Jewelry Making with a Wax Seal Stamp & Clay!

I love jewelry.  Really, I love all accessories.  My family loves to tease me about my giant sun hats and outrageous necklaces.  This year for Christmas my husband actually bought me a jewelry armoire.  We decided a jewelry box was nowhere big enough for all my stuff, so he got me a 4 foot tall jewelry storing beast!  I love it!  I guess that has put me in an even bigger jewelry mood because I have been dabbling in jewelry making since that day.  First I made a metal stamped necklace and now this:

The strap is basic enough, just braided DMC thread, but the "charm" on it... that's baked clay that I shaped with a wax seal stamp!

Does everyone know what I'm talking about when I say "wax seal stamp"?  It is a type of stamp that is often used in formal occasions (weddings, etc.) to seal up an envelope.  To use it, you melt a stick of wax onto the paper then press the stamp into it.  I happened to just own this because I am a sucker for that type of thing.

For this project however, no wax is needed.  Here IS what you will need:

You may actually use any type of thread that you are comfortable with.  I could not find what I was looking for, but I think DMC thread is easy to work with.

I chose the blue and green shades because they are included as some of the "HOT NEW COLORS OF 2013" (this may be the first time I am ever actually up on trends!) and I thought gold was a nice accent color.

{How to Make It}

{1} First, gather a small amount of clay and press the design into it with the wax seal stamp.

 
MAKE SURE to put holes in the clay BEFORE you bake it.  I used a safety pin to do this.

{2} Bake the clay as instructed and allow it to cool.

{3}  Paint the clay and let it dry.

{4} String the thread through the holes in the clay piece. You will need three pieces of thread to braid,
       so cut evenly measured strips of thread (I used 2 greens and 1 blue). Place a green piece on each
       side, making it loop through the holes. The blue thread will be shared between the two, giving each
       side a third piece.

{The pattern on the back came from pressing the clay on top of paper towel!}

{5} Once the pieces are in place, tie the green threads in a knot to secure everything.  When this step is
       finished, it should look like this from the back:

{6} All you have left to do is to braid each side.  I knotted mine at the ends and added a little gold bead to each thread.  I also made my bracelet adjustable- but that is up to you.

To make it adjustable:  Take a separate piece of thread and with the ends of the bracelet overlapping each other by a few inches (the whole thing being in a circle shape like it would be on your wrist), tie a loose knot.  Then, flip it over to the other side and tie a knot again.  Repeat by flipping the bracelet over back and forth until you have several knots in a row.  This should work as a holder, which allows the bracelet threads to slide back and forth.  (Sorry I don't have pictures of this!)

{I also made a long braided piece with blue, green and white to be worn with this bracelet}

{Your Turn!}

I have always loved the look of the wax seal and now I get to wear that look around with me all day!  What do you think?  For more ideas on jewelry making, check out these posts on charm bracelets with buttons, "grown-up" shrinky dink necklaces and my metal stamped necklace.  Enjoy!

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann

LINK LOVE! Linked up to: Every Day is an Occasion

Make Your Own Charm Bracelet (Using Buttons!)

Happy Thursday!  I don't know about you, but I love jewelry.  Not so much the expensive, wear all the time kind of jewelry (except my wedding rings of course)  but all of the fun jewelry that can be swapped out daily for different looks.  I have everything from vintage beads to a 3 inch roadrunner necklace (really).  I even have a replica of the "Heart of the Ocean" from Titanic, which I actually do wear out sometimes.

Although there is something to be said about running across a piece of jewelry that you love and never would have dreamed of making (i.e. roadrunner necklace), making your own jewelry can be a quick and easy way to create the exact piece that you desire.  So, today I will show you how to make a charm bracelet.  The best part?  You can use BUTTONS; no need to buy a slew of expensive charms from the store.

It is so easy, we wont need a full tutorial.  Let me just tell you a few things:

{Materials}

{1} Variety of charms, buttons, beads, etc.  I had a package of small charms (the ones hanging in the picture) that I used in between the bigger pieces.  Buying a pack of these might come in handy.  All the other pieces are vintage looking buttons that I already owned.

{2} Jump Rings.  A pack of these from the store will last you through several bracelets.

{3} Cable Chain.  I think that is what it is called.  Any chain that fits around your wrist and can be hooked to the jump rings will work.


{How to Make it}
Simply attach each charm piece to the bracelet by using the jump ring. I laid out the order I wanted the charms to be in before I began.

Wow... I feel like I should say more, but it is really that easy.  Open the jump rings using pliers or any similar tool, or if you're a toughie- open them with your fingers.

That is really all there is to it.  Now go off and make your own!

{Your Turn}
What sort of charms would you put on your bracelet? I went with a sort of vintage look, using mostly gold, silver, and bronze tones. See the little elephant at the bottom? That was my special touch (it is my favorite animal). You could make these for yourself, friends, even children. There are buttons and beads in a variety of themes that are bound to fit any request. Enjoy picking out your own charms and creating a unique and beautiful piece of jewelry.

Happy Crafting,
Kelsie Ann

LINK LOVE!  Linked up to: Every Day is an Occasion