A Turquoise Necklace

I've always wanted one of those necklaces with gorgeous stones on them but, as you all know, they can be expensive and may not be what you really wanted. Like that, I decided to make one of my own. Even though it's not a super fancy thing, I really like it.

DIY: Do It Yourself

Before you start shaping the Fimo, you'll need to use a pair of pliers to join the metal pieces you chose. For the earrings you just have to open the hooks and join the metallic base. For the necklace you have to do the same, but use a ring on the joint.

Once you do that, you can start shaping your Fimo with your hands. First you need to knead it, so it gets softer and easier to manipulate. Then you can place a small amount on your metallic base and shape it so that you get something similar to a gem. If you happen to have some excessive clay (that will happen), you can use a small x-acto knife to remove it. 

This is what you should get:

At this stage it's very important that you take your time. The shape of the stone has to be in really good conditions, with no irregular areas or cracks. Once you're done, remove them very carefully from the base and bake them at 110ºC for about 6 minutes*.

*Although the temperature is always the same, the time varies with the size of the pieces you make. If they are tiny you should not leave them for more than 10 minutes. If this is your first time with Fimo, search for the manufacturer's instructions and their recommendations.

Open the oven and let your "stones" cool down. They should no longer be malleable after this proccess. Then you can use super glue or contact glue to place them where they should be.

You can also add some colour to your necklace. 

I decided to simulate the patterns of a gemstone with a gorgeous turquoise blue. Make sure you add enough water to your paint so that you get a smoky watered effect, instead of some drop of paint on your stone. After that, all you have to do is work with your brush making the same random movements you'd do if you were painting clouds or waves.

And this is what you should get:

You can give it a nice finishing touch with one layer of transparent nail polish. Et voilà.

Tiny ring

I'm in love with this ring because it's so simple and yet looks wonderful. It's extremely easy to do and if you want to do it, you'll need:

- metallic wire (I chose silver but you can find coloured wires anywhere)

- small pliers

The first thing you have to do is test your wire: if it's thick enough, you'll just need one fragment for the ring; if it isn't, then you'll need do cut 3/4 pieces with the same lenght and roll them on top of each other like a nylon rope (that's what I did on my ring, as you can see in the picture).

After that you tie a knot with the wire, a simple one, make sure it gets in the middle of your piece of wire. It doesn't have to be too tight, otherwise you can brake the wire or the knot may even look terrible.

Shape it a little if you have to and then place it arround your finger in order to see if it fits.

Once you're done you take the pliers and you shape the tips of your ring curving them in opposite directions, so that in the end you'll have something do "lock" the ring, as you cross one tip with the other.

And you're done. Sorry that I just have pictures about the final result, but this one was made long before I had this blog.

Recycle: Wooden Purse

This wooden container was something I got from a friend on Christmas, filled with a set of papers with different patterns and colors. Once it was empty, I knew right away it had the potencial to become a purse.

If you have one of these, despite the unlimited possibilities of reutilization, you can give it a touch of your ouwn. All you need is a permanet marker and something to varnish the wood in the end.

1- Choose the patterns you want to draw and, if you lack experience, transfer them to the surface of the container first with a pencil. 
2 - Fill them very carefully with the black permanent marker. 
3 - Once you're done, let it dry (you can check it when you touch it , if your fingers are left with ink residues, you have to wait a little longer).
4 - Apply the varnishment (one or two layers). If your wood container is too thin, I advise using a varnish product that also has hardening properties.

I know it's hard to find this containers, mine was bought in Germany, but a recycling project is supposed to be versatile. Like that, you can make this on fabric purses or even leather ones. All you have to do is adjust your marker to the surface you want to cover and make sure it's strong enough to not get ruined by the marker itself.

Have fun, Joana