Dig into Your Creative Side this Summer with These Handmade Jewelry Ideas

Hello all, I have a special treat for you today. Please welcome Kacey from 

The Drifter Collective.

Summer welcomes a colorful palette into your life when it comes to fashion, with breezy floral skirts and bright bandannas. Naked earlobes, neck, fingers, wrists and ankles need to be adorned with color and fun, too.

Let your creative side shine under the sun by making your own jewelry by hand. You will only need a few basic supplies, patience and whimsy to follow these simple instructions for beautiful handcrafted pieces of jewelry:

1. Sea Shell Bracelets

HONESTY WTF

Release your inner mermaid by saying this, “She shall make sea shell bracelets for the seashore style.”  Use a few small and beautiful shells you’ve collected from the beach or buy some at the craft store, which need to be of similar size.

You may want to use a small drill, but it’s not necessary to make this sea shell bracelet. You’ll need:

• 18-22 sea shells
• chain
• lobster clasp or clasp of choice
• jump rings
• awl
• wooden board

Mark the hole with a pencil, and lay the shell on the board. Carefully apply pressure with an awl, slowly rotating it, to the mark to make a hole. Turning the shell over and enlarging the hole on the other side will help it become round and smooth.

Jump rings are inserted into the holes, and the shells are attached to the chain with about three connection rings between each shell. A ruler will help you judge if the length is right, and it helps to also wrap the length around your wrist. Apply the lobster clasp and you’re done!

2. Beach Souvenir Sea Shell Necklace

Photo Source: Beach Bliss Living

Your bracelet needs a necklace to match it! Have you ever noticed how some small sea shells have natural holes? These are perfect to slip a cotton cord or beautiful chain through to create a beach souvenir sea shell necklace.

All you need is that one special shell you placed in your pocket at the beach, a jump ring and a cord or chain. Attach the jump ring to the shell, and then slip it onto the cord or chain. Jazz up your creation with paint or extra dangling beads!

3. Vintage Spoon Ring

Photo Source: Craftsy

Connect with your ancestors by making this spoon ring, wrapping around your finger like history. Ask family members for old and odd spoons, or explore thrift and antique shops for the perfect selection. Avoid stainless steel and search for bendy sterling spoons: The stamp on the back will say “sterling” or “.925.”

This spoon ring jewelry making project is slightly involved, but not hard for the beginner with patience. If you’re interested in making more jewelry and unique projects like this, you may want to consider investing in some basic jewelry tools, such as round nose pliers and a jewelers saw. For this project, you will need:

• Spoon
• Jewelers saw or cutting tool
• File
• Ring Mandrel
• Nylon or rawhide mallet
• Torch
• Pickle Pot
• Ring bending pliers
• Strip of thick leather

Pick the finger you want to wear the ring on, and measure where you want the ring to start and end. There will be overlap so your measurements are allowed to be off. Mark the length on the spoon, where you want to make the most of the design. Use the saw to cut the length, and then file down the edges.

You’ll anneal the spoon with the torch and pickle it, which makes the piece more manageable. Tweezers will help you safely grab the hot spoon before pickling it in the pot, or dipping it in water. It sounds hard, but it’s fun to watch. You might want to do this part on a cement patio or other safe surface.

Once ready, the piece is wound around the ring mandrel (which has ring sizes marked on it), as you hammer it smooth. You’ll flip it around, and slowly work it into a spiraling ring.

4. Wire Wrapped Crystal Pendant

Photo Source: Brit + Co

Making a wire wrapped crystal pendant will connect you to the Earth, and there are many crystals to choose to match your mood or attributes you want to emphasize. For example, quartz is good for anything, but rose quartz symbolizes friendship and love.

You’ll need round nose pliers, sturdy but flexible wire and a crystal of choice. A round stone is easy to wrap, by cutting five or six lengths of your wire that will wrap around the circumference. Bundle these like straws, and cut four small pieces to tie off the bundle in equally spaced places. Wrap the bundle around a round object smaller than the crystal, like a dowel or marker.

Place your crystal in the loop and form the top, using the ends to create a loop at the top. The bunched strands around the crystal will be spread out to make a wire fishing net of sorts to hold the stone in place. String it through a necklace cord, or gift your car with jewelry for a positive vibe on the road.

Summer is about all color and fun. Express yourself: upgrade your summer fashion wear with these handmade pieces that’ll make your look personalized and pop with creativity.

Kacey is a lifestyle blogger for The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts.

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Until Next Time...