Free jewelry making tutorials, craft ideas, design inspirations, DIY, projects, tips and tricks and trends
Inspiring creativity with Latina style and sparkle - crafts, DIY, recipes, and storytelling by Kathy Cano-Murillo, The Crafty Chica!
Limited Edition! I've made a very small batch of our familiar "Mezzaluna" designs with hand-stamped phases of the moon in each blade. This is a very time-consuming process - one wrong move and the piece is completely ruined... but totally worth it to reimagine the look of a few of these popular designs with one of my favorite motifs. These sweet hoops make great "every day" earrings. They are sterling silver on the outside and inside. Hammered Medium Sterling Silver Wide Hoops: 1 5/8" diameter x 5/8" deep/wide at their bottom-centers, their widest points. Sterling Silver wires is used to suspend them.
When you start working with wire, you need tools. Often, I am asked, "What tools do I need for wire-wrapping?" There is a huge range of jewelry tools available. I would say you need four tools for sure :) But...The more you work, the more tools you have, believe me. So, let's look at some tools. Pliers. 1 - Chain nose pliers have tapered tips, smooth jaws and slightly rounded edges for shaping and bending. They are very useful for opening and closing jump rings. 2 - Wire cutters are for cutting wire and headpins. To cut memory wire use special memory wire shears! 3 - Nylon jaw pliers have plastic jaws. These pliers really useful for straightening wire. Hold one end of the wire between the jaws of a pair of flat nose pliers in your non dominant hand and hold the nylon nose pliers in your other hand. Place the nylon nose pliers on the wire, next to the flat nose pliers, then draw the pliers along the wire to remove any kinks and to straighten it. Notice: the more you straighten the wire, the harder it becomes! 4 - Flat nose pliers designed for making sharp bends and right angles in wire. Flat nose pliers can also grip flat objects and work well for straightening bent wire. 5 - Round nose pliers have tapered, conical jaws for making round wire loops and curves. Use them to round ends of memory wire or to loop wire for beading and wire wrapping designs. If you want to make consistent sized loops, mark the pliers with a permanent marker so that you always place your wire in the same place. 6,7 - Bail making pliers have round, barrel-shaped jaws that help you create the perfect bail for any sized pendant. Also, I have another extra tools that I use in my wire work. 8 - Steel bench block won't go anywhere as you work to texture, flatten and shape your metal pieces. Use this block for your metal stamping work too! 9 - Chasing hammer has a large face for flattening and a ball-peen side for riveting and metal design. If the head of a Chasing Hammer is totally flat, then you will mar your wire if the edge of the hammer happens to hit it. If it is too convex, there is only a small striking area in the middle. Choose a hammer that is only slightly convex. 10 - Steel Ring mandrel for forming and shaping rings sizes 1-15. Unlike plastic ring mandrels, you can use this solid metal mandrel for hammering metal. Form rings directly on mandrel! 11 - Automatic Wire twister. Twist almost any size wire at twice the speed! Also, I use the twister to coil the wire! Just love it! 12 - Pin vise for twisting short-to medium-length wires. What's your favorite jewelry making tool?
Sometimes commercial stamps just wont cut it...not everyone makes an = sign, a + sign or a simple circle. That's why this technique can come in handy! 1. Start by procuring a set of steel nails. I bought hardened steel masonry nails. I should have bought longer ones (Mine are a bit short, but work fine). 2. Get a nice hot torch (I'm using a big acetylene torch). Put your nail on a fire safe surface & surround it with a few soldering blocks to keep the heat in. Turn on the torch & heat up the TIP of the nail only. Once it gets red hot, pull away the heat & let the nail cool slowly. 3. Take a jeweler's saw & saw off the tip of the nail to create a flat surface 4. Now plan out your design. I needed an = stamp, so I'm doing a simple bit of lines. Your stamp is only as good as your carving. For the first one, go with something easy- straight lines are super easy, as are basic circles (polish the outer edge then drill out the center). I did a + sign that was VERY hard to cut, but with the right tools in my flexshaft, it was possible. 5. Start by deciding how big your stamps surface should be. I used a file to taper down the head of the nail to be the square size of my final = sign marks. I then sharpied on the top two lines that I wanted to follow 6. Use a jeweler's saw, metal files, flex shaft bits, drill bits..whatever works to carve in your design. As you go, test out the design by stamping it into soft copper to see how it looks 7. Once you've finished carving, heat the tip of the nail back up, but this time once it's nice & glowing hot, QUENCH IN COLD WATER. This will harden it up 8. Now do some final finishing..I like to buff mine with a polishing compound like Zam. This will smooth out any tool marks & make it stamp cleanly. Then start stamping away!
Free tutorial to make a heart shaped jewelry clasp using copper craft wire and basic tools perfect for beginner wire jewelry maker
How to use a soldering iron and rubber stamps to make stamped solder jewelry.
I Always Pick The Thimble created a tutorial that we just couldn’t have done better. Karen, blogger and owner of the store Urban Arts + Crafts in Kansas City, walks you through the many lessons she has learned about metal stamping. This post is one in a series of tutorials that Karen is letting us [...]
Metal stamping for beginners, a step by step tutorial and video on what supplies you need and how to get started with metal stamping.
Free jewelry tutorials, plus a friendly community sharing creative ideas for making and selling jewelry.
Hey, Hey! I was doing some metal stamping the other day and thought might as well snap some photos and make a tutorial out of it. It's super easy and fun. Stamping is great for personalizing jewelry for gifts. How about that apple necklace as a teacher gift, what teacher wouldn't love it? Here's the how-to. Supplies: Metal stamping blanks, metal letter stamps, an anvil or metal plate( for placing blank on), masking tape, permanent marker, flat surfaced hammer, ball pein hammer (optional) First, you'll need to place your stamping blank onto your metal anvil or plate. Place the tape over the top of the blank. This will hold it in place while your stamping. It also makes the stamps stay in one place while hammering. With your marker, write out what you would like to stamp. This will be a guide for your stamping. Start by placing the letter standing upright on the blank. With your flat surfaced hammer, hit the top of the stamp 2-3 times without moving the stamp out of place. Continue across your blank, stamping all of your letters. When your finished with stamping, remove the tape from your blank. If you would like your stamp to have more texture, you can use the rounded side of your ball pein hammer to add some. I just randomly bang around on the blank. To make the letters stand out more on the blank, scribble over them with the permanent marker. Take a cloth and rub the blank. This will push the marker into the crevices. You're finished with your stamping. Update: So many have asked for the supplies, here are some Amazon links to get you started stamping. Mini Anvil, ball pein hammer, letter stamps, tape, and stamping blanks. Enjoy! Visit my Website, Etsy Shop, Blog, Facebook
Over the holiday break (oh, I’m so busted…I wasn’t suppose to be working), I came across this great tutorial from I Can’t Stop Making Things. Thank you Gail for the great tutorial! I’m so excited to try this. To see Gail’s full tutorial, please visit her site Cant Stop Making Things | More Rubber Stamped Jewelry. [...]
Wire rivets are a great way to attach two pieces of metal. Wire rivets can be used in small tight spaces and also can be made to disappear into the surface if needed. Working with a small curved surface can...
Making good cold connections is an essential skill for every jewelry maker. Don't miss these 7 tips about riveting & other cold connections.
This week is a big week for me. I am the girl’s camp director for my church and girl’s camp starts tomorrow (!!!) and goes through Saturday. So, behind the home decor scenes I have also been brushing up on my knots, making schedules, and preparing activities and crafts for months. One big theme for […]
Metal stamping for beginners, a step by step tutorial and video on what supplies you need and how to get started with metal stamping.
**UPDATE** I have been receiving a lot of emails in regards to the gauge of the necklace. I recommend using either an 18 or 16 gauge wire. Please remember that the higher the gauge number, the thinner the wire is. Choose wisely depending on the word you wish to form. Thanks for your patience and support! Got the Monday/post holiday blues? No worries because today is a special day! Why? Because I get to showcase one heck of a gal! Allow me to introduce you to the ever so talented and charming Megan Lewis of Four Girlies. Yep, that's right folks. Not only is she creative and lovely in every sense of the word, but she is the mother to 4 beautiful daughters - A stellar mother, at that! Seriously folks - the kind of mom I aspire to be! A big round of applause for Megan, please! Hello I am Megan, a mother of four girlies that keep me busy. I love to get my creative juices flowing and making stuff. Sometimes I think that I use crafting and creating as therapy, but I mostly do it because my girlies love it and we work on things together. Today I am happy to be showing you my tutorial on my Love Script Necklace Materials that you will need: -chain of your choice (a great way to refashion an old necklace!) -2 jump rings -clasp - 16 gauge wire -round nose or needle nose pliers -computer/printer First, you will want to find a cursive font on your computer. It's important to find a font that connects all the letters together. Once you have selected a font, print it out at your desired font size. (Don't have a good cursive font on your computer? Go here to download some great free fonts!) Now you can lay your wire out over the text and form your wire to your font. Next, attach the jump rings to each side of your letter and to each end of your chain Finally, finish with a clasp of some sort and wear! The options are endless you could spell anything. I have made a few personalized necklaces for gifts too! *************** Want to see more of Megan's skilled work? Just check out her tutorial on her light letters How about this adorbs tent she made for her girlies? And be sure to check out Megan's blog for some seriously unique and creative party ideas! With four daughters in the home, there are bound to be some good times. Like this cereal party! Be still my beating heart! CEREAL PARTY!!??? Indeed! ***************** Thank you big time to Megan of Four Girlies for gracing the cyber pages of H is for Handmade! It's an honor and a pleasure!
Steps to make a beautiful and simple spiral wire ring with a domed top using thick wire
I decided to try some other resists other than PnP I used the Sharpie's to help with the other bracelets and decided to use a rubber stamp and some copper pipe to make some large beads. I got some copper pipe from Home Hardware - 3/4" and cut it with the pipe cutter Using Staz On Opaque - White (was all I had ) as a resist I prepared the rubber stamp and rolled the cleaned pipe over the rubber stamp. The Staz on dries pretty quickly I stamped a copper blank as well and put them into the etching solution (ferric Chloride) I put plasticine on the end fo the pipe to keep the ferric chloride out of the centre of the pipe I used a plastic container - round and tall for the pipe - was an old container from Crystal Lite I filled but not all the way to the top with Ferric Chloride and set i on the heat plate - its not too hot that it would melt the plastic container - this is still a work in progress - got to find a better way to put into the accid - maybe hanging sealing off the end with silicone or a cork I put a piece of tape across the top to ensure the pipe did not move after about 2 hours I pulled out the sampler The Staz On worked beautiflully - did not come off and the etch lines were clean I was truly surprised and pleased with the pipe I'l going to see about using smaller pipe so I can bend - picked up pipe bender from princess auto I cut pieces after - the edges are not perfect but I can fix that , not sure how to finish yet. I might solder or reduce the ends - or even flare - O that sounds like a plan Once the ends are soldered then I will enamel this entails using a solder that is a higher temp than the enamel The reduced ends are perfect for the punched circles I have ready but that is tomorrow ALSO CHECK OUT ANOTHER BOG THREAD FOR THE PNP BLUE APPLICATION http://deborahreadcom.blogspot.ca/2013/08/etched-copper-pipe-using-pnp.html
Love the looked of metal stamping, but wanting to keep your crafting budget to a minimum? Use empty soda cans to create DIY stamped metal tags! Let me show you how it's done.There is something so gratifying about taking something that would otherwise be tossed in the garbage or recycling bin and turning it into
Expand your jewelrymaking repertoire with howtos for finishing metal with a rustic look rollerprinted patterns the backs sides and hardtosee places copper and overlays patinas and more.
I have received many questions regarding soldering, and the ins and out of it. I thought it would be fun, and hopefully helpful if I put together a little tutorial. A few important notes: ~I am not an expert in...
Learn Helen Driggs' 12 ways to create texture on metal, including how to use multiple hammers together for fresh effects--plus how to hammer evenly!
Whether you are stringing beads, doing wirework, soldering or hammering, we've rounded up the jewelry making tools you need!
I Always Pick The Thimble created a tutorial that we just couldn’t have done better. Karen, blogger and owner of the store Urban Arts + Crafts in Kansas City, walks you through the many lessons she has learned about metal stamping. This post is one in a series of tutorials that Karen is letting us [...]
Improve your metalsmithing techniques and metal jewelry designs with these 6 expert tips. No soldering or sawing required in these helpful tips!
