How to Make a Brooch
Brooches are fun, creative ways to add a dash of style to just about anything. These fancy pins can be worn on hats, lapels, scarves, sleeves or simply on the front of a blouse to spark things up a bit. Although the name is old-fashioned, your brooch doesn't have to be if you make your own.
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Instructions
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Design your pin front. Based on your imagination or whatever supplies you have on hand, create a design you want as a brooch. Options are limitless. A good way to get inspired is to either go through your junk drawer or old jewelry bin or check out other brooches to see what you want to make (see Resources). Sketch your design once you've decided on one. Let's say you picked a shark.
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Get your pin base. Visit a local craft or jewelry supply store and browse its pin backings. Pick one that fits the size, shape and pin options that will best suit your needs. Some have a clasp pin, while others have a straight pin with butterfly backing. Sizes vary from a small button size to larger lapel sizes.
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Collect your brooch materials. Use anything that is stable and able to hold glue for the front of your pin. Examples include small pieces of wood, shell or metal, pieces of belt buckles or broken jewelry. For the shark it would be ideal to use paint and small gemstones for the eyes or throughout its body.
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Prepare all the pieces. Use snips to cut down any pieces that are too large. Use pliers to bend anything that needs bending and file down jagged edges with a metal file or sandpaper. Let's say you chose metal for the shark's base. Cut it into a shark shape and file down the metal edges with a metal file. Paint the shark as desired.
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Glue everything together. Once the paint is dry, glue any ornamentation onto the front of the brooch. In the shark's case, you are gluing small gemstones onto the eye area and randomly to add texture throughout the body. Once the front of the brooch is dry, glue it onto the pin backing.
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Tips & Warnings
Glue, beads, pin backings and miscellaneous novelties can be purchased at craft or jewelry supply stores. If your brooch is rather large, you may want to use two pin backings, one on each side, so it stays in place. Use the straight pins with butterfly backs for this option. Brooches make great gifts. Personalize them for the recipient.
Don't be shy. Brooches will really shine with elaborate dangling or hanging pieces festooned around or off the bottom. Small chains, ribbons, faux flowers and thin strands of beads are just a few options.
Resources
- Photo Credit Illustration by Ryn Gargulinski
