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Recycling Books into Literary Jewels

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When I first saw Jeremy May’s work, I almost didn’t believe it. I thought, “No way. That’s plastic not paper!” However, it is indeed paper and May creates some gorgeous jewelry pieces cut right from the pages of your favorite novels!

Recycled Book Ring

 

 

 

If you love books and jewelry like I do, something about this process is a little gut-wrenching. I love the rings and gorgeous bracelets that come out of it and would even like to know how it’s done so I can try it myself. Yet, at the same time, cutting up novels hurts the book collector in me! What a slippery slope huh? Although, I think I would enjoy having part of my favorite novels with me all the time (as long as I have another copy anyway!).

Recycled Book Pendant

Recycled Book BraceletRecycled Book Earrings

The look of all of this jewelry is so modern and fresh and it’s just made from old book pages and laminate. But, of course, being the crafty people that we are, there are a lot of projects out there that use the same medium to create equally beautiful, but slightly less complicated, jewelry. AllFreeBeadedJewelry.com has some fun book projects if these inspired you and you want to create your own recycled book jewelry.

MInature Book Pendants
Love books but don’t want to cut into one of your favorites like me? Make your own adorable miniature book pendants. They’re perfect for me, but I would probably write in the title of my favorite stories. But this would also make a cute gift for a Lit major or your favorite book nerd! I just assume most book nerds like anything book related right?

 

Litterati Necklace

If you’re not worried about cutting up some classics, you can follow this easy tutorial on how to make a necklace out of book pages where you can still read some of your favorite parts! I love how fun and shabby chic this necklace is and when you read through the tutorial you realize it takes very little time to put together! You can add this on the to-do list to make as gifts to your book loving friends as well!

 

So tell us, what do you think of these novel jewelry pieces? Would you tear up your favorite copy to create a pretty bracelet?

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Hex Nut Mania! Jewelry from the Hardware Store

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So, if you regularly follow blogs that make jewelry projects, you would have seen how huge hex nut jewelry was over the summer. If you didn’t get around to making yourself the infamous hex nut bracelet, don’t worry. I know the trend will continue, because it only seems to be expanding! The ease of finding “metal beads” at the hardware store for funky and fun looking jewelry seems to be attracting everyone still (and making hardware store happy). So if you haven’t tried your hand at making some cute hardware store jewelry projects, I’ve picked out some of my some of my favorites to inspire and intrigue you!

Anthropologie Knockoff Hardware Necklace

 

This Anthropologie inspired necklace is one of my favorites because it’s so easy and ends up looking so polished! Who knew metal piping and some rustic looking beads could look so expensive? And the best part is, you can probably make this necklace from start to finish for under $10. Cheap and chic? I’ll take it.

 

Hardware Store Necklace
This one is a little more rocker-chic, but a fun way to add a twist on the usual chain necklaces that you see tutorials for and in stores. The little metal washers are even completely in theme with the hardness of the chain necklace, but still keep it looking fun and feminine.

 

 

 

 

Electrical Wire Rings
Does your husband fancy himself an electrician? Then maybe you already have just what you need to make these Electric Wire Rings laying around the house! It’s such a good idea to make some fun and colorful costume jewelry that’s inexpensive and perfect for the summer (weird how hardware always seems so summer appropriate huh?)!

 

 

Washer Necklace

This washer necklace is another fun hardware store jewelry idea that takes the hard edge of metal and softens it up with some pretty ribbon! This is a very cool way to that hardware store bits and baubles and make them from feminine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DIY Bolt Rings

These Bolt Rings take only minutes to make and instantly you have some cool statement rings to dress us some jeans and a t-shirt. All you need for this project is some bolts, some elastic, and a needle and thread!

 

Now that you can see how easy it is to make some hardware store jewelry and all the great things you can do with simple nuts and bolts, doesn’t it just make you want to run to your local Home Depot? That’s probably what I’m going to do on my drive home. I love the washer and ribbon necklace, but I might see if I can incorporate some different shapes too. Maybe throw in a lug nut or two? So what do you think? Hardware store jewelry? Yay or nay?

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Making Copper Jewelry with Mary Hettmansperger

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This past weekend I attended the Creative Connection’s BlogHer Handmade conference and let me tell you, it was a blast. I learned so much and met so many lovely people like Alicia Dirago from Dismount Creative who graciously let’s me showcase her jewelry projects on AllFreeBeadedJewelry.com.  I also took two jewelry classes with the wonderful Mary Hettmansperger who is an amazing weaver and mixed media artist. I was lucky enough to learn her how she creates her copper woven  pieces and even made a few myself.

Mary Hettmansperger Jewery

Image Courtesy of MaryHetts.com

Aren’t these pieces just gorgeous? They are obviously more advanced than what I ended up making, but I tried my hardest. Let me show you!

Copper Jewelry
This was the raw an aged copper we were working with for this project. The copper that had been burned with a flux had the most amazing colors on it. I loved figuring out ways to incorporate the deep pinks and purples into my piece.

Mary Hettmansperger
Yes, the class was held in a dark hotel room. It was kind of difficult to see or get good pictures, but I tried to get a few. Here Mary is showing us how to emboss on metal, which was very fun and I recommend trying it. It took me a couple tries to get it just right, but it added just the right touch to my piece.

Copper Jewelry Making
Now let’s begin weaving! This copper sheet metal was extremely easy to cut. Once I cut my strips I bent every other one in the opposite direction in preparation for weaving it. My first piece was copper weaved with paper and the second piece was copper on copper. Once you’ve begun weaving the copper, it’s very much like those place mats you use to make in school as a child.

Copper Jewelry Making
Here’s what it looked like when I had finished weaving in the paper and trimmed the edges.

Copper Jewelry Making
Unfortunately I was so involved in making the jewelry pieces that I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures along the way. This is my first finished piece. I think it ended up being my favorite. Once the weaving was done, I put a bare copper backing on it and wrapped the whole thing with wire, like a present. It looks complicated, but it was a very simple process.

Copper Jewelry Making
This is my second finished piece. Mary taught be how to make a tight copper wire tube bead to embellish it. Who knew you just hold it with some pliers and wind it around? I think I’m going to use wire tube beads in more of my jewelry. They look cool and they take seconds to create.

Copper Jewelry Making
This is what I made in her second class, Looped Wire Jewelry. This process was a lot more time consuming and repetitive, but I love how the finished piece looks. It almost looks like crochet with not crocheting involved. I’m currently working on another one that is wrapped in wax linen. Sorry for the lack of pictures on this one. I was racing the clock to get it done before I left.

Both classes were so much fun to take. If you ever get a chance to take a class with Mary, I highly recommend it! But until then, here are some fun projects on AllFreeBeadedJewelry that use a lot of the same techniques I was practicing with the pieces above.

Droplet Pendant
Wire Wrapped Gemstone Necklace
Hammered Drop Earrings
DIY Leather and Metal Pyramid Necklace from Alicia Dirago!
Hammered Copper Circle Earrings

That’s all. Please post your questions and comments below! I’d love to hear what you think.

 

Maggie
Editor, AllFreeBeadedJewelry

 

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The Push for Sustainable….Jewelry?

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As I am finding more and more projects to add to the collection on AllFreeBeadedJewelry.com, I’ve been noticing an interesting trend. Little terrarium necklaces and other tiny garden jewelry have been budding into the minds of artists and designers. Now, I know that the push for sustainability has been in full force for a while now and I’ve already added a ton of projects to the site that reuse, reduce, and recycle, but this is taking it to a whole other level. Actually wearing nature makes for some interesting accessories. One particularly beautiful collection comes from Mr. Lentz who was inspired to create these pieces by the Redwood forests in the Pacific Northwest.

Nature in a Necklace by Mr. Lentz

Who would have thought that you would need to water your jewelry? These particular necklaces are in fact real moss, but it has been dried and preserved so no watering needed. I fell in love with these as soon as I saw them and set out trying to figure out how to make my own. Of course, I’m not quite as talented as Mr. Lentz, but I did find a cute and easy project that would work. This one, however, does require a little watering!

Mini Terrarium Necklace

It doesn’t quite have the same earthy feel as Mr. Lentz’s necklaces, but this Mini Terrarium Necklace is still super cute and let’s you wear nature around your neck. I would love to find more tutorials for different versions of the terrarium necklace, but for now I’ll have to content myself with some of the other recyclable jewelry making projects on the site.

This Paint Chip Earring tutorial is great for anyone who has just finished a big paint job and has a lot of the paint sample left over. Those samples are good, sturdy paper that usually just gets tossed. Next time, make some pretty earrings to match your favorite outfit.

Paint Chip Earrings

This next project is for the more advanced jewelry maker. You will need some simple metal working tools to get you started, but if you or someone you know is a coin collector then this Coin Collection Ring would make the perfect gift.

Coin Collection Ring

This 50 Cent Toy Machine Rings project requires not jewelry findings and no jewelry making experience. It’s the perfect activity for a fun afternoon with the kids in these long hot days of summer, especially if your family is the kind that drinks a whole lot of juice.

50 Cent Toy Machine Rings

All of these projects are a great way to recycle items from around the house. Of course, the Redwood forest inspired necklaces are the ultimate reminder to mind nature a little more in our lives, but these quick little projects are the perfect way to take that into action and recycle and create at the same time.

What recycled projects have you come up with recently?

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Cheap Gifts that Save the World

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I will admit immediately (before you start throwing things) that the title may be a little misleading. Gift giving isn’t going to save the world per say, but giving homemade gifts created out of recycled or re-purposed materials might! Or, at least, every little bit counts.

I have never been a good gift giver. Or, rather, I’ve always been a very self conscious gift giver. I always buy or make something that I think is really great, but as soon as I get it home or finish it I start to doubt whether it actually is great. Am I the only one with this problem? Fortunately for me, everyone always likes (or seems to anyway) their gifts, so I keep on trying.

I always like snooping around early for Christmas gift ideas, because the holiday season always pops up out of no where. Well, I think I found some ideas that I might stay confident about and that make me feel good about what I’m making.

These projects are all made out of recycled or re-purposed materials. This is not only wonderful for my wallet, but for the environment as well. What else could you ask for? With these crafting ideas, I know I can definitely afford to please everyone on my shopping list. Are you itching for examples yet? Here goes:

This is a bracelet made from comic strips. Yes, I know, it is awesome. And an ingenious was to recycle the Sunday comic section, while making an adorable bracelet. Plus, this Comic Strip Bracelet gives me a chance to practice my bead making skills. I could probably even use an old bead bracelet I already have and just cover the beads with comic strips and Mod Podge. I know this will make a great gift for the comic book lovers in my life.

I found all these other great projects too that will work for everyone. Keeping with the superhero theme, these Superhero Luggage Tags are an amazingly simple idea that you can customize to fit the style of the traveler in your life! The pattern is so adaptive that you can also use scrap fabric from around the house or cut up an old dress that doesn’t fit anymore. I’m constantly holding on to clothes simply because of the sentimental value, this project is a great way to give those pieces a new life.

This Wine Bag Tutorial made out of a burlap sac and Cereal Box Advent Calendar House are nice little party gifts for your friends and their kids – just be sure to fill the calendar with candy!

Anyway, this is just the start. I’m going to have to come up with a lot more projects to keep everyone on my list happy. Good thing it’s still early in the year.

Can you help me out with any ideas?

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Christmas Sweaters: The non-ugly sweater edition

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I’m sure most people have heard of the “ugly Christmas sweater”, people even throw parties centered around this theme. Now we all know that Christmas sweaters aren’t all ugly, but sometimes we just have to prove everyone wrong and show them! I found these awesome ideas for sweaters on AllFreeChristmasCrafts.com and I’m now realizing they’re mostly cardigans. Oops. What can I say? I have a type and apparently I don’t like being restricted.

These little cardigans would be cute plain, but the added embellishments make them something more. And yes, I am aware that these are not all necessarily Christmas sweaters, but the embellishments are up to your design so they can be! Or, even better, they can be made for Christmas presents. There’s nothing better than a personalized Christmas gift that you can show off all the time.

I love the Scalloped Collar Cardigan for a few reasons. 1.) It’s easy to make. I’m not an advanced sewer and at first glance I thought this would be too hard, but it actually ended up being very simple. A tiny bit time consuming, but otherwise head-ache free! 2.) It was so cheap to make! The cardigan itself is refashioned from an old sweater that I had lying around. For the scalloping, I used scraps of old fabric I had lying around from various projects (I have a TON of scrap fabric, projects like this scream my name). 3.) It turned out really, really cute, but I guess that’s true for all of them.

The Refashioned Christmas Sweater is proof that all Christmas sweaters are not ugly! This fun quarter sleeve cardigan is the perfect addition to your outfit for any holiday party. This one is also great for reasons 2 and 3 above. As for the easy part, this one was a little harder to make, but only because I don’t yet have a very advanced machine like was used in the pattern. It took a couple weeks of working on it and coming back to it; I can see it being finished in one day if you have the skills.

How cute is this Sweeten Your Sweater pattern? It’s adorable with the flowers, but you can modify the pattern to be pretty much anything you want. It can be a spring sweater with flowers and butterflies, a fall sweater with colorful leaves, and definitely a Christmas sweater (just stay away from over-doing it on the sequins and jingle bells). This little sweater was super easy to put together, inexpensive, and adorable: All my favorite things!

Any one of these would make a great Christmas party staple or an even better gift for under the tree. When searching around, I also found these intriguing Teeny Tiny Sweater Ornaments. You can’t wear them, but they’d be great for decorating your tree!

Did I inspire you?

Fishing around for stuff, I found these other cool projects. Check them out!
Sweater Refashion: Cashmere Goes 80’s
Spring Sweater Refashion #4

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Coffee and a Cardigan: The growing market of sewing cafes

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Sewers know where to go for help. Sewing classes and clubs are common fair for most of us; blogs and sewing websites are another easily accessible tool. As we all know, AllFreeSewing.com offers tons and tons of sewing ideas and resources. Now with the opening of Sweat Shop about a year ago, the residents of Paris have an additional resource: a sewing cafe.

Sweat Shop Cafe Paris

Photo Credit: Munia Sbouri

For the sewers of Paris, sewing with a friend or getting a project done when your home machine is on the fritz can be done for an hourly fee.

The brainchild of designer Sissi Holleis and Martena Duss, Sweat Shop functions like a fashion cybercafe, where sewing machines can be rented by the hour. Eric Wilson of the New York Times reports, “They are also selling kits, which cost 30 to 100 euros (about $42 to $140) and include all the materials needed to create a design, like an easy printed top by the Antwerp label Pelican Avenue.”

Although by-the-hour sewing spaces are available in places like Texas, California, and London, very few places offer a genuine, cafe-like setting.  Following in the footsteps of Linkle in Berlin, Sweat Shop not only holds special events and classes, but also serves coffee and snacks.

Lizzie Davis of The Guardian tells us that the goal of these two ladies was to help re-connect the amateur sewer to his or her craft. In a city with a global fashion reputation, ordinary Parisians are very disconnected from the do-it-yourself fashion world. Holleis and Duss are trying to minimize this gap.

What an interesting and relaxing way to get together with people that love to do the same thing. If you’ve ever wished for a place to get together with some friends, drink some tea, and work on a project, this place is the answer. Too bad there aren’t more of these cafes all over the world. I know I would jump at the chance to go every time my machine is acting up or I want to avoid making a mess in my tiny apartment.

Let’s face it, the economy’s been rough on a lot of us and more people are taking to making their own clothes and household items. One day soon there may be a sewing cafe popping up in your neighborhood.

So I have to ask: would you go?

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Sewing fun: Spring into some color!

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Spring is always an exciting time of year as we slowly unravel from the gloom of winter.  When we all start suffering from winter cabin fever and can’t wait to clean out the mess with a yearly spring cleaning, spending some time doing some simple spring sewing projects can be a great way to get ready!  This is the perfect time of year to update some old pillows that were going to get tossed with the spring cleaning, freshen up your dinner table with new serving napkins, or get ready for those family picnics with a new picnic blanket.

Napkin Folded Pillow Case Spring Napkins Picninc Blanket Tattered Spring Flowers

This simple Napkin Folded Pillow Case can be completed in just an evening and will quickly brighten up pillows you’ve gotten tired of looking at. Try making these adorable Spring Napkins to liven up the dinner table tonight, make them in any or all of your favorite colors. They’ll also be a great addition if you’re itching to start getting that old picnic basket ready. If you are, try making a new blanket with this Picnic Blanket Tutorial and add a little floral charm to the basket or anything else in your home with these brightly colored Tattered Flowers for Embellishment. The best part about these projects? They’re all do-able in a weekend or less!

So go ahead and get started! It may not feel like it yet, but Spring is just around the corner so why wait for the flowers to start blooming when you can create some of your very own! Your home will thank you.

If these sewing projects inspired you check out some more:

Plush Flowers in Pots
DIY Color Path Pillow

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