How to Make an Owl Pendant
Owls are, perhaps, the most beloved of all birds of prey, with their image serving as an iconic symbol of wisdom. If you're an owl enthusiast, show your devotion to the species by wearing your own homemade owl jewelry. Create your owl pendant from scratch to wear yourself, or to give as a gift to a bird lover in your life.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Card stock
- Jewelry sheet metal
- Felt-tipped permanent marker
- Rotary power tool
- Diamond burr power tool
- Diamond burr detail grinding bit
- Power drill
- Jump ring
- Needle-nosed pliers
Instructions
-
-
1
Draw or print out an owl silhouette shape on card stock. Use the simplest shape you can find. Avoid anything with wispy and go for a basic shape with thick lines (see Resources for some good clip art options).
-
2
Cut out the owl shape from the card stock. When cutting, position the scissors to cut just inside the edge of the shape so that tracing will re-create the outer line.
-
-
3
Trace the owl shape onto the sheet metal using a felt-tipped permanent marker.
-
4
Fit the rotary tool with the diamond bur cutting wheel. Turn it on and set to a medium speed setting (adjust as you like while you cut).
-
5
Cut out a rough square or oval outline around the owl shape.
-
6
Trim down as much of the material around the owl as you can using the wheel cutting blade.
-
7
Turn off the rotary power tool and let it cool for a minute. Switch to a diamond bur detail grinding bit.
-
8
Carve down the remaining excess material on the owl shape and cut out any portions in the middle of the image that need to be removed.
-
9
Remove any traces of permanent marker ink using a cotton ball soaked in nail polish remover.
-
10
Use the power drill with a 1/8th inch drill bit to cut a stringing hole in the top center of your owl shape.
-
11
Fit the stringing hole with a jump ring using the needle nosed pliers.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Use a high-quality pair of scissors when cutting out the owl pattern piece; this will give you a better shape.
References
- "The Complete Jewelry Making Course: Principles, Practice and Techniques: A Beginner's Course for Aspiring Jewelry Makers;" Jinks McGrath; 2007
