If you are lucky enough to have sea glass or are willing to purchase them, you can easily make them into jewelry. I found a number of tutorials on the web to get your creative juices going.
This simple pendant tutorial from the Sea Glass Journal involves making a wire wrapped bail and then scrolling the ends of both wires. One is longer than the other and is also wrapped around the glass. Add wire "kinks" to tighten the wire if it is too loose by grabbing it with a flat nose pliers and turning it 90 degrees. 18, 20, 22 G round wire should work well.
Wrapping sea glass or any large nugget is a lot of fun and highly variable. Case in point is Altered Beauty's tutorial. How one wraps them will depend on the shape of the glass to some extent and what you feel like doing!
Sea glass is not smooth like polished gemstones so if you are applying this tutorial and the one above to smooth gemstones, some designs may not hold. Try the ones below instead.
Cyndi Lavin's lovely creation here is actually a wire wrapped beach rock which she created as a gift. Her inspiration came from a tutorial called the hippy twist. The hippy twist is a great method as it is forgiving and highly variable. A simple tutorial here.
Feel like adding a frame? Diane Boehler's leaf tutorial on The Beadsite.com is an eclectic method of including several pieces of sea glass.
This one is one of my favorites. Gail of Can't Stop Making Things's tutorial really made the classic wire wrap pendant style funky and fun for sea glass. The addition of a metal charm is inspired!
We're not limited to just pendants. Link several together like Bettyninja's tutorial and you have one cool necklace!
Another lovely wire tutorial is Shrimp Salad Circus' Washed Ashore necklace tutorial which groups small drilled sea glass pieces together.
How about earrings? Clever Nesting's tutorial features earrings with wire wrapped sea glass as charms. (Update : tutorial is no longer available)
Also check my past post on How to Fry Marbles for caged wrapping tutorials.
______________________________
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips
This simple pendant tutorial from the Sea Glass Journal involves making a wire wrapped bail and then scrolling the ends of both wires. One is longer than the other and is also wrapped around the glass. Add wire "kinks" to tighten the wire if it is too loose by grabbing it with a flat nose pliers and turning it 90 degrees. 18, 20, 22 G round wire should work well.
Wrapping sea glass or any large nugget is a lot of fun and highly variable. Case in point is Altered Beauty's tutorial. How one wraps them will depend on the shape of the glass to some extent and what you feel like doing!
Sea glass is not smooth like polished gemstones so if you are applying this tutorial and the one above to smooth gemstones, some designs may not hold. Try the ones below instead.
Cyndi Lavin's lovely creation here is actually a wire wrapped beach rock which she created as a gift. Her inspiration came from a tutorial called the hippy twist. The hippy twist is a great method as it is forgiving and highly variable. A simple tutorial here.
Feel like adding a frame? Diane Boehler's leaf tutorial on The Beadsite.com is an eclectic method of including several pieces of sea glass.
This one is one of my favorites. Gail of Can't Stop Making Things's tutorial really made the classic wire wrap pendant style funky and fun for sea glass. The addition of a metal charm is inspired!
We're not limited to just pendants. Link several together like Bettyninja's tutorial and you have one cool necklace!
Another lovely wire tutorial is Shrimp Salad Circus' Washed Ashore necklace tutorial which groups small drilled sea glass pieces together.
How about earrings? Clever Nesting's tutorial features earrings with wire wrapped sea glass as charms. (Update : tutorial is no longer available)
Also check my past post on How to Fry Marbles for caged wrapping tutorials.
______________________________
Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
Jewelry Making Tips - Jewelry Business Tips
What a great article! This is perfect timing for me, I am interested in learning how to do this. Thanks so much for all the great info!! By the way, have a happy thanksgiving! :)
ReplyDeleteWow! I have many pieces of sea glass and a few stones, so -new project to try! Thank you for sharing these tutorials and ideas.
ReplyDeleteThese are great...such intricate designs...I've wire wrapped some sea glass but mine is much more simple...but that is me!
ReplyDeleteCheers
Great series!
ReplyDeleteMichelle-
Fabulous pieces and so in touch with nature. I've collected sea glass before, but just never got around to doing anything with it so I tossed it. :-(
ReplyDeleteStephanie
You tossed it!!?? Next time toss it my way! I've had no luck finding any at least on the beaches I have looked.
ReplyDeleteI found lots of beach glass on a beach along the Puget Sound last time I was there. I've been saving for something fabulous. Thanks so much for the tips!!
ReplyDeleteSo pretty! I especially like the copper wrapping!
ReplyDeleteThese examples are great! Sea glass is really hard to drill, so wire wrapping is the perfect technique for it. Gives me some ideas for the big jar of it I have from my many beach excursions over the years!
ReplyDeleteIf you are wondering if the same wire wrapping techniques can be applied to broken crockery, then yes, you could break it in a bag. Or you could use ceramic cutters. Some artisans do use accidentally broken but sentimental crockery to have as a keepsake.
ReplyDeleteWould like to know how you get the actual shape of the pendant. do you just brake the plate in a bag with a hammer and hope for some good parts or do you choose what part of the plate you want beforehand.
ReplyDeleteGlass Of Venice
Either way is fine. Definitely use ceramic cutters if you want to have control over what pattern displays.
ReplyDeleteThese are gorgeous Pearl! And OMG that necklace with them all strung together! Oh I'm gonna be busy ... cause I have TONS of beach glass!
ReplyDeleteVery good idea!! I like the concept of recycling the glass found on the beach. This is definitely a green jewelry!!
ReplyDelete-----------
Buy Italian Glass