Do you have a favorite spacer bead? What is your go-to for your bead stringing? My favorite is…
How to Make a Glass Vial Necklace
August 28, 2014There is no denying that little glass bottle necklaces are adorable, and as keepsake jewelry they are easily adaptable for a multitude of themes. Whether you want to make the featured “Beachcomber” Vial Necklace, or a variation–this style of jewelry is easy to make. You might also consider filling your little bottle with dried flower petals, dandelion wishes, a lock of baby hair, a printed parchment scroll, tiny photos, sea shells, moss, feathers, ashes, or the other seemingly endless possibilities.
You will need the following supplies:
1 each 8mm round jump ring (I used item #37-167-1: 8mm round, white-plated jump ring)
3 each 3.2mm rondelle spacer beads (I used item #26-155-32-1: 3.2mm white-plated rondelle spacer bead)
1 each 2″standard head pin (I used item #37-422-1: 2″ white-plated standard head pin)
1 each clear glass bottle (I used item #30-187-3515: 32x15mm clear glass bottle)
1 each 12mm faceted rondelle crystal bead
1 each ball chain clasp (I used item #40-801-1: 2.4mm white-plated ball chain clasp)
24 inches ball chain (I used item #40-889-1: 1.8mm white-plated ball chain)
And Treasures to fill your vial:
20 each 4mm Swarovski crystal bicone beads (I used #05-328-04-116, #05-328-04-124, #05-328-04-407, #05-328-04-90, and #05-328-06-138.)
1 each 17x7mm white-plated key charm
Glitter (I used Tim Holtz Distressed Glitter “Clear Rock Candy“)
You will need the following tools:
mini spoon / tiny glitter scoop
♥Get Inspired! If you loved making the “Beachcomber” Vial Necklace, visit the Rings & Things Design Gallery and get inspired! You will find instructions for making the following necklaces (just click the image for details):
Make things!
Mollie
How to Make a Metal Box
October 28, 2013Make A Metal Box
A small metal box was turned into a framed reliquary, containing an antiqued frozen Charlotte doll. Create your own metal box that can be transformed into memory jewelry, a tiny shrine or used for some other whimsical (or practical) purpose.
To make a metal box, first decide on the type of metal, and the size of the box you want to create. I recommend using 20 gauge sheet metal for strength and durability. Copper or brass sheet metal are nice choices as they are inexpensive and they antique nicely.
Anneal the metal before cutting so that it can be manipulated more easily. Heat it with a torch until it is glowing red, let it cool naturally and clean thoroughly.
Cut the metal to size. This box was 1-1/2″ long and 3/4″ wide. It is 3/8″ deep. Draw lines of box using a Sharpie pen.
Cut one line of each corner to the point where it intersects with another line. Using wide flat nose pliers, bend the ends in, and the sides up, to create the box shape. Carefully fold each end of the box into place, making the corners square and secure. File if needed to remove any uneven edges.
Antique and colorize all parts you intend to assemble.
Fill back of frame with two-part epoxy. Center box over ornate brass frame and press into epoxy to place.
Using a two-part epoxy, UV resin, jeweler’s grade resin or other strong, clear glue, embed your treasures into your framed metal reliquary. Small toys, souvenirs, images layered in resin and tiny mementos are all used in creating custom memory jewelry.
Use epoxy to attach a magnet, let it cure and you are done! (Note: You could also attach a pin back or changeable bail in the same manner for a DIY jewelry brooch or pendant).
Questions? Please post them below!
Create a Hinged Metal Memory Journal
July 18, 2013Use a hinge to turn shrine-shaped metal blanks into a journal!
Slide tubing down the channel and finesse hinges as needed. Rivet tubing into place to finish the hinge. Open and close hinge to ensure a proper fit.
Carefully clean and polish the pendant before attaching the necklace chain.
Handmade jewelry looks great on a custom beaded necklace, on leather cording, silk ribbon or chain. I created a necklace by making individual links using the one-step looping plier, eye pins, metal beads and natural agates. The links were connected using jump rings.
How to Create a Reliquary Pendant
May 20, 2013I love keepsake jewelry, and this reliquary necklace is perfect for capturing mementos. You can adapt this pendant design to make your own personalized jewelry; encase a family photo, dried flower petals from a special event, or perhaps a lock of baby hair.
The following is a DIY tutorial for making a glass bezel shrine necklace.
Vintaj Road Trip Design Challenge!
June 20, 2012Hi bloglandia! We are really excited to be partnering with Vintaj for their Summer Road Trip design challenge this month. Visit their blog to see the great jewelry their designers created by pairing beads & components from Rings & Things with Vintaj products. The Vintaj blog also has all the details about how to enter the contest! Submissions are due by NOON (CST) Friday, June 29. But wait – don’t go yet!
Over the next couple of weeks we’ll share some of our own Summer Road Trip jewelry pieces, starting with Sondra’s “The Trail Less Traveled” bracelet:
She used so many fun techniques that I’m sure I’ll miss a few, but here are the highlights:
The Vintaj luggage tags were DecoEmbossed with the Sizzix BigKICK. Sondra punched holes to in the tags to link them with textured locking jump rings.
She curved the postcard charm and souvenir penny using bracelet bending pliers.
The Vintaj bee and several other charms have the tips of rhinestone crystal head pins soldered onto them for extra bling.
The memoir stamp bezel from Vintaj is filled with a scrap of map coated with SuperClear resin.
The rest of the sparklies are from our Karma Chameleon Crystal Jam. Check out our Crystal Jam color themed design boards on Pinterest!
Ok. Now you can go get started on your own Summer Road Trip design challenge piece! We can’t wait to see what you create! ~ Cindy
Little House on the Pendant
May 8, 2012Hi bloglandia! Today’s design question: What memories or images do you have that are worth framing?
I just stumbled across this photo of some little house hinged pendants our design team made awhile back. It always amazes me how you can give people, in this case 9, the same jewelry component and end up with such completely different results! Our hinged glass frame pendants are reversible, so you can have two images inside if you’d like! (Also check out the memory boxes, which aren’t two sided but are deep enough to hold all sorts of treasures.)
From the bottom right going clockwise, you see the following jewelry designs:
Selina made the Dia de los Muertos paper collage, another jewelry designer used fabric and a peace sign, Mollie has a spritely fairy with star charms, Lindsey made a ginormous, interactive wooden pendant, Amy captured summer childhood memories, Sondra soldered up some enlightenment, I used one of my favorite vacation photos, a bulldog earned a crown and wings, and Rita created a wee house inside her frame. Hopefully one or more of these designs will inspire you to frame some mementos of your own! ~ Cindy
Glass Bezels: Clearly show off your treasures!
April 27, 2012Glass bezels are great! You can make your own by using a bottle cutting tool from Delphi. This tool is also pretty handy to convert old wine bottles and beer bottles into drinking glasses and votive holders. Check out this video from Six in the Suburbs Blog to see how easy it is to cut glass bottles. However, if you aren’t quite ready to go down the path of cutting glass, we have a solution for you here at Rings & Things: Glass Bezels already made and ready to fill with all of your wonders!