Leather jewerly projects

PRESENTS

Leather Jewelry Making: 3 Free Projects on How to Make Leather Jewelry

LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

6 Fleur de Lis

BY DENISE PECK

3 Western Influence

BY LINDA LARSEN

7 Wired Vine

skill levels

BY LINDA LARSEN

BEGINNER BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE INTERMEDIATE INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED ADVANCED

Loving Leather!

Adding a touch of leather to your metal jewelry designs changes the personality instantly! The soft, sumptuous feel and look of leather brings a funky chic to your designs. In these three projects, leather becomes a conduit for showing off some beautiful metal and wirework. Check out how Linda Larson creates her own leather cord ends. Use these ideas to jumpstart your journey into adding leather to your designs. It’s a whole new direction and it’s bound to be great!

Denise Peck Editor in chief Step by Step Wire Jewelry

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LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

Forged BRONZE wire is the perfect partner in this leather bracelet.

| Tools & Supplies

western influence

BY Linda Larsen

Hand forged metal and leather are a natural combination that look great together. This bracelet is very comfortable to wear and perfect for a casual outfit. Easy to make and with a great handmade look. skill level

• 10-gauge bronze wire, 4" • 14-gauge bronze wire, 12" • 4mm vintage-look leather cord, 12" • 14-gauge sterling silver wire, ½" • Round-nose pliers • Chain-nose pliers • Flush cutters • Ball-peen hammer • Large bench block or anvil • 1⁄16" drill bit • Drill • File • Propane torch • Flameproof work surface • Bowl of water • Brown marker or brown paint • Utility pliers • Gilders paste • Toothbrush • 0000 steel wool • Polishing pads RESOURCES: All items: Objects and Elements, objectsandelements.com.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY, AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

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LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

1

1. Anneal the 10g bronze wire with the

2a

2b

3

4a

4b

5a

torch, then quench and dry. File the ends and shape the wire into an oval, with the ends overlapping slightly.

2. Place the oval on the bench block or

anvil and hammer to flatten the wire; flatten the ends with some extra blows. Use the ball end of the hammer to texture the oval.

Remove the oxidization with fine steel wool, then polish with the polishing pad.

3. Draw a large ball on one end of the 14g silver wire with the torch. To do this, hold the wire in the hottest part of the flame from the top.

4. Using a 1⁄16th drill bit, drill through the

overlap on the oval. Thread the silver head pin through the hole and trim the end to 1⁄16".

Place the oval, ball-side down on the bench block. Hammer the cut end of the rivet with the ball end of the hammer, tapping around the outside edge to flare the rivet.

5. Cut two 6" pieces of leather. Fold

1 piece of leather around each side of the oval, bringing the leather ends together evenly. Cut two 1" lengths of 14g brass wire; hammer them flat, anneal, and polish. Using round-nose pliers, form a hook on one end of each flattened wire. Place the hook around the doubled leather on 1 side of the bracelet then wrap the wire tightly close to the oval. Squeeze the wraps with chain-nose pliers to tighten the wraps. Repeat on the other side of the bracelet.

5b

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LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

6. Cut 2" of brass wire and flatten the

first Âź" of one end on a bench block with a chasing hammer; anneal and polish. Make a small loop on the flattened end with the tip of the round-nose pliers. Grasp the wire just below the loop, with the loop facing you, with the back of the round-nose pliers. Roll the pliers away from you, forming a hook.

7. Using the back of the round-nose pliers,

make a simple loop, below and opposite the small loop on the hook. Trim the excess wire.

Measure your wrist with the tape measure to determine your bracelet size (average 7"). Place the hook clasp at the end of the leather strips on one side of the bracelet and measure the total length of the bracelet.

Trim the leather strips on 1 side so the total length of the bracelet, including the clasp, equals your desired size.

6a

6b

8.

Cut a 3" piece of 14g brass wire; flatten, anneal, and polish it. Cut a 1" length from the 3" annealed wire. With round-nose pliers make a U-shaped bend in the 1" piece, placing it over both leather ends on one side.

Pinch the U-shape together so it fits. Make a hook on the end of the remaining 2" length of wire and start wrapping it around the U-shape and the leather ends. Squeeze and tighten the wraps as you go, making sure they take hold. Repeat on the other end of the bracelet.

7b 7a

9. Attach the hook to 1 end of the bracelet.

Use a brown marker or paint to color the cut ends of the leather so they blend in. Using Gilders paste and a toothbrush, add a little color to the leather and blend it in for a natural look.

8b 8a

LINDA LARSEN is a mixed-media artist who has been designing jewelry for many years.

As the owner of ObjectsandElements .com, she spends a lot of time looking for treasures and developing new products for the jewelry supply website. She teaches at several national shows and blogs frequently about projects and techniques at objectsandelements/ typepad.com.

9b 9a

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LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

fleur de lis

BY Denise Peck

There’s no disputing that leather is hot in jewelry making right now! You can even buy flat leather lacing in your local craft store. Get a few yards of it and cut it into perfect earring-sized strips and make this earring with any of your favorite briolette stones!

1. Fold the leather strip in half around a 14mm ring and make a hole through both ends with the holepunch pliers.

2.

String the pendant onto the 8mm jump ring and thread the jump ring through both holes on the folded leather strip.

3. Cut the 24g wire in half and wrap it around the

folded leather strip 8–10 times and tuck in the ends.

2

4. Add an ear wire to the 14mm ring. Repeat Steps 1–4 for the second earring.

1

skill level

| Tools & Supplies • Leather strips ⅝"x1 ½", 2 • 14mm copper rings, 2 • 8mm copper jump rings, 2 • 1"x1 ⅛" rusted iron fleur de lis pendant • 24-gauge copper or craft wire, 10"

• Ear wires, 2 • 1.5 mm metal hole-punch pliers • Chain-nose pliers

RESOURCES: Leather strips, iron pendant, 14mm ring: thelipstickranch.com

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ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY, JUNE/JULY 2013

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LEATHER, bronze, and gilder's paste make a

RUSTIC choker.

| Tools & Supplies • 20-gauge bronze wire, 6" • 12-gauge bronze wire, 12" • 14-gauge bronze wire, 8" • Waxed linen, 12" • Crystals, 3 • Spacers, 7 • 22mm brass floral bead cap, 1 • Purchased or handmade hook clasp • Vintage-looking leather cording, one 4 mm and three 2 mm • Round-nose pliers • Chain-nose pliers • Heavy-duty pliers • Torch and MAPP gas • Fireproof work surface • Bowl with cool water to quench

wired vine

BY Linda Larsen

Forging is a process of working metal to a finished shape by hammering. It’s considered a “hot” process because the metal must be annealed to keep it from getting brittle. Annealing requires that you heat the metal to a dull red with a torch and then quench it in cool water when the redness disappears. This has to be done as you move the metal into shape as it becomes “work hardened” and brittle. For this heavy-gauge wire, you will need a pretty hot torch such as MAPP gas from the hardware store. skill level

• Gilder's paste: Rust, German silver, and Patina • Soft polishing cloth • Round ball-point pen (like a Bic) to use as a mandrel • Heavy-duty wire cutters • Heavy hammer (10-pound) • Texturing hammer • Large anvil or large steel bench block • Mini texturing wheel on a flex shaft (optional) • File • Brown acrylic paint and toothbrush (optional) • 0000 steel wool • Fine sandpaper • Polishing wheel (optional) RESOURCES: All supplies available at Objects and Elements, ObjectsandElements.com.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN STEP BY STEP WIRE JEWELRY, OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2011

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Step photos: Mavis Dean

LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

1. Cut three 2" pieces of 20g wire. Use

the torch to make a small ball on one end of each piece of wire. Quench in the bowl of cool water.

Step photos: Mavis Dean

2. String 1 crystal and 2 spacers onto each

1

2a

wire. Make a wrapped loop at the end of each wire that is big enough to go over the 12g wire, making each dangle a slightly different length but close to ½". Note: They will need to be long enough to hang below the end of the floral cap. Set aside.

2b

wire tip Try using a mini texturing wheel on a flex shaft for cleaning and polishing.

3a

3b

3. With a very heavy hammer, flatten the

12g wire with random blows, flattening all but 2" at one end of the wire. Anneal the whole wire and quench it in cool water.

Add texture to the flattened portion of the wire using the texture hammer (this one has polka dot and slash hammer markings).

Anneal the whole wire again, quench, then clean and polish it before forming.

4. Wrap the flattened portion of the wire

around the Sharpie marker, making one of the loops a bit bigger than the others, so it looks freeform.

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LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

5. Slide 1 spacer and the floral cap onto the

round end of the wire. Begin a wrapped loop on that end of the wire but before completing the wrap add the 3 dangles from Step 2.

6. Use chain-nose pliers to adjust each

wrap on the textured wire and the floral-cap end. Gather the leather cords together and slide on the wire from Step 5.

7. Cut two 1" pieces and two 3" pieces of 14g

wire. Flatten and texture the wires as in Step 3.

File and smooth the ends. Using round-nose pliers, bend the 1" pieces in half, into a "U" shape. Slip the hook onto one U-shaped wire then slip each wire over the gathered leather cords on each end, leaving a gap between the leather and the wire. Wrap a little waxed linen around the wires to keep them in place.

5a

5b

6a

6b

7a

7b

8

9a

9b

8. Using a smooth pen as a mandrel, make a coil with each 3" piece of wire that is big enough to fit over the gathered cords and U-shaped wire.

9. Slip a coil onto each end of the necklace, and use chain-nose pliers to squeeze and mold the coil around the U-shapped wire and the leather cords. Squeeze the bottom end of the coil into the leather cording to lock it in place.

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LEATHER JEWELRY MAKING: 3 FREE PROJECTS ON HOW TO MAKE LEATHER JEWELRY

6. Cut 2" of brass wire and flatten the

first ¼" of one end on a bench block with a chasing hammer; anneal and polish. Make a small loop on the flattened end with the tip of the round-nose pliers. Grasp the wire just below the loop, with the loop facing you, Color the ends of the leather with the back of the round-nose pliers. Roll with a little bit of brown acrylic the pliers away from you, forming a hook. paint on a toothbrush so they blend better.

Using the back of the round-nose pliers, make a simple loop, below and opposite the small loop on the hook. Trim the excess wire.

Measure your wrist with the tape measure to determine your bracelet size (average 7"). Place the hook clasp at the end of the leather strips on one side of the bracelet and measure the total length of the bracelet.

Trim the leather strips on 1 side so the total length of the bracelet, including the clasp, equals your desired size.

another idea

7.

10a

10b

10. Adjust the wire and floral bead

cap so they hang properly. Mine is asymmetrical, but you can place it wherever you like. Squeeze the top end of the wire into the leather cording to keep it in place.

8.

11. To mellow out the piece and make

it somewhat vintage-looking, randomly brush three colors of Guilder’s paste onto the leather and metal parts.

(I prefer this to other methods of patina

11a

because I have greater control; it never fades, and has a wax glow finish.) Let the paste dry for about 10 minutes.

12. Use a cloth to polish the wax and

remove some of the thickness. Use 0000 steel wool to highlight some of the areas, and fine sandpaper or a polishing wheel to bring up the metal on the floral cap.

Polish the whole piece with a soft cloth and it’s ready to wear.

Cut a 3" piece of 14g brass wire; flatten, anneal, and polish it. Cut a 1" length from the 3" annealed wire. With round-nose pliers make a U-shaped bend in the 1" piece, placing it over both leather ends on one side.

Pinch the U-shape together so it fits. Make 11b a hook on the end of the remaining 2" length of wire and start wrapping it around the U-shape and the leather ends. Squeeze and tighten the wraps as you go, making sure they take hold. Repeat on the other end of the bracelet.

9. Attach the hook to 1 end of the bracelet.

12a

Use a brown marker or paint to color the cut ends of the leather so they blend in. Using Gilders paste and a toothbrush, add a little color to the leather and blend it in for a natural look.

12b

LINDA LARSEN is a mixed-media artist who has been designing jewelry for many years.

As the owner of ObjectsandElements .com, she spends a lot of time looking for treasures and developing new products for the jewelry supply website. She teaches at several national shows and blogs frequently about projects and techniques at objectsandelements/ typepad.com.

©F+W Media, Inc. | All rights reserved | F+W Media grants permission for any or all pages in this issue to be copied for personal use.

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