SUPPLIES & TOOLS:
- 18 gauge jewelry Wire, gold
- Embroidery Floss, 1 skein for 4 charms
- Wire cutters
- Needle nose pliers
- Small hammer
- Fine tooth comb
- Trim scissors
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Cardboard, 1"x 2-3"
- Scrap wood
DIRECTIONS:
- Draw a template letter from desired alphabet. Bend letter with needle nose pliers. Start with a tight, closed circle at the top of each letter. After each bend of a letter lay the letter flat on a scrap wood board. Gently tap with a hammer to flatten. To set the curves and bends of the letters lay the finished letter on a concrete or similar surface. Slightly flatten each curve and bend by tapping each with a hammer.
- Cut an approximately 4" L of wire. Bend one end into a tight, closed circle. Bend the circle at a 90 degree angle from the length of wire. Set aside.
- Unroll floss. Fold into quarters and cut. Fold each quarter length into quarters and cut for one wine charm. This will be 4 @ 19" L for one charm.
- Cut cardboard. Mark "top" on one long edge. Thread one end of floss onto an embroidery needle. Wrap the tail end of floss 6 times around the 1" width of cardboard starting at the bottom edge. Bundle the top edge of loops and slide off the end of the cardboard. Keep the needle threaded. Slide the top loops around the length of wire. Bundle the top loops tightly close to the wire, tassel end facing away from the center of the wire circle. Take the needle end of floss and wrap the thread four times around the top of the tassel under the wire. Bring the needle with floss through the center of the wire circle and down through the center of the top wrap of the tassel. Pull to secure. Trim excess length of floss. Repeat for a second tassel.
- Slide the top closed circle of a letter onto the wire ring.
- Repeat tassel instructions for two more on the second side of the letter.
- Bend the wire into a 1" circle with the straight end past the initial closed circle end. Bend the straight end into a hook to fit into the circle end. Optional: add another detail by bending a "v" into the 1" circle. Locate the bend directly across from the hook. This gives a location for the letter to hang.
- Use a fine tooth comb to fray the twists of embroidery floss. Flatten the lengths of tassels. Use trim scissors to trim the ends straight.