Mother's Day, Photo-Clips Decor Project

This Mother's Day, give mom a garden of memories adorned with stylish wire
photo-clips wand pictures of cherished loved ones.

Hands-on time: Approximately one hour to make 6 wire photo-clips.
Total time: add drying time if you choose to paint wires in assorted colors.
Skill: Easy and tween and teen friendly.

Materials & tools:

Craft wires, 22 to 24 gauge in assorted colors

Wire cutters, round or needle-nose pliers

Assorted beads in assorted colors,
sizes and shapes
(available at craft stores, dollar stores and
specialty stores)
Screws or nails in assorted sizes
(to make curls and corkscrew shapes for the
dragonfly tail)

Assorted family photographs

Craft scissors with fancy edges like zigzag,
scalloped, wave or pinking pattern
Planter or flower presentation of your choice.

This Mother's Day, give mom a garden of memories adorned with stylish wire
photo-clips with pictures of cherished loved ones.

These glittering wire photo-clips are easy to make in no time at all. They can
range from simple flat spirals shapes to elaborate flowers or dragonflies which
can be beautifully enhanced with beads. This is a simple project to try if you'
ve never worked with wire or beads, even tweens and teens can create
something special for their moms.

Select colored wires and beads to coordinate with your planter presentation.

Spiral photo-clips;cut a wire piece of about 50 cm long with wire cutters and
make a small hook shape at one end with pliers. Make four to five spirals by
working around the loop, wrapping the wire around it several times, growing
ever-larger using pliers or your fingers. You can thread assorted beads at
different intervals along the stem or onto the tip of the spiral. To make a leaf
shape, cut a wire piece 15 cm long in a green color, make a curved loop
shape, twist the wire ends together and then twist it around the stem to secure
in place. The spirals can be shaped to form square, star or triangular spirals.

Flower shaped Photo-clips; with a wire length of 1 meter, at one end make
a shape spiral of four turns slightly overlapping, creating the clip part to hold
the picture. To make the petals make five loop shapes with your fingers
bending the wire back and forth around the spiral center. After creating the
last loop, the wire continues as the stem part. To embellish the flower, wrap
silver wire around the petals and stem. Use wire to attach small beads and
leaves to the flower by twisting the wire around the flower.

Dragonfly photo-clips; at the end of a 1 meter wire length, make a small
spiral of four turns to make the center clip. Continue to make the wings with
two loops shaped with your fingers then tuck the long wire through the spiral
to make the stem. Open the spiral to create a balloon shape and insert a
glass marble or bead inside, then close the spiral to secure the marble inside.
For the antennas cut a 10 cm piece of wire in a contrasting color, make a
small eye loop at each end semi spiral, bend the wire in half and twist onto the
wings to attach them into place. To make a corkscrew of tail wrap a 10 cm
piece of wire around a screw, and twist off to release. Attach the corkscrew
tail, to the spiral part just under the marble by twisting it to the wire. Adorn the
stem with contrasting wire colors and leaf loops.

For each photo-clip,make a V, U or triangle shape at the end of each stem
and bend the wire to make a foot like shape, to use as an anchor base to
insert the wire-clips into the planters. Simple add favorite pictures.

Let your imagination soar to create several types of free-form photo-clip
shapes, by making a variety of spiral shapes and by adding combinations of
corkscrews and assorted beads. To put a twist on things make each stem
different with assorted curves and zigzag bends to spring shapes, the
variations are truly endless.

Tips:Grass takes a week to grow from seeds, this give you just enough time
to grow it to make a unique presentation for Mother's Day. Try growing grass
in a rectangular bread pan or in a muffin tray which has been painted in fresh
spring pastels or silver. Enhance your planter presentation with a little Zen
appeal simply by adding colored pieces of tumble glass, glass bead nuggets
or assorted rocks. Instead of buying wire in several colors you can paint wire
with glass, acrylic or spray paints.

Variations: Individual wire photo-clips can be added as an accent to decorate
a gift or added to a bouquet. You can make a spiral shape base for each
photo-clip or make stands with self-drying clay in assorted shapes from
squares to triangles.

To view more pictures and variations of the Mother's Day photo-clips project visit www.miycreations.com