A Bit of Southern Charm...

DIY projects are just the ticket in my book! So when I got a chance to take a class in making charm jewelry, I jumped right in. This charm-loaded necklace was the result, and I'm so happy with it!

It has a wide assortment of charms, 14 of which we learned to make in the class. This close-up shows a bottle cap charm, one made from a bit of tape measure, a wrapped fiber bead, a wire bird's nest complete with eggs, and two of my mandala drawings turned into shrink plastic charms.

And here you can see a sewing machine bobbin turned charm, a pom pom charm, and just behind the mandala is a silver thimble with ribbon extensions. We were provided with the chain necklace to which we added our charms.

Our instructors, Celeste and Merri of Goatfeathers Studio, suggested that we assemble the necklace by placing it on a jewelry display form. We could then design and balance out our charm arrangement in a pleasing way. You can see some of their work along with student work at the link above.

Here's what goes into the charm making- a table full of bits, pieces, and tools. We learned Jump Rings 101, and how to form tidy loops with wire to attach the charms.

We needed wire nippers, flat and needle-nose pliers along with a way to keep our charms in order. We were at about 11 charms in the photo above when it was time to break for lunch.

And what a lunch! Our instructors were also hostesses/chefs, and provided a lovely chicken on salad meal. They have such flair! That spooky silver hand held my napkin. The entire feast was presented with Halloween table accents.

Merri and Celeste had more than a dozen of their necklaces on display to spark our creativity. They've been busy making, and have taught this class several times to various sewing and fiber groups, so have lots of samples.





The metal tag and wooden spool were given to us to create more charms for future jewelry. My plan is to make more shrink plastic charms to include as well. I missed the entire shrink plastic decade, so am catching up now! There is a bit of a learning curve to achieve the results I'm aiming for, but more on that in another post.

I loved the bird's nest so much, I made another to have ready. The other five charms were part of our lesson and may be part of my class project eventually. But I ran out of right-size jump rings to attach them. There may be a Halloween necklace in the works, and perhaps a Christmas one, too. While working to complete this necklace, several others were inventing themselves in my mind. One thing I've learned is that I have many interests, and every one of them requires its own set of supplies and tools. No wonder I'm always trying to tame the chaos in the sewing room!