Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Easy Vintage Brooch Ornaments

Hello, my dears!  Today I want to show you these dee-lightfully fancy ornaments.


Pretty, eh?




What if I told you they cost practically nothing, and took about sixty seconds to make?  Uh-huh, I knew you'd appreciate that.

You know those cheap plastic table runners and placemats, that look like elaborate metallic lace?



Sometimes you can find them at the dollar store.  Sometimes they come as tablecloths or fabric you can buy by the foot.  I grab them whenever I see them!   True, there is nothing tackier in life.  But those big crazy flowers are so durn craftable!  (Check out this tutorial for turning them into jewelry.)

To make the ornament, cut out a metallic lace flower as a simple circle, like so:



(If you want to spend a little more time, you can cut around each petal.  Moi?  Totally fine with the shortcut version.)

Grab a grandma-looking brooch.  An old one that's been hiding in your jewelry box, or a thrift store find.



Pin the brooch to the flower.



Add an ornament hanger - just poke it right into plastic.



Ooh, ah!



Aren't they nice?  I love how a vintage brooch will class the whole joint up.




Now say you can't find a brooch, but fer sure you have some fugly old earrings you would never wear in a million years.

Like this one, mebbe.


So attach the earring to the plastic flower, simply using its own earnut.  Like so:



And pow, another beautiful ornament.

 

One tip about the placement of the wire ornament hanger.   You know how most earring posts and pin backs are usually off center?  After adding your jewel to the flower, do a little swing test to see how the jewel is balanced.  Then attach the hanger at whichever spot will best allow it to hang correctly and not flop forward.

That's the idea...I do hope you like it!

  


8 comments:

  1. Adorable! You sure do know how to make beautiful items out of next to nothing. You're so creative!

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  2. Digging through grandma's brooches. earrings and buttons now. I hope I still have her plastic tableclothes Love these!

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  3. Dude this is so awesome. Thank you for sharing this with us!!!

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    Replies
    1. Dude. You are too kind! Also too funny. Thanks, Shannon!

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  4. Perfectly lovely! How did you know I had old broaches next to my fugly earrings in my jewelry box??? LOL!

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  5. Finally after one month you are posting! welcome!!
    Well done idea :) and you make it really beautiful.

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  6. These are awesome sauce. Featuring when my link party opens tonight!

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