Cold Connections: How To Make This Free Easy Riveted Copper and Aluminum Pendant Project

1

With the disk cutter, cut a 1-inch disk of 26-gauge anodized aluminum. Be sure to lubricate your cutter well. You want to make your disk with as few strikes of the mallet as possible so you have perfectly even, well-shaped disks.

2

With your second color of anodized aluminum, cut a ⅝-inch disk.

3

Gently file your disks to remove any rough spots or metal tabs. Be careful not to change the shape of your disks; just make them smooth.

4

Use a ruler to determine the centers of both disks. Mark the center spots with a marker and punch a hole in those spots. (If you want to make a “funkier” piece, you can put the holes off-center for fun. It’ll vary the look of the piece and make it unique.)

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Punch a hole in your 1½″ round copper blank. (If you have a large disk cutter, you can cut your own. I usually keep a supply on hand. This particular copper blank is from Etsy.) I don’t usually punch the hole in the center of the blank; I prefer it to be off-center. But you can put the hole anywhere you’d like.

7

Line up the holes of your aluminum disks and copper blank and place a pre-made rivet or metal eyelet through all three holes. Sometimes, I like to make my own wire rivets, but to keep things simple, I used a pre-made eyelet that I purchased at my local craft store. Besides, I like the rather industrial look of eyelets.

8

Gently—oh, so gently—use the round end of your chasing hammer to secure your rivet. The best riveting advice I ever got was to think of your metal as a sheet of glass that will shatter if you hit too hard. You want to use a very light touch.

9

Determine where you want the top of your pendant to be then punch a hole in that spot. Open a jump ring with your chain-nose pliers, slide it through the hole, and close it.

10

Polish and seal your pendant with Renaissance Wax [affiliate link] and a polishing cloth. Concentrate on cleaning and shining your copper for a sparkling look.

11

At this point, you can hang your pendant from a nice chain and call it a day. But I like the look of a good leather cord. Cut an 18-inch length of cord and pass it through your jump ring bail. Crimp a cord end to each end. Open two jump rings. Attach a jump ring to one of the cord ends. Attach the other jump ring to the other cord end, add your clasp, and close the jump ring.