Category Archives: Jewelry

Silver Bangles

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I made these silver bangles recently. My wrist measures about 5 1/2″ around. The plain one is 6 1/4″ and the patterned one is  7″ long. I filed the ends and rounded them a bit first.

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Then I rubbed a black Sharpie pen into the patterned one. In a class you would be advised to darken your silver with Liver of Sulphur to form the patina. This effect can also be achieved by putting the silver in a closed container with the yolk of a hard boiled egg. Both ways smell bad. I use the Sharpie and then rub the piece clean with very light jeweler’s sandpaper. When it’s cleaned off and the markings are black I polish it with a buffing cloth to get any scratches off.

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To shape them I used two dowels, gently curving them around a bit at a time keeping both ends even. The first dowel was 1 1/4″ in diameter and the smaller one 3/4″. Then I fiddled with the ends a bit using my plastic coated pliers. I made them so I could slip them on my wrist sideways and then I squeezed them till I liked the way they fit.

It’s best to bend and curve the silver very carefully. If the bracelet becomes distorted it is very hard to correct the mistake.

I order my supplies from riogrande.com

The plain bracelet is “Wire SS Flattened Plain” item #101515 and the other is “Pattern Wire SS” item #102119. SS means sterling silver.

Painting wooden bangles steps 2 and 3

I decided the glossy Mod Podge didn’t look right. It was too shiny and felt sticky. The matte looks much better. I sealed the wood first inside and out with White Lightning white stain and sealer, but had to do it outside. Even though it’s water soluble it still has fumes and that gives me a headache fast. I used an emery board to smooth rough spots, but didn’t go too crazy with that. Some colors needed two coats, others three and then touch ups before the surface design step.

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The orange and pink ones are finished with Mod Podge matte, the middle one with glossy.