DIY Network

Buckeye Jewelry Big seed pods mean big style for your jewelry. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-153

Let buckeyes and other seed pods grow your jewelry collection.

Living in the Midwest, Michele Beschen always keeps an eye out for buckeyes, which fall from buckeye trees in the fall. They make beautiful, durable organic jewelry: Buckeyes do not disintegrate, crack or split over time.

See how Michele Beschen turns seeds into fashion accessories and learn jewelry techniques you can use for other kinds of seed pod, whether you find it in the yard or just in a jumbo bag of potpourri.

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	Figure A
	Figure B

Materials:

buckeyes or other large seed pods
drill and bit
eye pins
jump rings, other jewelry findings

Note: If you use another kind of seed pod for jewelry, make sure it is strong enough to drill and use in jewelry, and that it's not a pod type that decays. Seed pods from large bags of potpourri are a good choice because they're already dried and aren't harboring any insects.

• Buff the buckeyes with a rag to give them a nice sheen.

• Drill a hole through sides of the buckeyes with either a hand drill or a drill press. Make sure you use a very small bit (figure A).

• String your buckeyes. You can use leather cording or elastic to string these organic beads. Or, you can slide each bead onto an eye-pin, trim the extra pin length to ½" and then use long-nosed pliers to curl up the wire and hold the pin in place (figure B). If you do this, curl your loop of wire to match the look on the other side of the pin.

• Link the buckeyes together with jump rings or silver slivers to make bracelets or necklaces.

Keep an eye open the next time you take a walk—you never know what jewelry treasure you’ll find next.