My nieces will be visiting (ages 4 & 8) and want to learn how to make jewelry. They don’t want to just string beads. Can you suggest any projects that don’t involve sawing, torches, anything that they can hurt themselves with? I’m thinking circle punched copper that they can texture, hand drill a hole, make into a keychain. Really stumped here. Please help.
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Hi Sheila,
What fun! Thin hand stamped copper cuffs could be a reasonable project and it’s something that they could wear and show off. Even better if you have number, letter or design stamps.
Enjoy!
Pam
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Some of the twisted bracelets that I make can be made just from a piece of copper wire or adapted to not require soldering. All they would need is a hammer and a fairly smooth flat piece of steel to forge on. Look at the bracelets page of my website for ideas (www.robmeixner.com). Also, as suggested by Pam, buy some copper sheet and they can texture or stamp them. Simple texturing can be done with a ball peen hammer or a hammer with a chisel face. They could try to make stamps from large nails and files or just stamp using different objects like nail heads at an angle or the threads of a screw, nuts and washers pounded into the copper. I have never done this, but set the copper sheet on a hard surface like a concrete driveway or sidewalk, spread gravel on the sheet and then drive over it. You might also put a piece of wood over the gravel so that you don’t damage the tire. If you try that, post a picture. Surface textures can also be created with different abrasive sheets. Lots of fun…Rob
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Shelia - at 8 years old, I taught my granddaughter how to saw and solder. The safety lessons were prime. I taught her to outline, in writing, a project. Then one by one, go through the safety steps. Because she learned from writing it down, she kept a project notebook. They were extremely simple projects. You can trust kids. Total supervision - at arms length made it safe. At 21, she is proud of what she made and wears the earrings that she designed. It is enormously important for kids to learn new things that teach them order, safety, and provide a real feeling of accomplishment. Kids are different so of course you have to decide if they are mature enough to handle fire and a saw. They will surprise you. Picture of her earrings after a couple of lessons - she soldered the wires and the jump rings - soldered wire to sheet and sawed off the extra for the enclosed hearts. She did the fileing and sanding to make everything “not ouchie”. She designed the heart necklace but I did help with the stone bezels and setting.
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Hi Sheila as others have suggested texturing thin copper can I suggest that if you have a meat tenderiser you have a built in two sided implement which will make a checker pattern in two sizes.
Cheers Willie
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Willie…Great idea, especially if it is metal. If you don’t have a flat piece of steel to work on, you can use the face of a sledge hammer head upright in a vise or just held up with bricks. Safety eye glasses and maybe gloves would be in order since you never know what will be flying around with a missed hammer blow…Rob
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Thank you all for pitching in with your wonderful ideas. I think I might make some samples,& see what strikes their fancies.
Again, I really appreciate that you took the time to answer my post.
Sheila
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Greetings Sheila,
What a great project! I think I would lean towards the plain and twisted wire bracelets My brother and I make. Sheet copper would be fun but I would worry about the edges and corners being sharper than you may be able to deal with. # 8 gauge copper wire can be bought by the foot a Ace Hardware stores and if asked they would cut it to length for you. An electric sander with 320 grit paper would take down the most of rough edges followed by a fine file and 0000 steel wool would give a nice warm finish. Here I am overthinking your project. Get them some copper wire and something to hit it with. Some sand paper to blunt the edges and steel wool to give it a glow. They will think you gave them the crown jewels. Have fun.
Don
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Jewelry doesn’t have to incorporate metal. They could shape and paint wood or weave colorful plastic strips cut from bottles or use found objects, etc.
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I do mainly art and Craft shows. One that I was showing at had a kids area where they were pushing Paracord and objects woven in to the strands. An endless stream of 8-10 year olds were going about the fair with Paracord and washers about their wrists. I have a great concern about bracelets and necklaces that have the potential to trap and injure the wearer.
My necklaces and chains never have all the links soldered for just that reason. I admit to being out of my depth when it comes this kind of project. Research begins…..
Don
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Hi Sheila and All
Thanks for asking this question - I was wondering the same thing for my 4-year-old granddaughter who is fascinated by my studio and thank you to all of you for your answers. I had been thinking of anodised sheet aluminium using alcohol ink pens and inks then punching out simple earrings or bending into a cuff bracelet.
Looking forward to kid fun
Cath
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kids have a creativity instinct. let them do what they want to do, as long as it’s not dangerous.
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Hi,
i saw a video on instagram…the project was earrings…they sawed out shapes and then textured them…and then connected them with jumprings thru drilled holes…finishing it off with ear hooks…this example used 3 shapes dangling down, but i have seen 1 and 2 dangles as well…
julie