52 Art Jewelry November 2012

PROJECT
BEGINNER | METAL
Recycled
Mint
Box
Earrings
by Grace Walker
2012 Kalmbach Publishing Co. This material may not be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher. www.ArtJewelryMag.com
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BASICS & VIDEOS
Learn fundamental techniques
in these bonus tutorials:
Howtofile

Sanding

Basics, page 71
Videos, www.artjewelrymag.com/videos
www.ArtJewelryMag.com 53
T
hetoolsandmaterialsIchosetocreatetheseearringsarereadily
availabletoanyonewhohasaccesstoacraftstore.Byusingsupplies
foundathobbystoresaswellascommerciallyprintedtin
Iintentionallycreateafunkyaestheticandencourageplayfulchoicesfor
personaladornment.Ifyouprefertotakeadifferentaestheticpath,dress
theseearringsupbyusingmetaltubinginsteadofeyelets,preciousmetal
insteadoftin(orincombinationwithtin),andthick-gaugejumprings
insteadofsplitrings.
Repurpose tin containers to make
simple earrings using tools & supplies
from a craft store.
Trace the leaves. Drawthe3-in-1leaf-
shapedTemplate ontoasheetoface-
tateorcardstock.Cutoutthetemplate
alongitsoutermostedge.
Chooseatincontainerwithappealing
graphics.Tracethelargetemplatetwice
ontothetinwithanultra-fine-tipperma-
nentmarker[1].
Trimthetemplatetothemediumsize,
andtracethemediumtemplatetwiceonto
thetin.Repeattotrimandtracethesmall
templatetwiceontothetin.Keepinmind
thatthesmallestleaveswillbethetop
layeroftheearrings.
NOTE:Ifyoureusingmintboxes,youwill
needtwoboxes.Traceonelargeleafshape
ontheundersideofeachbox,andtwo
mediumandtwosmallleafshapesonthe
boxtops.
Cut out the leaves. Useaviationtinsnips
(SeeAviation-SnipTips,page 54)tocut
outthesixleaves.

Serrate the leaf edges. Withthemarker,
makemarksat-in.(6.513mm)
intervalsaroundtheperimeterofeach
leaf.Thespacingbetweentheserrations
doesntneedtobeeven.
Ateachmark,usesnipstocutasmall
trianglepointinginwardfromtheoutside
edgeofeachleafshape[2].Thecutsthat
formeachtriangleshouldintersect
materials
Tincontainers(Ifyouusemint
boxes,youllneed2)
Non-ferrousmetaleyelets:18 in.
(3mm),4
Basemetalsplitrings:6mm,4
Silver-platedmemorywire:3in.
(89mm)diameter,2loops
toolbox, page 73
Wirework
additional tools & supplies
Acetateorcardstock
Ultra-fine-tippermanentmarker
Aviationtinsnips
Emerypaperoremeryboard,600-grit
Eyelet-and-snappunch,18-in.(3mm)
holepunch
Acetone-basednail-polishremover
Clearaerosollacquer
Heavy-dutyormemory-wire
cutters(optional)
Findoutwheretobuysupplies,page 77
SeeSafetyBasics,page 74
1 2
Template
ONLINE EXTRAS
Youdonthavetocut
upyourmagazine!Download
thetemplatefortheseearrings.
Learnallaboutdifferenttypesof
sealantsatwww.artjewelrymag.
com/reference.
54 Art Jewelry November 2012
perfectly to avoid burrs and gaps that may
snag fibers when the earrings are worn.
Refine the leaf components. Use a
flat needle file to file each side of the
edges of the leaves at a 45 angle [3].
Alternate between the two sides, check-
ing for smoothness by running the edges
carefully over your fingertips or fine-
textured knit fabric to see if it will snag.
To avoid producing a razor-sharp edge,
finish filing the edge at a 90 angle.
Sand B

the edges of each leaf with
the fine side of an emery board. If desired,
lightly sand the surface of the painted tin
near the edge to create an aged look on
the metal. Finish the edges with 600-grit
wet/dry sandpaper.
Punch holes for the eyelets. Use an
eyelet-and-snap punch to make a 18-in.
(3 mm) hole in centered on the wide end
of a small leaf approximately 564 in. (2 mm)
from the top edge. Place the small leaf on
top of a medium leaf, insert the punch
through the existing hole in the small leaf,
and punch a corresponding hole in the
medium leaf. Repeat to punch a hole in
a large leaf.
Repeat to punch holes in the remaining
three leaves.
NOTE: Resist the urge to punch through
more than one layer of tin at a time.
While the tool will likely punch two to
three layers, this causes metal fatigue in
a critical part of the punch mechanism
and will shortly result in catastrophic
failure (I learned the hard way!).
Punch another hole at a random
location on each of the two small leaves
for decorative eyelets.
Place each leaf onto the flat surface
of an anvil, and lightly tap each hole with
the flat face of a hammer. This flattens
the metal displaced by punching the
hole and makes the eyelets fit better.
Place an eyelet in each hole to check
the fit. If necessary, smooth and enlarge
the holes with a round needle file.
Set the decorative eyelets. Insert an
eyelet into the decorative hole in a small
leaf. Make sure the finished end of the
eyelet is on the printed side of the tin.
Set the eyelet with the setting aspect
of the eyelet-and-snap punch.
Turn the leaf upside down, and rest the
eyelet on the anvil. Hammer the back of
the eyelet gently with a flat-face hammer
to flatten it.
NOTE: I am using an auto body hammer,
but you can use a chasing hammer.
Repeat to set the decorative eyelet in
the second small leaf.
Form the leaves. Place one of the large
leaves printed-side-up on the anvil. Center
the leaf lengthwise on the edge of the
anvil so that one half is on the anvil and
the other half is suspended over air. Gently
hammer the leaf to form a central vein
silver-plated
memory-wire
ear wires
After struggling with other wires,
I decided to try making ear wires
with silver-plated memory wire.
I wanted a custom, handmade look
in a nonstandard shape, but I also
wanted something that was easy to
work with, affordable, and aestheti-
cally pleasing. The memory wire
appealed to me because:
It has a soft, silver glow.
It holds its shape.
Its tensile strength allows it to
be very thin, yet quite strong.
It doesnt require any treatment
(annealing, hardening, etc.).
Its relatively inexpensive.
A word of caution: When bending
the silver-plated memory wire, take
care to not scratch through the
plating. Areas of exposed steel
may begin to rust.
3 4 5
aviation-snip tips
When using aviation tin snips, dont take snip too literally. Make the longest
cut possible (from near the back of the blades to just shy of the tip), and avoid
using the tip of the blades. Closing the tip of the blades at the end of a cut
will result in crimps and burrs.
Keep the nut and bolt at the fulcrum of the aviation snips finger-tightened.
Blades that are loose will not cut metal cleanly they will crimp it.
ASK THE ARTIST: GRACE WALKER
www.ArtJewelryMag.com 55
Whats the most unusual material youve used
to make jewelry?
My daughters request for a Spam bracelet led to a most
unusual material for my work. I found a vintage metal Spam
can filled with nuts and bolts in a friends blacksmith shop.
I fashioned the can into a wide bangle bracelet held in place
with rivets.
Contact: [email protected]
editors note:
design
variation
6
and to give the leaf dimension. Repeat
to form the second large leaf.
NOTE: I prefer to create a hammered,
distressed look on the tin. If you want
to avoid marring the tin, you can use a
rawhide mallet to form the central vein.
Repeat to form a vein in the medium
and small leaves, making sure to place
them printed-side-down on the anvil [4].
Hold a large leaf printed-side-down
in your hand. Use your thumb and the
edge of your index finger to coax the
leaf edges downward. Repeat to form
the second large leaf.
Hold the medium and small leaves
printed-side-up, and repeat to form the
edges into a downward curve [5].
Seal the leaves. Clean each leaf with a
cotton swab dipped in acetone-based
nail-polish remover. This removes all traces
of permanent marker, oils, and dust left
from sanding.
Place all the leaves on a scrap piece
of cardboard. Choose a well-ventilated
area; I prefer outdoors on a day with low
humidity. Spray the leaves with a thin coat
of clear aerosol lacquer. Let the lacquer dry,
turn the leaves over, and repeat to coat the
opposite side of the leaves with lacquer.
NOTE: Sealing the tin prevents it from
rusting and gives it a glossy finish.
Assemble the leaf components. Place
one large leaf printed-side-down, and
stack a medium and small leaf printed-
side-up on top of the large leaf, aligning
the eyelet holes. Place an eyelet through
all three leaves, and set the eyelet with
the eyelet-and-snap punch [6].
Attach a 6 mm split ring through the
eyelet in the top of the assembly. Add a
second split ring through the first ring.
Repeat to assemble the second earring.
Make the ear wires. Use the aviation
snips to cut one loop of silver-plated
memory wire from its coil.
NOTE: Dont use your nice wire cutters
to cut memory wire youll ruin them!
Memory wire is made of spring steel and
is much harder than most wires used to
make jewelry. Use a pair of aviation snips,
heavy-duty wire cutters, or cutters
designed for cutting memory wire.
Cut the loop in half. Align the two
halves of the loop, and ensure they are
the same length; trim as necessary.
Use inexpensive roundnose pliers to
make a plain loop at one end of each circle.
NOTE: Dont use the tip of the pliers to
form the loop. I grasp the wire approxi-
mately one-third of the distance from
the tip. If you want to ensure your loops
are consistent, mark your pliers at the
desired point with a permanent marker.

On one wire, measure 1 in. (25.5 mm)
from the loop, and grasp this point with
the roundnose pliers.
Hold the wire in the jaws of the pliers,
and use your fingers to form the long end
of the wire around the bottom jaw of the
pliers to create a graceful bend.
Align the second, unbent wire with
the first, and bend it to match.
Sand the ends of the wires with emery
paper to smooth them.
Assemble the earrings. Open the plain
loop on the end of an ear wire with two
pairs of chainnose pliers, and thread the
top split ring of one of the leaf assemblies
onto the loop. Close the loop.
Repeat to attach the second ear wire
to the second assembly.
Process photos by Hiram Walker, Jr.
To make earrings using
Walkers template but
with a different aesthetic
sensibility, experiment
with textured metal, use
tube rivets instead of
eyelets, swap split rings
for textured jump rings,
or fabricate sterling
silver ear wires. AP
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