JEWELRY Articles 2 min read

Found-Object Jewelry: Create a Cheery Spoon-Link Necklace

Join us at Maker Festivals Colorado, the ultimate crafting extravaganza in Loveland from April 10-13, 2024, where the beloved Yarn Fest evolves with an exciting addition of beads and jewelry artists!

 

Happy Valentine's Day, jewelry-making friends! There's nothing like a handmade valentine, right? You just know that along with the glitter and doilies, there's so much love in a Valentine made by hand.

So to celebrate this lovely day (and a great new found-object jewelry-making DVD), we have an exclusive handmade-jewelry project created just for you: Candie Cooper's fun found-object Stirring Up Sunshine necklace.

Materials:

2 decorative iced-tea spoons
3 brass connector bolts
2 ceramic pinwheel links, 28mm
1 ceramic pinwheel link, 45mm
1 bird bead
filigree pieces
jeweler's saw and bench pin
jewelry-making pliers
permanent marker
hammer, center punch, and steel bench block
Dremel tool and #55 drill bit
copper and silver chain links (odds and ends work great!)
hook finding for clasp (you can make your own with half-hard wire)
1 20-gauge silver balled head pin
safety glasses

Steps:

  1. Make the Spoon Links: Mark the desired length of the spoon link on the spoon handle with a permanent marker. 

2. Place the handle on your bench pin and saw along the line. Repeat for the second handle. 

Additionally, you can saw off an extra 1" piece from the handle to create the bird's perch for the toggle clasp.

3. File the sawed ends of your pieces.
4. Mark the hole placement on each end of your links and in the center of the toggle piece with a permanent marker. Lay the pieces on the steel block. Place the point of the center punch on top of the hole mark and strike with end with a hammer. Repeat for remaining holes. Center-punching creates a start of a hole for your drill bit.
5. Wearing safety glasses, drill the holes in your links and toggle piece with a #55 drill bit.

6. Pinwheel Centers: String one or two filigree pieces onto the mini bolt, followed by the pinwheel. Screw the nut onto the bolt and trim, leaving a little extra. File the trimmed end so it isn't sharp. You can also add a touch of adhesive around the nut to ensure it doesn't come undone.

7. Assembly: There is no right or wrong way to use these spoon links—make a long chain of them for a belt or use a single one as a focal pendant! If you've come this far in your jewelry-making adventures, I know you know how to make connections. Have fun with it!

8. Bird on a Perch Toggle Clasp: String the bird and toggle piece onto the balled head pin and finish with a wrapped loop.

For this piece, I wanted to use up some odds and ends of large linked chain I had in my stash. With these pieces, I made two 4" sections of chain and connected them to the small pinwheels. The spoon links were connected to the large pinwheel with more big links. Attach the clasp to the end of the chain and you're good to go! —Candie

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Candie's Sources:
connector bolts: ObjectsandElements.com
pinwheel links: Jangles.net
Paloma bird bead: Tierra Cast

 

Found objects are my favorite jewelry-making supplies. Get creative with more found-object jewelry projects in Candie's new DVD, Remixed Media: Transforming Metal Found Objects for Your Jewelry. You can thank her for this fabulous exclusive project and learn more about her found-object jewelry designs on her blog.

What found objects do you use in your jewelry projects? Share in the comments below!

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