How to Insert Horse Hair Into Cones

Cut an area of horse tail hair from underneath your horse's tail.

Making horse hair jewelry is a fun and easy project for any horse aficionado. Most horse hair jewelry is made from tail hair, as mane hair is not as strong or durable. Using some silver or gold jewelry cones and clasps, you can make a jewelry piece that looks like it was professionally made. Braiding the horse hair with a metal wire down the middle will make putting the horse hair into the jewelry cone quick and easy.

Things You'll Need

• Jewelry cones
• Jewelry clasp
• Small fine-toothed comb
• Super Glue
• Small pliers
• Scissors
• 28-gauge metal jewelry wire

Instructions

1. Wash the horse hair with shampoo in your kitchen sink or small bowl. Rinse thoroughly.

2. Apply cream rinse to the horse hair and then rinse completely. This will make the horse hair easier to handle. Allow to air-dry.

3. Comb the swatch of horse hair with a fine-tooth comb to remove any tangles.

4. Braid the horse hair with jewelry wire going down the middle of the braid. The wire is braided into the middle section of hair. Leave about a 1/2-inch extra metal wire on the end that will attach to the cone.

5. Apply two to three drops of Super Glue to both the beginning and ending spots on your horse hair project. Let the glue dry completely, and then add another layer of glue to both ends. Allow to dry. This ensures the ends stay together and will make attaching the cones and clasps much easier.

6. Trim away any excess hair, but leave the metal wire extending from the hair.

7. Insert the end of the horse hair braid with the excess wire into the wide end of the jewelry cone with the excess wire sticking out the small end of the cone.

8. Use your pliers to make a small metal loop from the wire sticking out the small end of the jewelry cone. Attach the jewelry clasp to the wire loop.

Tips & Warnings

• If you leave too much wire on the end, trim the excess with scissors before making the wire loop.

• Read the precautions on the Super Glue label before applying the glue.

• Use Super Glue in a well-ventilated area.

Resources

• You Tube: How to Use a Cone - Jewelry Making
• Fire Mountain Gems and Beads: Jewelry Findings: Cones