DIY Network

Wire Tassels and Brooches Craft a new look with colorful coated wire. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-114

You'll love what you find under the surface of "working wire."

Michele Beschen knows some of the best—and prettiest—wire for crafting is hidden behind our walls. In this episode, the B. Original host goes beneath the surface of electrical and telephone wire and uses those colorful strands to make fun tassels and charming brooches.

These fun, easy projects will give you a new appreciation for wire that works for a living.

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Wire Tassels

Materials:

telephone wire
electrical wire
craft knife
scrap wood
pliers with wirecutter

	Figure A
	Figure B

Note: The scrap wood should be the same length as the desired length for the final tassel.

• Slice through the outer insulation to expose the colorful coatings on the inner wires.

• Wrap a handful of colorful wires around the scrap wood several times lengthwise. Keep wrapping until you have the fullness you want for your tassel (figure A).

• Loop a small piece of wire through the wrapped wires and twist together. This will be the tassel's hanger.

• Slide the wires off the board (figure B).

• Wrap a few wires several times around the bundle about a third of the way down fro the hanger loop.

• Cut through the wires at the end opposite the hanger loop. Bend and curl the wires to fluff them out.

Wire Brooch

Materials:

electrical and/or telephone wire
roof tinning disks
contact adhesive
paint
glass gems, other embellishments
pliers
self-adhesive pin back.

	Figure C
	Figure D

• Cut wire into short, straight lengths.

• Apply contact adhesive to one side of a roof tinning disk.

• Adhere wires, evenly spaced, in a circle all the way around the disk (figure C).

• Apply contact adhesive to the second disk and sandwich it over the wires.

• Clamp the disks together tightly until glue is cured
  (figure D).

• Bend the wires up in pleasing curves and decorate the brooches with paint, glass gems or other materials. Add a self-adhesive pin to the back of the brooch.

Here are some of Michele Beschen's wire brooches:

Start exploring what you can make with fun, colorful wire!