Make a Pendant for Valentine's Day

Giving jewelry for Valentine's Day is a well-established tradition. Many women hope that they will be surprised with the perfect piece of jewelry on Valentine's Day. But figuring out what type of jewelry and being able to afford it make this difficult for most guys. This Valentine's Day, you can surprise your sweetheart with a necklace. These are made in the popular chunky style of art jewelry. Because of the popularity of this kind of jewelry, it will appeal to a lot of women. Here are the secrets you need to know to make this piece of jewelry for your loved one.

First, find a large bead that suits your girlfriend or wife's taste. Pay attention to the color of clothing that she wears most often, or choose a color that you like for her to wear. Pick a bead that is about 3/4 of an inch across in at least one direction. It does not have to be a sphere, and it can even be asymmetrical. The important part is that it have a hole through it.

Get some half hard wire at a craft store. This wire is best suited for this design, because it will hold its shape fairly well, but is still flexible enough to work with. Do not use any wire other than jewelry making wire, because it is not well-suited to making jewelry. You should get a fairly thin gauge, such as 20 or 22. The gauge refers to the thickness of the wire.

Measure a section of wire that is about 2 feet long. Slide the bead onto the wire. Loop the ends of the wire around each other, so that they fit back into the ends of the bead. If the hole in the bead is not big enough, you can purchase a tool called a bead reamer, that is a rounded file. It will allow you to make the hole bigger. Be extra careful if you are using it on a glass bead because it will create glass dust and also because the bead can break. Once you have looped the ends through the ends of the bead again, file the ends so that they are rounded and not sharp, and wrap them around the wire so that they form spirals.

The last step is to attach a clasp. You will need a clasp, which can be purchased at many department stores or any craft store that carries jewelry findings. A lobster claw clasp gives it an especially nice touch, or you can use a different style. A crimping clasp is easy to attach and a slide lock clasp with two holes on each side will give the necklace a different look by separating the two strands. Find the point on the wire that is directly opposite the bead. Use wire cutters to cut it at exactly that midway point. Now for the adjustment. Adjust the necklace so that it is a larger diameter than your wife or girlfriend's neck. You must be very careful to not make it too small, because she will be unable to wear it. If you are in doubt, leave it long. Once you know how long it needs to be, cut it on each side so that it is the proper length. A lobster clasp attaches by making a small loop in the wire and then threading it through the hole on the clasp. You should tighten it from there, so the clasp does not come off. A crimp clasp attaches by crushing the ends against the wire. Be careful not to crush the parts that connect to each other. A slide lock clasp attaches the same way as a lobster clasp, but there are separate holes for each wire. This makes it much easier to attach, rather than trying to fit two wires through a small hole.

Make sure to check your sweetheart's jewelry box or pay attention to the type of jewelry she wears. This will give you a hint as to the colors and styles she likes. Most importantly, pay attention to whether she prefers yellow or white gold styles. If she only wears white gold, you don't want to make the mistake of creating one that uses a yellow gold color wire or beads. For that final finishing touch, you can purchase a piece of cheap costume jewelry that comes in a presentation box. Remove it, and slide your piece in its place. Take off all the price stickers, tie a ribbon around it, and you have a beautiful presentation ready to give her for Valentine's Day.