How to Make Penannular Brooches

Penannular brooches were worn by Viking women.

A Penannular brooch is an ancient style of brooch that traditionally used to hold together cloaks and capes during the Viking and Celtic ages. If you are dressing up in a traditional Viking or Celtic costume, you can make the costume look more authentic by adding a penannular brooch. You can make your own penannular brooch using wire and metallic polymer clay that can be baked in a standard kitchen oven.

Things You'll Need

• Metallic polymer clay
• Wire
• Wire cutters
• Needle-nose pliers
• Clay knife
• Aluminum tray
• Oven

Instructions

1. Cut a 6 inch piece of wire using wire cutters.

2. Bend the wire in half using needle-nose pliers.

3. Cut a 1 inch piece of wire using wire cutters.

4. Bend the 2 inch wire into a circle.

5. Roll a 2-inch piece of metallic polymer clay into a 7-inch long snake.

6. Curl the snake into a half circle shape.

7. Press the wire circle into the middle of the curve in the clay and cover half of the circle with clay.

8. Place the clay onto an aluminum tray and bake the clay in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven for10 minutes. Let the form cool.

9. Bend the ends of the bent 8-inch piece of wire around the wire circle that is embedded in the clay. This will create the latch of the penannular brooch.

References

• British Museum: Penannular Brooch