Measure, level, drill holes in the wall (woooo power tools!), and fix it to the wall!
Showing posts with label jewelry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label jewelry. Show all posts
Monday, August 4, 2014
Antler Jewelry Display
Okay. This one technically doesn't involve any sort of crafting. I casually mentioned to my father that if he had a full rack of antlers he didn't want, I'd like to mount some to hold my long necklaces. He immediately offered me a skull which he had cleaned a couple years ago. 8 points and lovely.
Since all the work was already done for me, I just had to hang it. The trick is using some really long screws (3.5") and some anatomy. The supraorbital foramen is the perfect size through which to drive a mounting screw.
Measure, level, drill holes in the wall (woooo power tools!), and fix it to the wall!
The rack is irregular, so it will always look a bit uneven. Fortunately, I'm not interested in symmetry.
There it is, all bedecked in my longer jewelry. Previous to this, all of my long necklaces were hanging from a single command hook. I'm happy to have them spread out. Even happier to have an excuse to own a deer skull. Feeling very Gaston now - I use antlers in all of my decorating!
Measure, level, drill holes in the wall (woooo power tools!), and fix it to the wall!
Monday, July 21, 2014
I Use Antlers in All of My Decorating...
I had a Gaston moment. Okay. Let's be honest. All my moments are Gaston moments where wildlife decor is concerned...
I've had this lust for antler jewelry for about a month now. I asked my dad for a tip to with which to work, but finally took matters into my own hands and purchased an antler tip marketed as a dog chew toy.
This necklace was pretty ridiculously simple to construct. I used 5 eye pins, a chain, 4 beads, and an antler tip.
Here's how it went down. I purchased my antler tip from the pet store, so I had to remove the maker's mark that had been stamped on it. The mark came right off with a little nail polish remover and elbow grease.
Then, I used a power drill to bore a hole through the thicker portion. I tried thinking of a MILLION ways to avoid drilling, but this was the easiest. In the end, I love the resulting look. And who doesn't like using power tools?
I threaded the antler with an eye pin, then trimmed the excess to form another eye on the opposite end. Before completely closing the second eye, I attached the prefabricated chain to it.
With that portion completed, I moved onto my bead work. I'll admit, I splurged on the beads and got a string of the good stuff. It's some sort of tumbled natural stone. I love the red and mottled gray/turquoise appearance.
I threaded each of the beads with eye pins, trimmed and created a second eye. Each time, I attached the next eye pin before closing the second eye. The result was a chain of beads. This could be accomplished with wire instead of pins. I was looking for fast results, so I went this route.
The last eye of the bead chain was attached to the prefabbed chain. The chain I used had a pattern of many small links with larger links sporadically interspersed. I saved one of the larger links to attach to the antler and the bead chain. This gives just a little bit more space so the beads can hang properly.
That's it! It took all of 30 minutes, and I can add on extra charms or feathers later if I find it too plain. I'm digging the simplicity for now.
Absolutely perfect! Here's the breakdown:
Antler tip: $5.78
Eye pins: $1.49
Beads: $6.79 (I used a coupon. Original price was $11.99)
Chain: $3.49
TOTAL: $17.55
If I had been more patient and less obsessed with these beads, I could have gotten away with this project for a little over $5.
I've had this lust for antler jewelry for about a month now. I asked my dad for a tip to with which to work, but finally took matters into my own hands and purchased an antler tip marketed as a dog chew toy.
This necklace was pretty ridiculously simple to construct. I used 5 eye pins, a chain, 4 beads, and an antler tip.
Here's how it went down. I purchased my antler tip from the pet store, so I had to remove the maker's mark that had been stamped on it. The mark came right off with a little nail polish remover and elbow grease.
Then, I used a power drill to bore a hole through the thicker portion. I tried thinking of a MILLION ways to avoid drilling, but this was the easiest. In the end, I love the resulting look. And who doesn't like using power tools?
I threaded the antler with an eye pin, then trimmed the excess to form another eye on the opposite end. Before completely closing the second eye, I attached the prefabricated chain to it.
With that portion completed, I moved onto my bead work. I'll admit, I splurged on the beads and got a string of the good stuff. It's some sort of tumbled natural stone. I love the red and mottled gray/turquoise appearance.
I threaded each of the beads with eye pins, trimmed and created a second eye. Each time, I attached the next eye pin before closing the second eye. The result was a chain of beads. This could be accomplished with wire instead of pins. I was looking for fast results, so I went this route.
The last eye of the bead chain was attached to the prefabbed chain. The chain I used had a pattern of many small links with larger links sporadically interspersed. I saved one of the larger links to attach to the antler and the bead chain. This gives just a little bit more space so the beads can hang properly.
That's it! It took all of 30 minutes, and I can add on extra charms or feathers later if I find it too plain. I'm digging the simplicity for now.
Absolutely perfect! Here's the breakdown:
Antler tip: $5.78
Eye pins: $1.49
Beads: $6.79 (I used a coupon. Original price was $11.99)
Chain: $3.49
TOTAL: $17.55
If I had been more patient and less obsessed with these beads, I could have gotten away with this project for a little over $5.
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Porcupine Quill Necklace
Finally back from Guatemala and crafting again!
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
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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