Painted garden filigree flower necklace

Grow your metalworking skills in a filigree flower necklace

I grew up at my mother’s feet in her design studio, mesmerized as I watched her create. I’ve been making jewelry since I was a little girl; designing is truly a part of who I am. For this piece, I wanted to explore the far reaches of my design abilities. I was inspired by these glass flower and leaf beads mingling with natural brass and hand-painted patinas — all together, it’s very shabby chic.

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Step 1

PHOTO 1

1. On a bench block, hammer a 42 mm (large) flower filigree to flatten it. Flatten two 8 mm bead caps and one 12 mm bead cap.

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Step 2A

PHOTO 2a

2. Place a 34 mm (medium) flower blank in an embossing folder.

SUPPLIES

necklace 17 1⁄2 in. (44.5 cm)

3 12 mm glass flower beads
10–12 10 mm glass leaf beads
6 mm bicone crystal
4 4 mm bicone crystals
42 mm passion flower petal filigree
2 34 mm eight petal cut out flower
19 mm filigree leaf charm
10 mm woodland leaf charm
2 13 mm teensie nouveau leaf charm
4 12 mm filigree bead caps
2 11 mm filigree tube beads
3 10 mm standard washers
2 7.5 mm pinwheel washers
5 8 mm foliage bead caps
10–12 6 mm blossom bead caps
4 1⁄4-in. (6 mm) rivets
3 in. (7.6 cm) chain, 3–4 mm links
16–18 1-in. (2.5 cm) eye pins
22–24 4.75 mm jump rings
hook clasp and 10 mm ring
chainnose and roundnose pliers
flush cutters
metal hole-punch pliers
ball-peen hammer and bench block
paintbrush
Sizzix embossing machine and embossing folder
patina inks

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Step 2B

PHOTO 2b

Close the folder and run it through an embossing machine, following the manufacturer’s directions.

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Step 3

PHOTO 3

3. Patinate the large flattened flower, medium embossed and blank flowers, and leaf charms. You’ll need only a small amount of patina ink to cover each metal piece. Shake each bottle well, then squeeze a few drops onto a nonstick tray.

For a distressed look, use a paintbrush or sponge applicator to dab, rather than sweep, the ink onto the metal. Then, while the ink is still tacky, use a metal reliefing block to remove some of it from the raised surfaces of the piece.

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Step 4

PHOTO 4

4. On a bench block, stack these face down: rivet, pinwheel washer, flattened 12 mm bead cap, medium flower, large flower, standard washer. Holding the components firmly, use flush cutters to trim the rivet to about 1⁄16-in. (2 mm) above the washer.

Most of the components have a center hole for easy stacking, but if any of the holes are too small to fit a rivet, use hole-punch pliers to enlarge the hole.

I used a one-part rivet in this project. You can also use a two-part rivet that has both front and back pieces. To rivet, hammer the rivet’s front and back with light, precise strokes.

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Step 5

PHOTO 5

5. Using the round end of a ball-peen hammer, strike the trimmed rivet with light, precise strokes so it mushrooms around the washer’s hole. Continue striking the rivet until it lays flat against the components.

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Step 6

PHOTO 6

6. Stack and rivet additional components as shown, using hole-punch pliers to connect components as needed. (You will need to punch holes in each medium flower and in the tip of each leaf component.)

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Step 7

PHOTO 7

7. Cut a 1⁄2–1-in. (1.3–2.5 cm) piece of chain. Open a jump ring and attach an end link and a 13 mm leaf charm. Close the jump ring. Punch a hole in a medium flower’s petal and use a jump ring to attach the other end link. Attach a second 13 mm leaf and chain and the large flower.

MAKE CONNECTORS AND ASSEMBLE YOUR NECKLACE

After you've made the focal pieces, put the necklace together with some handmade connectors (see below for instructions). Use jump rings to attach the focal and connectors as shown. On one end, attach an S-hook clasp. On the other end, attach a 10 mm ring.

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Connector 1

BEAD CAP CONNECTORS

On an eye pin, string a 6 mm bead cap and a leaf bead. Make a plain loop perpendicular to the eye pin loop. Make 10 to 12 leaf connectors. Make three connectors with an 8 mm bead cap, a 12 mm bead cap, and a flower bead.

Painted garden filigree flower necklace Connector 2

CRYSTAL CONNECTORS

On an eye pin, string a 4 mm bicone crystal, a tube bead, and a 4 mm. Make a plain loop. Make a second tube connector. Make a connector with a 6 mm bicone crystal.

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Painted garden filigree flower necklace

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