Garage Tools for Jewelry Making
Much like your kitchen, your garage can end up being a real goldmine for finding all kinds of neat and wonderful objects to make wire jewelry. As with the kitchen tools section, I'll be continually adding to this section as more and more garage objects expose themselves as hidden tools for jewelry making.
My latest find is this nail punch set on the right. Look at those oh-so-lovely tapered metal tops! Wow, these are just perfect for forming wire end caps or beautifully gradated wire cones. They're absolutely the perfect size for wire jewelry making and I've been on a constant search for just this kind of tool for years. A great find, a reasonable price and a wonderful unexpected wire jewelry tool to add to your tool kit.
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My latest find is this nail punch set on the right. Look at those oh-so-lovely tapered metal tops! Wow, these are just perfect for forming wire end caps or beautifully gradated wire cones. They're absolutely the perfect size for wire jewelry making and I've been on a constant search for just this kind of tool for years. A great find, a reasonable price and a wonderful unexpected wire jewelry tool to add to your tool kit.
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Metal Stakes
Who doesn't love a metal stake? You can just use them for so many things just as you can a good pair of chopsticks. With their similar tapered form, they offer the most simple way of making wire jewelry that's more graceful. Since you can find them in several different diameters, this is one of those items that's always on my "tools for wire jewelry making" list. It can be a bit of a hunt to find them but start at your hardware stores or see if you've got a Harbor Freight in your area. Certainly, jewelry making supply houses will carry them.
You could certainly make a simple coiled wire bracelet, large wire cones for earrings or a pendant but did you realize that you can also braid around metal stakes? See the photo on the left for an example of a necklace you could use a metal stake to braid around (although I used a different method for this necklace).
You could certainly make a simple coiled wire bracelet, large wire cones for earrings or a pendant but did you realize that you can also braid around metal stakes? See the photo on the left for an example of a necklace you could use a metal stake to braid around (although I used a different method for this necklace).
Example of Potential Use For Metal Stack
This is just one example of the type of result you can get using a metal stake for wire jewelry making. The "recipe" for making this necklace is included with three other round, braided wire necklaces and a pair of earrings in my latest ebook, Make Woven Wire Jewelry.
Metal stakes are such a favorite of mine because they can be used for both small and large sections of wire jewelry. I've used them extensively in my own work and I hope you find them useful for yours as well.
Metal stakes are such a favorite of mine because they can be used for both small and large sections of wire jewelry. I've used them extensively in my own work and I hope you find them useful for yours as well.
Paint Stick For Unusual Effect
Well, now you're gonna want to know what in the heck you can use a what? paint stick? for? Flat wooden objects are actually a wonderful "tools" to use for wire jewelry making. Here's the thing: when you wind the appropriately sized wire around any flat surface, it naturally torques. See the photo below of an example:
This Bracelet Is Really Just Wire That Was Wound On a Flat Object Like a Paint Stick
I found this manufactured bracelet on one of my trips somewhere and immediately picked it up to demonstrate exactly how wire torques when wound on a flat and rectangular surface. Most interesting, isn't it? My main caveat in doing this though is that if you're using an object like the paint stick above, you'll need to sand and coat the paint stick with something like a heavy clear acrylic spray or even a few coats of Plastic Dip. Here's why: wire cuts into wood and may be almost impossible to get the wound wire off of the paint stick. Given that, be sure to wind rather loosely if you're using a wooden object.