Do Your Best With What You've Got!


When I was a teenager (around 13 or 14) I briefly got really interested in wire jewelry making. In my head I was imagining all the cool things I'd be able to make if I only had some jewelry pliers, cutters, wire and beads. My parents have always been supportive of my artistic endeavors, so for Christmas they got me a wire jewelry making kit with all the tools and supplies I would need to get started. Alas, after a few efforts that produced pieces which were far from what I had envisioned, the kit got put aside to languish on a shelf in my bedroom- for years and years it just sat there gathering dust bunnies. I'm a bit of a packrat when it comes to art supplies, so unless it's something like paint that's gone bad or clay that's dried out and unusable, I'll keep most materials just in case inspiration ever strikes.




Well inspiration has officially struck. I haven't really touched the jewelry pliers and wires in at least a decade, but a few days ago out of the blue, I felt like messing around with that kit. I still had the tools and a lot of wire in varying thicknesses and materials. I chose a bare copper wire of unknown gauge (the label long torn off and lost) and got out some mismatched glass beads found at a garage sale last summer. This is what I was able to piece together, and I'm feeling really proud of it as a first attempt! Unlike the somewhat misshapen things I made when I was a teenager, this bracelet is something I actually think I  will wear, and am excited to do so!


Although I'm really happy with how the bracelet came out, I can definitely spot areas to improve on. I was careful when handling the wire with my pliers but they did leave some bite marks in the metal here and there. These are very small imperfections that cannot be noticed from far away (or probably even up close unless you're really looking for the marks) but I definitely want to try again. My husband recommended wrapping a bit of electrical tape around the tips of my pliers to provide cushion and avoid marking up the wire, which I think is a brilliant suggestion that I'll definitely try out. I also want to file the ends of each place where the wire is cut, because my clippers don't clip as cleanly as I'd like. Again, probably a small imperfection but I want to see if I can improve that edge. Lastly, and probably most obviously, the current lobster clasp does not match the metal of my wire at all. The clasp was cannibalized from a cheap necklace I no longer wear, so it's badly tarnished and very much the wrong metal color, but it will do for now. I definitely plan to find some copper clasps that will be a better match for my copper wire. :)

Ultimately I'll probably end up entirely redoing this bracelet, but I'm happy I made this first version and I definitely feel inspired to perfect my technique and maybe make some other things too. I love it when I can make something from odds and ends I have laying around. I so often fall into the trap of thinking I need a lot of really specific (and usually expensive) materials in order to create something, and then I end up giving up due to the cost and uncertainty, ultimately creating nothing at all! My (un)official resolution for 2018 is definitely to do my best with what I've got, stop making excuses, and just create! Starting this blog at the beginning of the year has been the biggest example that I'm actually following through with this idea, and I plan to keep the ball rolling with other creative projects too. Thank you to everyone who is reading my posts and keeping me company here, which sounds really corny but is totally heartfelt! 

**This post is not sponsored in any way.**

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