covered.
7 Add three to five safety pins to a jump ring and add the jump ring to the end of a pin on the bottom of your bag to make the fringe.
8 Continue until you have the length of fringe you want.
9 Optional: Replace the handles with dog chain or some large-link chain. There are several ways to do this. You can cut the existing handle, leaving loops to go through the end links of the chain, then glue down the loops with E-6000, secure the bond with clothespins or small clamps, and let dry. If there are already loops that you could attach a chain to, you could just replace the existing handle with your chain.
PUNK CHIC DUSTERS
Most punk-inspired jewelry is silver, so I thought, why not give it a golden twist? Gold safety pins and chain make these dusters superchic.
YOU’LL NEED
2 gold-tone earring wires
E-6000 glue
2 flat eyes from hook and eye set
8 inches of crystal chain (I used green)
32 inches of small-link gold chain
8 gold-tone jump rings
16 small gold-tone safety pins
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut two 8-inch pieces of crystal chain. Glue your flat eyes on the end crystal of each piece of crystal chain with E-6000 and let dry.
2 Cut eight 4-inch pieces of the small-link gold chain. Place an earring wire, one safety pin, four chains, and crystal chain on a jump ring.
3 Create four additional jump rings filled with three safety pins each and add two to each earring randomly on one of the chains as shown in the photo.
4 Pin one more safety pin through one link of a chain.
PUNK ROCK SHOWGIRL
Last year I spent New Year’s Eve at the Moulin Rouge in Paris watching some very racy French showgirls in outrageously fancy costumes. My favorite part of the show was their attempt at American Pop music, but that’s another story! During the performance I got the idea for this showstopper. If I were able to wear it, I’d rock it with a white tank and jeans. Sadly, it just doesn’t look that good on me, but I’m sure there’s someone out there who can kick up her heels in it!
YOU’LL NEED
130 large (nos. 3 or 4) safety pins
140 jump rings
50 to 60 sparkly crystal beads
31/2 yards of chain
Patience
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut your chain into seven pieces with the following measurements:
2 pieces 33 inches long (see note below)
1 piece 10 inches
1 piece 9.5 inches
1 piece 8 inches
1 piece 7 inches
1 piece 6 inches
2 Wrap a 33-inch piece of chain around your arm to make your armhole and secure it with a jump ring. If you need to make the 33-inch pieces longer, now is the time to add the extra length you want.
3 Repeat for the other arm.
4 Take the 10-inch chain and, on every other link, add a jump ring with a safety pin hanging from it. This is going to take a while, so pop in your favorite DVD and hunker down.
5 Repeat step 4 for all of the re
maining pieces of chain (except the armhole chains!).
6 Add crystal beads on every few safety pins when you’ve completed your safety pin chains.
7 Put on your armhole chains and measure where you would like your first layer of safety pins to lie. Secure the piece across your chest with a jump ring. You could get some help from a friend, or mark it with a pin and use the exact measurement on the other side.
8 Repeat step 7 on the other, making sure that the chains are spaced symmetrically on both sides. Work from the largest safety pin chain to the smallest.
BOBBY PIN FRINGE
I challenged myself to do something a bit different with bobby pins for this book, and it was tough. Most of what I came up with initially had an Egyptian look, and I had a sneaking suspicion it had been done before. I thought this was a nice take on bobby pin jewelry. Using different colored pins for this might be really fun. Just a thought.
YOU’LL NEED
25 inches of large-link silver-tone chain (look for chain that a bobby pin will fit over easily—not too thick—and links that will take 5 bobby pins)
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
125 bobby pins
2 silver-tone jump rings
1 silver-tone lobster claw closure
HERE’S HOW