How to Make a Sea Glass Chain

Fins sea glass in all shapes, sizes and colors

Glass eroded by the sea begins as trash from broken bottles and household items. The sea tumbles the glass and the weathered glass is termed "sea glass." Sea glass can be a very beautiful found object and it is a cheap source of jewelry materials. Drill the sea glass to make a glass bead and you have the perfect ingredients to make a sea glass chain.

Things You'll Need

• Drill press
• Diamond coated drill bits
• Jump rings
• Sea glass

Instructions

1. Sketch the design for your sea glass chain. Collect your sea glass. Wash the sea glass with soap and water.

2. Use a drill press and diamond drill bits to drill two holes in each piece of sea glass. Use water to lubricate the drill bit as you drill so your glass does not crack when drilling. Wash the sea glass again with soap and water to remove grime caused when drilling.

3. Arrange the clean sea glass pieces into a line. You can use a bead board to help design your arrangement.

4. Insert a jump ring through a hole in one piece of sea glass. Feed the same jump ring through a hole in a second piece of sea glass. Repeat with each piece of sea glass until the sea glass chain is your desired length for a bracelet or necklace

References

• "Pure Sea Glass: Discovering Nature's Vanishing Gems"; Richard LaMotte, Sally LaMotte Crane, Celia Pearson; 2004
• "Jewelry Inspirations"; Sherri Haab; 2010
• "Designer Style Jewelry"; Sherri Haab; 2004
• "Organic Crafts: 75 Earth-Friendly Art Activities"; Kimberly Monaghan; 2007
• "Big Book of Crafts"; North Light Books; 2003

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• "The Girls' World Book of Jewelry: 50 Cool Designs to Make"; Rain Newcomb; 2004
• "The Crafts and Culture of the Ancient Egyptians"; Joann Jovinelly, Jason Netelkos; 2002