April Assemblage DIY

May 11th is Mother's Day

~ create a special & meaningful gift ~

~ Beautiful Dangling Assemblage Cluster ~

from the Charm Hunter

This beauty can be assembled in one afternoon.
Grab a friend, you daughter or granddaughter and create
something beautiful together!  This would make a FABULOUS
Mother's Day gift too!

Grab that jewelry box, sewing kit and stash of broken pieces!  This is a fun

and wonderful "quality" time activity to spend with your best friend or loved one.

The Charm Hunter's Supply List:

             (double this list if creating with a friend!)

• 30" (or more) link chain (a 15" drop)
• toggle clasp
• 6 pieces of short misc chain pieces
• 8 6-8mm jumprings
• 6 random jewelry elements                                     (pearls, stones, shell, buttons, pendants, bling, etc)
• 2 pair pliers

                          THAT'S IT!

STEP BY STEP....

                     

You'll need about 30" (+ or -) of any type of link chain.  You may already have or can 

purchase inexpensively at your local craft store.  I like this length because it fits right over 

your head without needing to add a clasp.  You'll also need a medium size toggle clasp, 

also readily available at your local craft store or online.

The two piece toggle clasp already comes with a link attached to each piece.  I've used 

two straight pins to show how I used a jumpring to attach each part of the toggle to the 

same link in the center of the link chain.  (Do not follow the instructions on the toggle clasp packaging.  We are using the toggle as a decorative element and not as a clasp.)  Use 

your pliers, one in each hand, to open the break in the jumpring by gently pulling and 

prying in opposite directions.  If you've never tried this before, view THIS LINK first.

Next, lay out six pieces of random chain.  They can be of any size and color.

Most pliers have a cutting portion on the top inside of the pliers.  If yours 

do not, you may need a pair of cutting pliers OR simply use the above method

in the link provided above to pry apart an individual link in the chain.  I planned

on each piece being no longer than 3".  Each strand should be cut at

different and random lengths.  There's no rules, just play around with

different lengths.  You can always cut them shorter if needed.

Here are my miscellaneous elements...shell, button, pearls, crystals, etc.

Use your pliers and begin attaching your elements to your pieces of chain.

Once you you have all your elements attached to the ends of your chain

strands, lay them out at varying lengths to see which need adjusting.

Move them around and shorten chains that need shortening.

Now open each jumpring wide enough to fit into the end of each chain link

and then onto the round part of toggle clasp.  Once you've attached to

 both pieces, pull and pry back into the closed position.

Continue with all chain strands.

Wallah!

See other Assemblage Jewelry

I hope you've enjoyed this month's DIY.

Even more-so, I'd like to see YOUR projects!

Please post and share your re-assemblage projects here.

               

                                        Warmest Aloha, Susan

                aka The Charm Hunter          Visit my shop here

March's DIY Project

 Re-Assemblage Charm Necklace...

from The Charm Hunter

"Re-Assemblage" Charm NecklaceDesign by The Charm Hunter

What is Re-Assemblage?  Assemblage art was born as an act of recycling and repurposing. Fundamentally, it is accomplished by taking something that is broken (or without use in its current form) and putting it together with other found objects to create a piece of art.  Like pieces of a puzzle, you too can use found elements to re-create something new, beautiful and one-of-a-kind.

The Charm Hunter's Supply List:  

• Seed bead necklace
• Miscellaneous chains, 5 short pieces
• Rhinestone strand 
• Crystal Chandelier Glass Disk
• Miscellaneous beads, pearls, bling, crystals, buttons, etc
• 24 gauge beading wire
• 3mm jumprings
• 2 pair jewelry pliers

My Big Beautiful Mess!
I'm really a very organized person, but somehow I always
end up working with a pile that looks like this!

STEP by STEP...

As always, make use of what you have.  Mismatched earrings, broken chains, buttons, and out of style jewelry pieces can transformed.  And as I've always said, SAVE YOUR BROKEN JEWELRY.  Don't throw ANY part of it away; you'll be amazed at all the tiny components (findings) that you will re-use!

Here I have a 36" glass seed bead necklace, chandelier glass pieces,
a broken rhinestone necklace, and random beads, pearl, crystal and button.
(You can also use a necklace that you already have - metal chain, leather, pearl, whatever!)

And of course, my famous jar of broken chains.

I used 24 gauge silver beading wire, only because that's what I had on hand.
You can use silver or brass, and/or a thicker wire (The smaller the gauge, the thicker the wire)

Use your wire to wrap around findings to make loops
whereby you can add jumprings to attach to necklace

Here I added a single pearl to the bottom of a
chandelier piece.  Again, if a headpin or wire
loop is missing, make your own with beading wire

I played around with varying lengths of chain and
added my miscellaneous beads to then ends

I used tiny 3mm jumprings to attach each different length of chain
 to the necklace.  HINT:  lay them all out and play around with
placement BEFORE attaching to the necklace

A simple wire wrapped button makes a nice touch.  Don't over think wire wrapping - the more
wrapping and the more rustic looking, the better!  You can re-use the wire as you practice.  After a couple
attempts, you'll have an unrefined look, which is what you want!

Wallah!  

See other Assemblage Jewelry

I hope you've enjoyed this month's DIY.

Even more-so, I'd like to see YOUR projects!

Please post and share your re-assemblage projects here.

Warmest Aloha, Susan, aka The Charm Hunter

Visit my shop, One Charming Treasure