Organic Style Copper Jewelry Bezels - Step By Step Video Tutorial

I'm so happy to be able to share a brand new step by step jewelry tutorial with you! 

I am just crazy about these beautiful organic style copper jewelry bezels and I was so excited to create a DIY tutorial for you so that you can make them too! 

There's something about the warm tones of copper and the imperfect, "organic" style of jewelry that is crafted completely by hand that I just love. 

These bezels can be filled with all types of goodies - think resin with embedded beads, bits of vintage fabric or glass, stones or gems or even paper. What would you fill them with? Well maybe I am getting ahead of myself because we have to create them first! But the great news is that even though they may look difficult to make, they really are quite easy.

All you will need are a few simple, basic tools and materials, and a small butane torch. If you have only ever made soldered jewelry with a soldering iron, this is the perfect project for you to learn how to solder with a small torch. If you've never used a torch before, never fear! It's easy and not scary at all, I promise! 

Below are a few photos from the tutorial, but you can watch the entire video for free on my YouTube channel!

Enjoy the tutorial and I'd love to know how your bezels turn out, so be sure to leave me a comment on the video on YouTube - or any questions you may have as well - and don't forget to subscribe!

Oh, and be sure to check back for my next video, where we will transform these bezels into completely unique, one of a kind pieces of jewelry!

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Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

How To Make A Pair Of Ear Wires For Earrings

If  you are not already making your own ear wires for earrings then you need to watch this ear wire tutorial now! Making your own earwires is easier than you might think, and with a little bit of instruction and practice, you will be turning out your own handcrafted earrings in no time at all. 

This beginner technique is essential to jewelry making. If you're a complete beginner it may seem a bit daunting at first, but I promise, it's not at all as hard as it might seem. The tools and materials you need are minimal and are basic jewelry making tools that are essential to jewelry making, so once you invest in them you will use them for all sorts of jewelry making techniques and projects. 

For this tutorial you will need:

Round nose pliers (sometimes called rosary pliers)

Chain nose pliers

Wire cutters (aka wire cutting pliers)

*Wire straightening pliers

*A ball peen hammer (you can improvise with a different hammer you have at home if you do not yet own a ball peen hammer)

*A steel bench block (another thing you can improvise on if you do not yet own one)

A ruler

24 gauge wire 

*A note on the tools:

The round nose pliers and wire cutters are essential tools but you can easily improvise with a different hammer if you do not yet own a ball peen hammer. 

Same goes for the steel bench block; you can hammer on another hard surface until you acquire a bench block. 

The wire straightening pliers are a great tool to have and really are useful, so if you do not have a pair, put them on your list to get in the future, as they will make working with wire SO much easier and will make your work look much more professional, but you do not need them to learn how to make earwires. 

For this video tutorial, I used 24 gauge sterling silver wire but when you are just starting out and learning you should use inexpensive craft wire or copper wire (you can buy both at most craft stores and watch for those coupons!) Save the expensive precious metal wire for when you perfect your techniques and practice on the inexpensive stuff!

Did you know that you can also buy copper wire in many different gauges at your local hardware store? Check it out the next time you visit, and take note of the prices. When I first started out with jewelry making and wire work, I bought myself a wire stripper and a few spools of different gauge wire at my local Home Depot and paid only a fraction of the cost that jewelry catalogs charged for wire. 

The wire that I bought was plastic coated, so the wire strippers were essential to easily removing the plastic coating from the wire. Be careful though, those buggers are sharp! 

Check out the tutorial video below, or watch it directly from my YouTube channel.

Enjoy the tutorial and I'd love to know how your ear wires turn out, so be sure to leave me a comment below and on the video on YouTube and don't forget to subscribe!

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Do you make your own earwires? 

Have a great week!

Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

DIY Pine Cone Bonsai - How To Make A Pine Cone Bonsai

Japanese Black Pine mini bonsai by Vertmoi

Once considered to be lucky, the pine was thought to be a talisman against evil, so displaying one in your home protected you from evil and gave you good luck! The symbol of perpetual youth and longevity, these pretty pine cone bonsai are the perfect way to begin your new year. Read on to learn how to make your very own pine cone bonsai!   

Mini pine bonsai from Cobonsai

Before: 

After:

Pine cone before and after images from Matome Naver

How to grow your own Pine Cone Bonsai

1. To grow your own pine cone bonsai, you will first need to find a pine cone that is young and fresh and that has not opened. This is because you need one that still has it's seeds. Once the pine cone opens up, the seeds will be gone and the pine cone will not sprout, so you want to make sure you find a closed pine cone that still has it's seeds. Also, pine cones from a Japanese Black Pine work great perfect for this project. 

2. Try to find a pine cone that is on the larger size; this will help to assure that the seeds inside are of better quality. It's also best to collect a few pine cones and not just one!

3. Some folks recommend giving your pine cones a quick bath in a solution of very diluted lime-sulfur solution before starting this project. That is just an extra step that will help get rid of any pests or fungus that is living in the pine cone. 

4. Next you will need to dry out your pine cones, so place them in a dry spot and watch as they begin to dry out and open up. You may see some of the seeds begin to come out. At this point, you can give the pine cones a few taps to help loosen seeds if you want to plant the seeds outside of the pine cone. The darker seeds will be of better quality. 

5. If you want to grow the seeds directly from inside the pine cone you will next place your pine cone in your prepared soil. Loosely bury bottom of pine cone only, do not bury the entire pine cone! From this point you will water it sparingly and wait for it to sprout - do not over-water or it will rot. That's all there is to it!

A sprouting pine cone from Gisela Zimmerman

6. If you want to plant your collected seeds at a later date follow these directions: Place the seeds in a cool dark place until you are ready to sow them. Once you are ready, you first want to soak them in warm water for a day to help them get started and to separate the duds (those will float to the surface, the good ones will sink.) After the 24 hours, place the seeds in a baggie with a damp paper towel or a bit of moss to get them ready to plant. At this point you can place them in the fridge for a week or two.

6. Once you are ready to plant the seeds, simply sprinkle them on your soil and then cover them with a thin layer of soil. They will take between one and three weeks to sprout. You can strategically position your pine cone in the soil close to your seedlings, but not directly on top of the seedlings or you will kill the seedlings.

7. Give them plenty of sunshine but water them sparingly.

Japanese Black Pine cones, from Bonsai Tonight

Bonsai from Mikuni image from Bronwen Macdonald



What do you think?

Have a great week!

Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

Upcycled Metal Mesh Scouring Pad Turned Succulent Air Planter

I love when I find a new upcycle idea that has been created with an everyday household object that I have not seen upcycled in any other form before. This is one such item: the metal mesh pan scouring pad! 

Using a clean, new unused pad of course - these pliable pads can be unrolled and reformed into new shapes and designs, like the air planter shown below. Not only is it an easy and fun transformation, but the finished product has a unique, contemporary look that I think is really unique! 

For this project you need clean, new metal mesh scouring pad, some wire, and craft scissors. You will also need some type of round object to use as a form to shape the mesh around. To make the planter, pull the pad apart, leaving one end closed. 

Open the opposite end (which will eventually become the top of the planter) with scissors if needed, and then shape the mesh around your round object (such as around the bottom of a bowl) to create a basket shape with your metal mesh.

Roll the edge of the open end down a bit to create a nice rim to the open end of the planter. Then attach your wire to the open end to hang your planter. Fill with a small amount of moss and then add your succulent. Water it using a spray bottle. 

Check it out! 

Metal mesh turned air planter

What do you think?

Have a great week!
Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2019 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

More Upcycled Dressers: Painted, Wallpapered, & Decoupaged

It’s been a while since my first blog post about painted and upcycled dressers so I figured it’s about time that I gather together a new collection of painted, decoupaged, and upcycled dressers, and share some new creative DIY inspiration.

Summer is just around the corner and this is a great time to  tackle a nice-sized furniture project or two before the summer heat arrives full force. Unlike the cold winter months where we are stuck indoors and have to deal with paint smells and refinishing noises inside of our homes, we can now work outside or open up our garage doors for lots of fresh air and adequate ventilation.

So find a dresser, clean it from top to bottom, remove all paint and stains and oils with furniture stripper and by sanding, choose your project, pick your palette, and get to work. And wear your safety glasses!

Check out these creative upcycled and painted dressers and be inspired!

A vintage favorite has taken a contemporary turn

Colorful tribal style designs add color to your room

Stenciled leaf dresser in pretty neutral, natural tones from Designed Decor

Get the look of an old fashioned pressed tin ceiling with vinyl sheets from the hardware store

Colorful folk art can add bright happy touch to a kitchen or any room

A soft pink palette, crystal knob drawer pulls and sanded drawers create a perfect feminine vintage look

Paint or decoupage a bright design onto a bright white background

Decoupage a large image across the drawers of a dresser front

Rustic Industrial dresser by Beyond The Picket Fence 

Add some permanent inspiration to your home with your favorite quote or saying 

Decoupage a large poster onto a dresser with Modge Podge

Old dresser turned portable bar BlissRanch

Floral wall paper can completely transform a plain dresser

Pastel paint is great for a nursery or small child's bedrom

Keep the color palette simple with two colors and focus on an ornate design

Paint an eclectic dresser with your favorite images

Black paint with brilliant gold leaf makes a beautiful statement



Which is your favorite?

Have a great week!

Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2020 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.

Milk Crate Magic: Neat Things You Can Make With Upcycled Milk Crates

Behold the humble milk crate: sturdy, chunky, strong and portable, lightweight, versatile, and—hello 80's—not just for record albums anymore. 

Plastic milk crates are one of the most reused shipping and storage items ever. Ah yes, way back in old timey days of recycling and reusing (I'm talking back before the DIY and upcycle revolution) milk crates were pretty much standard teenage bedroom decor. We used them as bedside tables, book cases, storage for albums and VHS tapes—later transpiring to DVDs and CDs of course—as well as for many other household chores such as garage and basement storage. 

But now, with the blossoming creativity of the 2000's, milk crate recycling and reusing is now upcycling and repurposing (the differences are subtle, but they're there) and creative folks are thinking up even more ways to use milk crates in their lives and homes. Check out this collection of cool upcycled plastic milk crates and see all the different ideas that creative folks have come up with.

DIY milk crate cart from Inscrutables

Milk crate turned DIY kayak cart by twiceayear at texaskayakfisherman

Here's another DIY kayak cart from Instructables

Milk crates + boards + plywood = Outdoor milk crate table

Milk crates lined with heavy duty felt make great outdoor garden planters

Milk crates lined with burlap bags used as garden planters

Milk crate-turned bicycle rack with ample space

Folding milk crate as rear-bike storage

Milk crate hen house

Milk crate bench/reading corner

Milk crate as kitchen wall storage by Penny Wincer, Alice King

6 milk crates + 3 stained boards = nice game storage. Spray paint milk crates to coordinate with your home decor.

These milk crates make for great mudroom shoe storage

Getting fancy with plastic milk crates: add spindle legs and a sanded and painted plywood top

These large sized milk crates were woven together with cording to create a sturdier book storage space

Balancing act: try using plastic zip ties to attach milk crates together at precarious angles

I like this one a lot: 9 milk crates on a sturdy wood base with caster wheels or cart wheels

A mishmosh milk crates with table legs & top in sleep black = eclectic  from Design Sponge

Milk crate chandelier overhead lighting = industrial elegant? Not sure.

How to make a DIY woven milk crate stool from Sam Henderson HGTV

More eclectic milk crate furniture. This one is a bench with cushion top and table legs

Use mollys or sturdy wall hardware to hang milk crates for laundry room storage

70's style milk crate wall assemblage

Easy closet storage for rolled up t-shirts and sports wear

A wall of milk crate storage for books and magazines

Use rope to cover a milk crate to create a foot stool with hidden storage

Milk crates used as grocery store shelving

Large plastic crates stacked and secured are used as a room divider

Milk crate stairs

Milk crate stools, tables, lights, and wall

A towering milk crate arch

Milk crate sculpture




Which is your favorite?


Have a great week!
Laura

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Article copyright ©Laura Beth Love 2019 and may not be republished in print or other media without express written permission from the author. For any link corrections please leave correct info in comment area.