This little project I've been planning for a long time, but never made the final steps to buy supplies and make it a reality.
It's no secret that I love animals (duh) and I love wearing jewelry with animal flair. I have had a small collection of naturally-shed porcupine quills from a North American porcupine, Peggy Sue, for years. After clearing the project with the zoo director a couple years ago, this idea took a back seat to things like my wedding, vet school, and other small crafts. But the day has come! Here's my porcupine quill necklace:
The inspiration came from a simple necklace by K/LLER that paired a natural quill with a metal quill on a long chain. Easy enough to complete, but I put it off because I couldn't find the right metal quill for sale. Additionally, I couldn't find any tutorials on working with quills on Pinterest or by Googling.
First, let me give a small homage to Peggy Sue, the best porcupine this side of the Mississippi. She was a wonderful animal ambassador for the zoo, and when she finally passed, both zoo staff and the community mourned her. She was a favorite. Shortly before Peggy Sue left us, I collected some quills from her enclosure.
A few observations about porcupine quills:
1. Porcupines are a bit greasy, and the side of the quill that attaches to the body is often a bit rough and will need to be cleaned.
2. The opposite end has a barb that lessens the force required to penetrate skin while simultaneously making it very difficult to remove. You can read more about this feature here.
3. The quills are hollow.
I cleaned the quills and removed the barbs first. I used scissors to cut about 1/16 of an inch below the barb to ensure that I had cut off the small tapering that occurs just before the barb as well.
As far as other materials, I went to Von's and found a great chain and what I believe were labelled "tube closures." I chose a chain with a bit more detail than my inspiration piece by K/LLER.
I liked the uneven tails that were formed by crossing the chain, so I mimicked that detail by using the links of the chain itself to create the cross.
Then, I placed my trimmed quills in the tube closures and crimped them shut. I chose not to use new jump rings and instead used the small links from the chain. The jump rings I had on hand were so large that they ruined the delicate, streamlined effect of the chain and quills.
Voila! I regret putting this project off for so long. It was really easy and I love the result. Even though I couldn't find a metal quill, I really like the contrast of metal and natural porcupine. If I change my mind, I have some gold spray paint I could try to mimic the metallic quill of the K/LLER design.
The final cost/savings analysis:
- K/LLER original: $125
- Peggy Sue quills: free, but you can easily find cheap porcupine quills for sale
- Chain: $7.75
- Tube closures: $0.30
- Labor time: 30 minutes
Total: $8.05
TOTAL SAVINGS: $116.95
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