Jewelry Archives - A Red Ember

Star Wars Reversible Necklace

April 25, 2016 By Lauren 3 Comments

Showing some appreciation for the dark side with my new Star Wars reversible necklace.

Has everyone seen and loved the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens? It was so good! I was a little nervous when they announced that Disney would be making a new Star Wars movie. I was super nervous that they could never live up to the original and just kill it. Nope. JJ Abrams did an amazing job with this one and I am excited to see the next one he creates. To commemorate, I just had to create this star wars reversible necklace.

I debated doing an outline of Kilo Ren instead of Darth Vader but I decided to keep it old school.

When I was little I had a lot of silly jewelry. Ice cream earring. Candyland bracelet. Farm animal earrings. Somewhere along the way I stopped shopping at Claire’s and started buying, making, and wearing less comical jewelry (maze earrings, bike tire earrings, washer necklace, leather necklace, etc.). I am ready to bring it back! Starting with Star Wars. Ice cream tomorrow!

Once again, this is a Cricut project. I just can’t get enough of that thing! Everything is so much easier and so much more accessible! Once I started, every new project I thought of involved my Cricut. I used the remaining wooden circle from the maze earring but painted it instead of leaving it wooden. Then using my Cricut, I cut Darth Vader and a stormtrooper out of vinyl. I had a hard time with the vinyl on this project. The tight details were difficult for the machine and it was bunching up. I had to remove a lot of the detail in Darth’s mask before I could find a design that would actually work.

Overall I am super happy with this new necklace and I have received tons of compliments! I usually wear the stormtrooper side because I think it came out better. But I switch it up!

Now I am just waiting for the next Star Wars!

Maze Earrings

March 25, 2016 By Lauren 9 Comments

With a little vinyl, wood circles, and some creativity you can create these maze earrings. This is a quick Cricut project you will love.

I found these wooden circles at the craft store and instantly thought earrings. I’m not entirely sure what their original purpose was for but all it needed was a small hole at the top to make it a necklace or earring. So that’s what I did.

I pulled out my trusty drill and put a small hole at the top of the circle. My brother gave me a bunch of bits for drilling pilot holes awhile back, unfortunately they didn’t fit my drill. Luckily I am not the only person with this issue and they sell adapters for different styles of bits.

Don’t get nervous at the mention of power tools! This was done in my living room on a table. So don’t you dare think you have to have some fancy shop and high-tech machines to make these small alterations. It’s amazing what you can accomplish in your living room.

Materials
– 2Wooden cylinders
– 2 Jump rings
– 2 Earring Fish Hooks
Tools
– Drill
– C-Clamp
– Vinyl cutter (Cricut/Sillouette/etc)

1. Drill a small hole at the top of each wooden circle

Gently clamp down the cylinder with a C-clamp on cardboard. Be aware of what is under your wooden piece. You don’t want to drill too deep.

2. Cut black vinyl

For Christmas, my parents gave me a Cricut. Every crafter needs one! Seriously. It is the coolest machine ever. I have spent so much time cutting out tiny details it’s amazing to have a machine that does it all for you. More cricut projects coming to this blog soon because I love it oh-so-much.

3. Add jump rings and earring hooks

And you are done with your maze earrings. Not much to it.

Now it’s time to experiment with different designs and colors. So many options. Too many options?

PS Check out my other jewelry projects such as my leather necklace or my zentangle elephant necklace

Leather Necklace

October 7, 2015 By Lauren Leave a Comment

After making the painted leather earrings I loved so much, I wanted to keep experimenting with leather and fabric paint. It’s a really fun medium.

Not all of them are good… I made this necklace first. In my head it was super cool. Once it was finished not so cool. It reminds me too much of the food pyramid. There has got to be something I can do to make it better. Eh, I guess not everything is a win.

Just like the earrings, I taped up the leather adding an extra line this time.

Couple layers of paint is all it needed.

Simple, but so perfect.

For the full tutorial, check out my leather earrings post.

I used my woodburning tool on the leather too and it worked really well. The light leather was perfect because it burnt to a perfectg deep brown. I have only been playing around with it but expect to see some new project using it soon!

PS. for more fun jewelery projects, check out my shrinky dink necklace, washer necklace, or beaded ring.

Leather Earrings

September 18, 2015 By Lauren 9 Comments

Upcycle small pieces of leather for these earrings. Here is a quick leather earrings project for you to complete in just an hour.

About this time of year I start to get a little nostalgic for school. Yep wrote about this feeling last year too. It’s the feeling of starting something new that gets me so excited. The weather is starting to cool down, the leaves start to change, and it starts to rain a little bit. We live right by an elementary school and yesterday on my way to work the streets were filled with parents walking their children to school. It was adorable. Every child was sporting their new school and a new backpack. They were proud of themselves for being a grade higher but also a little nervous. That’s what fall is all about.

Blame it on the fall weather, but I was actually looking into Master’s programs the other day. (Yikes, am I really ready for that?!) Maybe I will just buy a new Dora the Explorer backpack and some glitter kicks to satiate this feeling.

Last weekend was rainy and cool – a perfect excuse to stay inside and read, watch movies, and craft. After a busy summer, I was just looking for an excuse to hibernate and recover. First up were these earrings. I actually created the tan version when I was on a blogging hiatus. I made them and didn’t take a single photo. I was refreshing and necessary, but I still wanted to share them with everyone so I recreated them in black to share!

I found all this leather at a place here in Portland called SCRAP PDX. SCRAP is a donation based creative reuse store. You can donate your old scraps and find all kinds of gems for your latest project. They had a huge bin of leather scraps that were perfect for small jewelry projects. I came out with a variety of sizes and colors to play with.

Materials

Leather scraps
2 jump rings
4 inches of chain
2 Earring hoops

1. Cut your leather pieces

Measure and draw your triangle out onto a piece of paper first to get the right measurements. Mine is an equilateral triangle, with all sides being 3/4″. Trace the triangle onto the leather and cut. I used my cool new ProCision Rotary cutter**. It’s made to cut through way more than just paper and did really well with leather. Scissors or a standard rotary cutter would be perfect for cutting leather as well.

2. Tape area to Paint

Using masking tape, tape a the area you do not wish to paint. This will ensure you have a nice straight line.

3. Paint

Paint gold fabric paint on the tip for a bright accent. It needed two coats, but it’s a perfect shiny gold that almost looks like gold tape.

4. Set out to dry

5. Peel the tape off

Wait until the paint has dried or mostly dried and then carefully peel off the tape. Peel carefully or you will stretch and tear the paint in the wrong location.

6. Punch two holes

At this point, I should probably find a leather punch. I have made a few leather accessories, but I am still using the old nail trick. So if you have a leather punch, punch two small holes on the top of each triangle. If you don’t own a leather punch. Find a sharp nail to push through the leather.

7. Slip your jump rings through each hole

8. Add chain

Measure out your chain and count the rings. You want an odd number of rings so your triangles sit straight.

9. Attach earring hoop to the middle chain link

I have been wearing these earrings often since I finished them. They simple, but pretty with the pop of gold on the tips. I like the black version more than the tan because the gold stands out more. I think I will be experimenting with shapes and colors a little more in the future.

**PS. In the real world I am employed by Gerber, a Fiskars company, but this is not sponsored by them in any way. And my affiliation does not effect my product choice or opinions, this rotary cutter is pretty awesome.

Zentangle Shrinky Dink Necklace

March 23, 2015 By Lauren 13 Comments

I’m bringing shrinky Dink back into my life! And this time I am mixing it with some Zentangle for a fantastic Zentangle Shrinky Dink necklace!

My cousin Kelli and I used Shrinky Dink pretty often when we were little! I traced a picture of the United States one time. I was pretty darn proud of that because it was so detailed and looked awesome when it came out of the oven.

Well, I am bringing back my love of Shrinky Dink and this time it’s for jewelry. I have received a few compliments on this necklace since I finished it, and no one knows it’s made out of plastic designed for children’s art projects. I would say that is a success.

If you are not familiar with Shrinky Dink, it is a plastic sheet that you can draw and color on. Once you are done, you stick it in the oven and it shrinks to about 1/2 its size and thickens making the perfect material for jewelry pendants.

While I haven’t tried it out, I have heard you can actually use take-out containers because it is the same type of plastic. I will try it out soon and see what happens.

Shrinky Dink shrinks down to about half its size so you have to plan out what you want to make and what size you want it to be. I went with a 5 inch elephant that shrank down to about 2.5 inches tall. Using a colored pencil, I traced an elephant photo and then began zentangling the ears.

I’m glad I only did the ears and a little on the forehead. I think if I covered the whole thing it would be far too messy and dark. it needed some white space.

After zentangling the rest of the elephant, I carefully cut it out.

Follow the instructions on your Shrinky Dink package for temperature of your oven and how long to cook it.

I had a few problems with the trunk and the tusk. See, when it starts to shrink it curls up and then lays flat again. While it was curled up, the tusk and the trunk stuck together and never layed flat. I had to take it out of the oven, separate the two and reheat it to get it flat. I was sure it was gone, but I am very happy I was able to save it and reheat it to flatten.

Pro Tip: Using a hole punch is the perfect size for jewelry. It was the perfect size for adding a jump ring to then the chain.

I’m really impressed with the final product. You would never guess I drew that with a colored pencil!

I’m excited to try out a few more Shrinky Dink/Zentangle options!

Have you ever used Shrinky Dink?

PS! For more zentangle check out my shoes! For more jewelry projects check out my washer necklace!

Halloween Skewers

October 6, 2014 By Lauren 2 Comments

I shared the tutorial on making drink skewers awhile back. Check it out if you haven’t seen it yet. It will show you exactly how to make these Halloween skewers using beads and wire. I used buttons instead of beads for this one. There are so many adorable buttons out there! They are so cute and there is such a nice variety out there!

I wanted to make a festive version for cocktails, appetizers or desserts. I got the idea when we were out for brunch the other morning drinking Bloody Mary’s. They always come with garnish on a super boring skewer. Wouldn’t it be fun to server Bloody Marys with Halloween skewers throughout the month of October? It worked well for the apple sangria I made too! (I used this recipe (with some changes) and it was delicious!) It’s a beautiful garnish plus you can keep your drink mixed with it. You can add a wide variety of fruit to the skewer to garnish your cocktail.

Another fall favorite is carmel apples! But those are the worst to eat right? Half of the carmel ends up on your cheek and your nose. And there is never enough carmel for the whole apple. You eat once around and then throw the rest away. Because let’s be honest, you bought the carmel apple for the carmel, the apple is merely a spoon.

So lets skip the sticky face. Use the skewers for a cute carmel drizzled apple appetizer. I used The Pioneer Women’s recipe for carmel sauce. It was super quick to make and delicious. I would highly recommend using cream not half and half. It will make it thicker so it doesn’t all end up on the plate and not your apples. Mine wasn’t very think and ended up on the plate.

You could also use these skewers for a fondue pot. I wouldn’t use them for a meat fondue since the wire may not withhold those hot temperatures. But a chocolate fondue would be perfect.

So think about adding these to your list if you are having a Halloween party or dinner party.

Beaded Ring

September 30, 2014 By Lauren 2 Comments

I made a beaded ring like this several years ago and I love it! I loved it so much I made a bunch of them and gave them to friends for Christmas along with this necklace. The bead I used is bright red with a silver inside that makes it extra shiny. It’s a fun ring to wear because it is so big and bright.

The ring I made was left in the bottom of my purse for far too long and hardly resembles a ring now. So I decided to share a tutorial with everyone as I made myself a new one.

Materials

– Thin wire – I used 20 gauge
– Pliers
– Wire cutters
– Bead of your choice
– Ring mandrel – I found this one at Michaels on clearance one time. But you can always use a highlighter or something to wrap around. You just won’t have as much control over the size.

Instructions

Cut about 12 inches of of 20 gauge silver wire.

When measuring out your size on the mandrel, go up about 1/2 size. The bead will cut down the size a bit. When selecting your bead, try to find one that is fairly flat on one side. It is going to be sitting directly on your finger so you want it to be flat.

Wrap the wire once around the mandrel as shown. Make sure your wires are not crossed in the back.

Wrap the wire around the bead keeping the wire on opposite sides.

I found that wrapping three times around the bead kept it secure without adding too much bulk.

Try to keep the wire as tight and even as you can. But don’t worry about lining everything up perfectly. It looks the best when it is a little uneven.

Wrap the remaining wire around the shank 2-3 times. Tuck the end in so it doesn’t poke your finger. Repeat on both sides.

And your beaded ring is done! Play around with sizes of beads and colors of wire. Each one will be unique. You can even try using multiple beads. Wrapping the wire around might be a little more difficult but definitely not impossible.

Long Dangle Necklace

August 25, 2014 By Lauren Leave a Comment

I love long dangle necklaces. I have a few of them and pair them with so many things. They are easy to match with so many different outfits and always look great.

image credit: elisedesalvo and RellimD

They are really fun to make too because you can work with a little more dimension and space. I found these cute crafting beads and knew they would be perfect for this style of necklace.

It’s a little craft-ception to make a necklace out of crafting beadings. And that’s why I love it.

Most people don’t even notice that it is a needle, thread, and scissors until they get close.

Crystals from the Beach

May 5, 2014 By Lauren 4 Comments

Earlier this month when we took a trip to Cannon Beach and Seaside, I was drawn into an odd store because of the rocks and beads in the window. And an odd store it was. The owner was a born collector and sold an arrangement of rocks, shells, old records, cameras, clocks and so much more. Like many collectors, he was very proud of his finds and had a long story for each item we picked up. But unlike most collectors, he constantly mentioned that most of the stuff in here was just junk and taking up space. But who is surprised we found an odd guy selling “treasures” at the beach?

I did walk way with these gems!

But of course, these crystals came with a long story about whether or not they have healing powers. And another story about crystal radios that I did not fully understand because, yes, I am too young to remember those.

I found a couple other odd stones I liked and Cody found some good cassettes for our drive home.

I finished my crystal necklace last week and I love it. It’s simple but bright!

It’s an easy and fun necklace to make as well. I took coper colored wire for the center and created an eye and wrapped the extra. I wanted to keep the necklace simple and clear so I stuck with clear beads in between the crystals. I also gave it plenty of extra space around the beads. Created an eye on the other end and used brown cord for the necklace. The edges of the cord are actually just glued together. I love the uneven edges on the crystals and how they reflect the light differently in every situation. If I ever work with crystals again I might try to add more color to it to see how the color affects the crystal reflection as well.

Experimenting with a Soldering Iron

April 30, 2014 By Lauren Leave a Comment

You guys, I finally tried out my soldering iron this weekend! I bought one awhile ago but the whole 800-degree thing freaked me out a little. Plus, I live in an apartment so I don’t have a great set-up for things like this.

I needed a soldering iron for the washer necklace I made about a year ago. Each washer is wrapped with wire and I was having a hard time tucking the wire underneath so it wouldn’t bend or poke me when I was wearing it. I knew a solder would fix my problem I just needed to conquer my fear of 800-degrees.

Well, this weekend I had a brave moment, watched a few more youtube videos and tried it out. The coolest thing ever.

My first experimental piece. It’s beautiful right?

I need some practice before I truly figure out what I am doing. But I am learning. It’s the weirdest thing being able to quickly go between the liquid and solid state. It felt like I was just playing with glue.

I think I might try and make some pendents like this one. These always looks so cool and according to the many youtube videos I have watched, are fairly easy to make.

Photo and jewelry by Capturing It All