Lumberyard brooches, button pins, high-tech necklaces

Sunset, Dec, 1988

Here are gift ideas for jewelry that you can make with everyday materials

Simple objects turn into striking jewelry when you use a little imagination. On the following pages, we show you how to make adornments out of such ordinary materials as buttons, wood molding and details, clay, even alligator clips and other electronic parts. Consider them for gifts this holiday season.

Short on time? You'll appreciate the first three techniques, since they use common items that go together quickly. If you plan to fashion a piece of jewelry for a friend, shop for colors and patterns to complement his or her personality. Or indulge yourself: coordinate shades and designs with a favorite outfit of your own.

Those with more time to spend can fashion our clay jewelry. Most art supply stores sell the materials. Arrange to have the clay fired in your area; for sources, look in the yellow pages under Ceramic Equipment & Supplies, Kilns, or Pottery Supplies.

Button baubles go together fast

Once mainly functional, now also fashionable, buttons are cropping up as adornments on Paris runways and at jewelry counters everywhere. All it takes to create your own jewelry are unusual buttons, a little jewelry hardware, a needle, and color-matched thread.

Groupings of buttons look terrific on suit or coat lapels. An oversize button makes a classy choker pin or snappy bolo tie. For a coordinated look, add matching earrings, too. Select lighter-weight buttons for use on thin fabrics.

Buttons made of mother-of-pearl, shell, or bone have their own natural beauty Or try plastic buttons; the most beautiful and scratch-resistant ones come from Italian and Swiss makers. Better fabric stores stock buttons in myriad colors and prices: those shown on these pages range ftom 65 cents to $9.

Sew-through buttons are easier to work with than ones with shanks. To make pins, just stitch through the button's holes, then around the jewelry back. When button is firmly attached, knot and snip thread. If combining buttons, compose your design so the buttonholes line up, then stitch them to the back.

For earrings, attach button to earring back with epoxy glue. For bolo tic, sew to a sliding back, tben thread on a leather thong. Jewelry hardware is available at most craft stores.

Molding turns into handsome brooches

More commonly used to adorn a cornice or spruce up a room, bits of carved-wood moldings and embossed medallions can decorate a human facade, too.

Look for strip molding at lumberyards, especially those that cater to renovators. Expect to pay $4 to $11 (depending on intricacy) for a 4- to 5-foot length. Embossed appliques, used to decorate furniture, also make striking jewelry Craft stores can be another source; look there for architectural details for dollhouses, Before cutting molding, study the pattern repeat: you may be able to get as many as 20 pieces out of a single length. Use a fine-toothed saw to make the cuts, and smooth edges with fine sandpaper. Attach wood to a jewelry back with epoxy glue. Leave unfinished, or brighten with paint. Prepare the surface with a coat of gesso first. Then use acrylic paints as desired; varnish to protect the finish.

To make gilded pins like the one worn by our model, first apply an undercoat of metallic paint. Then apply color; we painted one piece to emphasize its spiral pattern, and sponged color onto the other for an antique look.

Turn a handful of electronic gizmos into striking trinkets

Few people stroll through an electronics store with an eye tuned to esthetics. But try it; you'll discover dozens of bags and packets of colorful parts that easily convert into fascinating jewelry.

The necklace shown on page 85, made from ceramic capacitors, twists together in minutes. With needlenose pliers, twirl the capacitors' wire ends into eyelets, then string elements on heavy nylon thread, floss, or fishing line. Turn printed circuit boards, alligator clips, metal connectors, terminals, and other intriguing shapes into brooches or earrings: simply affix to jewelry or earring back with epoxy.

Necklaces, earrings from clay cutouts

Chunky, brightly painted clay cutouts create this jewelry, designed by Seattle artist Liz Checkley.

Use low-fire white clay, about 2 pounds per necklace. (Or 'substitute self-hardening clay or bake-in-oven clay.) Draw designs on lightweight cardboard. Slice off clay and roll it out (step 1). For earrings, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Lightly press patterns into clay, cut out shapes, and pierce with an awl (step 2).

With a pastry cutter, cut out about 36 beads per necklace (if clay sticks, lightly grease cutter with vegetable oil). Roll by hand until round. Make hole in center.

To dry, place cutouts and beads (holes vertical) well apart on a cooky sheet. If cutouts begin to curl, turn over and gently press flat. Low-fire clay takes two to three days to dry. Pieces will be very brittle until fired, so handle with care. Have clay fired (see page 85).

Prepare bamboo skewers to hold cutouts and beads. Wrap middle of each skewer with masking tape to keep cutouts in place while you paint with acrylic paint. To make the bead-drying rack, tap 36 1 -inch nails through a piece of heavy cardboard; nails should be about an inch apart. Cut several coated paper drinking straws into 1/2 -inch segments; slide one over each nail.