Create an Origami Paper and Silver Necklace

Materials and Tools:

20-gauge sterling silver wire
sheet metal
Japanese paper
sandpaper
acetylene torch
silver solder
flux
clear acrylic
jeweler's saw frame and blades
wooden dowel rod
wire clippers
assortment of pliers
liver of sulfur (colorant for metal) in heated Crock-Pot
rolling mill (for adding texture to the silver sheet metal)
safety glasses
tweezers
black permanent marker
metal shear
scissors
paper towel
steel wool
jeweler's drill
awl
oval-shaped wooden spoon handle
jump rings

Note:Instructions were not provided for folding origami balloons featured in step 2 of this project. Check local libraries, books on origami folding and Internet searches. Here's an origami balloon-folding Web site example:

http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/virtual/origami2/exploring01_04.html

Figure A

Steps:

1. Cut Japanese paper into 13 equal size squares to create origami balloons.

2. Fold the paper into origami balloons. (see note under materials)

3. Paint balloons with clear acrylic and set aside to dry.

Figure C

4. Outline a paper balloon on sheet metal with a black marker. Add about 3 mm all the way around so you can see the silver behind the paper. Create 13 metal pieces.

5. Cut the metal pieces to size with metal shears. Sand the edges so they are not sharp.

Figure E

6. Wrap each piece of metal with steel wool. Wrap a piece of paper towel around the steel wool and run it through a rolling mill to emboss the metal.

7. Drill holes at the top of the metal pieces to connect to the necklace. Punch corresponding holes in the folded paper balloons with an awl.

8. Sand the holes in the metal pieces.

Figure F

9. Dip each piece of metal in a heated liver of sulfur solution to antique the metal. Rinse the metal pieces off and dry. Remove excess color with steel wool.

10. Cut 13 tag shape pieces from Japanese paper slightly larger than the metal pieces. Punch a hole at the top of each tag. Assemble the charms by stacking the paper balloon on top of a metal piece on top of a paper tag. Run a jump ring through the holes in the top.

Figure I

11. To make the chain: Wrap silver wire around an oval-shaped handle of a wooden spoon. Cut rings by snipping the coils with wire cutters.

12. Flux the ends of the rings, add silver solder and solder the ends of the rings shut using a torch. Wear safety glasses when soldering.

13. Wrap silver wire around a scrap piece of copper tubing to form a tight coil. Remove the coil from the tubing and cut short coils (six turns of the wire) using wire cutters. With needle-nose pliers bend the two end wires of each coil outward to make a ring for joining the coils to the large rings.

14. Join the large rings together with jump rings to from the necklace. Add a charm to a short coil, and then join the 13 charms to the necklace with jump rings. Add a clasp to the origami paper and silver necklace.

Web site: www.fcdreadesign.com