Saturday, November 3, 2012

Whistle Up A Strange Little Pendant

How 'bout a tutorial for making these whistle necklaces?



Made from dollar store penny whistles.




Cute?  Strange?  I kinda think: both.  Anyway, hope you like them!


Read on for the DIY...



First, use a fine-toothed saw or Dremel-type tool to remove the mouthpiece from the shaft.  Then sand the cut end smooth.





Make a wrapped loop at the end of some craft wire.  Put a bead on a headpin and make a plain loop to create a dangle.  (For a detailed tutorial on making wire loops, click here.) Add the dangle to the wrapped loop.





Next add a stack of interesting beads (or one big bead, as in the green & black and red & black necklaces pictured above).  Then fold the wire down tight against the top of the beads.




Make the beginning circle of a wrapped loop, but don't wrap it closed yet.


Finagle a thin cord or very skinny necklace chain down through the tiny whistle opening, all the way through and out the bottom of the mouthpiece.


Slip the middle section of your chain into the unfinished wire loop, like so:



Now wrap the wire around itself a few times, right at the base of the loop.  Trim off the extra wire.



One last thing: you need something on the ends of your chain or cord that's wider than the whistle opening, otherwise it will slip right out.

My chain already had a clasp on one end.  On the other end, I added a little bead dangle.





If you're using a cord or ribbon for the necklace, you can simply make knots, or tie small beads onto the ends.



And toot toot tootsie, you are done!


Ain't that tweet?  I was thinking it would be a fun gift for a beloved coach.  Or a drum majorette.  Or someone who loves the movie To Have and Have Not.

Or maybe a hint to an absent-minded whistler in the office who drives you crazy whistling that song you hate all frakkin' day long, grrrr!!!  

Or maybe just for you, 'cause it's weirdly adorable.



Thanks for coming by, you guys - see you again soon!

p.s. What would be a song that would drive you bats?  For me, pretty much any hit by Dionne Warwick.  Love her to pieces, brilliant voice - but those songs sung, whistled or hummed by anyone but her just grate my brain like lemon zest.


4 comments:

  1. This is so crazy/cute/creative! I love it!

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  2. My "song" would be "Don't worry; Be Happy" by Bobby McFarren! When my son was 18 mos, he won a district baby pageant - now before anyone starts in on the Honey Boo-boo issue, BELIEVE me pageants WERE NOT THAT BAD back then (my son is now 25)- part of his win was entry into the "international" pageant to be held in Orlando FL. When time for the pageant came, my mom, my two youngest brothers, my son and I packed up into my parent's chrysler Lebaron-the bigger model- along with all the clothes/props for the pageant and headed south. The ONLY thing that would keep my boy happy on that LONG drive (from Ohio) was to play that *&^%%*(&**_!! song, over, and over and OVER again!!! (both going and coming home!!!) Needless to say, I quickly lost any desire to EVER hear that song again! NOW I get to hear it (or some parody of it) on just about every other television commercial currently airing!!! Talk about driving a person NUTS!!! LOL!!! WHEW! Thanks for letting me vent!!!

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  3. I like to read about your jewelry building adventures. What's cool is that I have all those tools at my house and could easily learn to make these and so many other of your sweet creations. Thanks for making it all so accessible Michelle. Wonderful!

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  4. You're so darn clever!! Now you're responsible for putting "Whistle While you Work" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in my head.

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