How to Make Metal Jewelry Pendants

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Things You'll Need

  • Copper, brass, sterling silver, or gold sheet metal

  • Pencil

  • Scissors

  • Tin snips

  • Sandpaper

  • Hammer

  • Nail

  • Copper, brass, sterling silver or gold jump ring

  • Pliers

Pendants can be made to express your unique personality.
Image Credit: Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

A pendant is a piece of jewelry that is traditionally hung from a necklace. Pendants come in virtually every shape, size, color and style you can imagine. Some of the most popular and readily available pendants are made of metal, such as brass, copper, sterling silver or gold. Best of all, the process of making metal jewelry pendants can be mastered with relative ease.

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Making Metal Jewelry Pendants

Step 1

Develop a design that will look attractive when cut from a flat sheet of metal, such as a bird, heart or cross.

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Step 2

Draw an outline of your design on a sturdy piece of paper. Cut out the design with scissors. Use the template to trace the design onto the sheet metal.

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Step 3

Cut the pendant out of the sheet metal with scissors or tin snips. Tin snips may cut more easily through the metal, while scissors may be useful for delicate designs.

Step 4

Sand away any sharp or rough edges and points on the pendant.

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Step 5

Hammer a nail through the top of the pendant to create a single hole. Remove the nail. Smooth the inside and outside of the hole with sandpaper.

Step 6

Select a jump ring in a metal that matches your pendant. Use pliers to open the jump ring. Slip the jump ring through the hole in your pendant. Hook the jump ring around your necklace and use pliers to close the jump ring completely.

Tip

Remember that the higher the gauge of your sheet metal, the thinner the metal will be. Therefore, 22-gauge sheet metal will be heavier than 28 gauge.

To be creative, suspend your pendant from a strip of leather, a ribbon or a silk cord rather than a traditional chain.

You can also use an emery board to smooth the edges of the pendant.

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