Tutorial: Recycled Denim Yo-Yos

Cute and eco-friendly, recycled denim yo-yos are great for
 attaching to headbands, hair clips, purses and many more!

Step One

Step Two

Step Three

Step Four

Tutorial: Satin Flower

I love working with satin when making fabric flowers because, much like satin ribbon, heat will seal the edges, leaving no worries about hemming or fraying. These satin flowers are great for almost anything, from headbands and hair clips to adorning clothing and purses.

Supplies
-Cardstock flower pattern
-Satin
-Straight pins
-Lighter (a longnose BBQ lighter works best)
-Needle and thread
-Button



Half-Hour Crafts: Fabric Yo-Yo Flowers



A super simple half-hour craft, fabric yo-yo flowers
 can adorn headbands, purses or clothes

Supplies

• Fabric of your choice
• Needle and thread
• Button

Tutorials: Wire and Bead Earrings

For a quick and easy jewelry project, make a pair of these wire and bead earrings.

     
      Supplies

• Wire nippers
• Round nose pliers
• Top-drilled glass beads
• Eye pins
• Gold jewelry wire
• Earring hooks

1. Thread an eye pin through the bead and create a loop with the round nose pliers. Snip excess and close loop. For uniformity in the size of the loops, insert the round nose pliers through the eye pin and mark the pliers with a permanent marker to record its width. Create all further loops at the width mark.

2. Nip two 3-inch lengths of 18 gauge gold wire. Find the median point and create a loop. Hold pieces together to ensure uniformity, and snip the ends if uneven.

3. Using a mandrel or thick magic marker, bend the tails toward each other to form curves.  

4. Create a loop at both ends of the wire and thread through the eyes on the bead. Close loops and attach the earring hooks through the top loop.

Favorite Fives: Craft and Jewelry Wire



Use 20 gauge silver-plated wire

for making charm bracelets.



1. Silver-Plated Wire



With an unlimited number of uses, silver-plated wire is a staple for any wire and bead jeweler. Wonderful for making charm bracelets, rings, earrings, and for wrapping river stones, silver-plated wire comes in a variety of gauges. Non-tarnishing and forever bright, this wire is an excellent, more cost effective alternative to sterling silver. To get started, invest in a spool of 18, 22 and 24 gauges. Look for the brands Artistic Wire (artisticwire.com) and Beadalon (beadalon.com).



14 gauge stainless steel cuff bracelets.



  2. Stainless Steel Wire

Versatile and strong, stainless steel wire is wonderful for cuff bracelets, pendants and pendant frames and neck wires. Available at any home improvement store, stainless steel wire in sizes 14 and 16 gauge is inexpensive and easily polished with steel wool.



Copper Wire Bead Cluster Pendant



 



 

3. Copper Wire

Excellent for use with earthtone colored beads, copper wire is just as versatile as silver-plated wire. For an organic flair in your jewelry collection, invest in a variety of gauges and tones of copper wire. For a darker copper color, look for Parawire's (parawire.com) Vintaj natural brass colored wire.





Wire wrapped bead ring made with
20 gauge aluminum wire.





 

  4. Aluminum Wire

Thick yet soft, aluminum wire is great for making wire wrapped bead rings. Easy to manipulate, aluminum wire hardens as it is wrapped and retains its shape and color.

18 gauge gold wire earrings.
Earring Tutorial Available





 

5. Gold Colored Wire

Another versatile wire is gold colored wire. The 18 gauge gold wire by Artistic Wire (artisticwire.com) is strong and non-tarnishing. Use for earrings, rings, charm bracelets and pendants!