Necklace Frame Display Tutorial

I've been looking for a tutorial on how to make an interesting necklace display.  I didn't quite find what I was looking for on the internet so it was time to take measures into my own hands.  I knew I wanted to use an idea using a frame but how would I add hooks to hold the necklaces?  Hm...so this is my tutorial on how to make an inexpensive necklace display.

• First go out to Micheals or JoAnne's and buy an 11 X 14 wood frame ($15).  Make sure it is wood because you'll be hammering into it later.  Also pick up some pins to use as your hooks.  I bought these corsage pins ($1.50) because I liked the shiny metal ends.

• Now cut the pins to about an 1 1/4 inch long with wire cutters and mark about an inch or so on the inside edge of your frame to hammer these into.  I don't need to tell you at this point that you should have already taken the glass and back out of the frame, right? 
  

• After placing your marks on the inside of the frame, take a pin and lightly hammer it into place with a rubber hammer.  Make sure to put the pin in the middle of the wood.  If you put the pin in to far to the edge it might split your wood.  If this happens you can always use some glue for repairs.  

•  Hammer each pin into the wood approximately 1/4 inch deep leaving a portion of 3/4 inch remaining.  Oh, and keep your pins straight.  If they start getting all wiggly on you just take them out and straighten them.

•  Now bend the pin over towards the front of the frame with your finger or pliers.  Come on, bring out those muscles.  You can do it!
  

After you've finished hammering in and bending all the pins, add a backboard piece ($2 each) made for frames that can be found in the framing section of the craft store.  Now add the back of the frame to secure it. 

The background pieces come already cut to fit the frame and in a huge selection of colors and textures.  Here's a few I bought.

 

 Khaki brown color with a suede texture - good for copper pieces.

 

 Rich gray color for blues or blacks

 

White with a tissue paper type effect - great for anything!

Now take your finished piece and set it on a frame display ($12) like the one shown in the picture and you are ready to rock and roll!  I originally made this to display my simple necklace designs and hopefully bring them up to the eye in an appealing presentation.  But I added bracelets in these pictures as well to show it can be used for either.

All the jewelry shown can be found at the Bei Mondi website.  Happy crafting!

Vintage Sheet Music Necklace Tutorial

I entered into the Totally Tutorials Exchange Program recently.  For those of you not familiar with the program, here's how it works.  A supply seller sends items to a recipient willing to write a tutorial using the items.  This offers free exposure for the supplier showing techniques on using their product.  And the individual writing the tutorial gets free stuff!  I decided to try out this program for my friends at Tanith's Odds and Ends. 

 First off I want to say that you really need to check out their Etsy shop.  They have some really unique stuff like sheet music and dictionary pages from the 1930's that would be great for mixed media projects.  My favorites are the paper beads and the felt wool beads.  I'll be showing off some of their sheet music paper beads in this tutorial.  So here goes!

Here's the materials. 

• 23 - 5 inch sections of copper wire
• 3 - paper music note beads (from Tanith's Odds and Ends)
  
• 19 - black czech beads in various sizes
• 1 - large black czech bead for focal
• 1 - Copper clasp

I used copper wire that was oxidized in liver of sulfur.  These were cut into 5 inch sections prior to dipping.  You can use any type of metal but if you decide you'd like a patina on your metal you must oxidize the metal prior to making the necklace.

To create a wrapped loop first start by placing the bead in the center of the wire.  Then make a right angle right above where the bead is sitting.

Slide the bead off and then bend the wire over the pliers to create a loop.

 

Finish by overlapping the wire to close the loop.

 
Next, grab the loop end with a pair of flat nose pliers with your left hand.  With another set of pliers in your right hand, grab the tail of the wire.

Wrap the tail end of the wire around the straight portion of the wire several times.  You can have these wraps tight and straight or go for a crazy look like I've done.

Now add your first paper bead and create another wrapped wire loop on the opposite end.

 

Connect another piece of wire to one of the wrapped ends of your bead creating another loop at the end of this wire.  Add another paper bead.  Repeat until you have three paper beads connected together.

 
Now start connecting the black beads in the same way by creating wrapped loops.  I added five beads on one side and two on the other.

 

Next, create a large wrapped loop on the end for your focal bead.  Add your focal bead and twist your wire to make a spiral holding the bead in place.

Create the other side of the necklace by wire wrapping eleven more black beads together.

Add a clasp to the end of your piece.

Here is your end piece.

 

Now you can use steel wool to polish up the wire and remove any tool marks.  This will create light and dark areas to your copper adding depth to the metal.  Voila, you're done!