Wire-Wrapped Marble Ornaments
Wire-Wrapped Marble Ornaments Issue #9
a Crafting Connections Mini-Magazine
Wire-Wrapped Marble Ornaments W e are entering into a season of connections and giving, making and gifting, celebrations and love. There is something special about a handmade gift - even more so when it ’s made by a little one (and pretty enough to hang in a window or on a tree!) Little ones will enjoy “hiding” their marbles in play dough and helping with the wire wrapping. Grown-ups get in on the fun with the wrapping as well - twisting and turning so that the wire ball keeps it ’s delicate shape. Ever yone will enjoy watching the magic unfold as the play dough disappears and the wrapped treasures are revealed, leaving the ornament ’s recipients to wonder how they got in there!
Y OU W ILL N EED Wire (25 - 30 gauge) . play dough . marbles (or other treasures!)
W HAT T O D O Your little ones will especially love the first step to this project - hiding their treasures in play dough! Grab some play dough that ’s near it ’s end (we used home made play dough past its prime) and simply press the marbles inside. You can choose to place just one treasure per ball, or tr y grouping a few together. Then roll the dough around in your hands creating a ball. The size of the play dough ball will be the approximate size of your ornament, so add or remove dough accordingly. Once you’ve assembled your balls, you can let them dr y overnight, which will make wire-wrapping a bit easier.
Time to wrap the wire! Wrap the wire once around your play dough ball, securing the end by looping around and wrapping it over itself. Continue to wrap around your play dough ball. After ever y 4 to 5 loops around the ball, be sure to loop back, gathering one section of the 4-5 loops together and securing the loose end of the wire around them. This will prevent the wire from unwrapping once the play dough has dissolved. Wrap. Wrap. Wrap. Wrap. Secure. And so on until you’re happy with the metalwork.
Now for the magic to happen! Run your wrapped play dough balls under warm water, gently shaking them to help loosen the dough. Alternatively, you can leave your ornaments in a bowl of warm water overnight. If you choose to leave them in water, be sure to rinse them right away the next morning so that the salt in the play dough doesn’t corrode the metal wrapping. As you take your play dough balls out of the water for a final rinse, watch as your marbles or other treasures re-appear, now inside your wrapped metal ball! Attach a ribbon or thread to hang your ornaments, or gift one to someone you love!
E XPLORE M ORE What other treasures can you find to put in your ornaments? Could you incorporate beads onto your wire? How will you do it? Give it a tr y!
M AKE C ONNECTIONS Who would you like to gift your ornaments to? What do you love about that person? How do you think they will feel when they receive your gift? How do you feel when you are given a gift?
THE LITTLE STAR Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. When the glorious sun is set, When the grass with dew is wet, Then you show your little light. Twinkle, twinkle, all the night. In the dark blue sky you keep And often through my curtains peep; For you never shut your eye Till the sun is in the sky. As your bright and tiny spark Lights the traveller in the dark, Though I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star. - Ann & John Taylor
Love what you see? Click here to check out all the print & digital Crafting Connections magazines
Shop.CraftingConnections.Net (click HERE to see them all)
Contact : : [email protected] Unless otherwise specified, all text and photography copyright ©2013 by Crafting Connections, LLP. Bokeh Poetry photo: ©2007, Angela Antunes, CC BY 2.0 Mini-Magazine Published by: Crafting Connections, LLP and CraftingConnections.net
a Crafting Connections Mini-Magazine
Wire-Wrapped Marble Ornaments W e are entering into a season of connections and giving, making and gifting, celebrations and love. There is something special about a handmade gift - even more so when it ’s made by a little one (and pretty enough to hang in a window or on a tree!) Little ones will enjoy “hiding” their marbles in play dough and helping with the wire wrapping. Grown-ups get in on the fun with the wrapping as well - twisting and turning so that the wire ball keeps it ’s delicate shape. Ever yone will enjoy watching the magic unfold as the play dough disappears and the wrapped treasures are revealed, leaving the ornament ’s recipients to wonder how they got in there!
Y OU W ILL N EED Wire (25 - 30 gauge) . play dough . marbles (or other treasures!)
W HAT T O D O Your little ones will especially love the first step to this project - hiding their treasures in play dough! Grab some play dough that ’s near it ’s end (we used home made play dough past its prime) and simply press the marbles inside. You can choose to place just one treasure per ball, or tr y grouping a few together. Then roll the dough around in your hands creating a ball. The size of the play dough ball will be the approximate size of your ornament, so add or remove dough accordingly. Once you’ve assembled your balls, you can let them dr y overnight, which will make wire-wrapping a bit easier.
Time to wrap the wire! Wrap the wire once around your play dough ball, securing the end by looping around and wrapping it over itself. Continue to wrap around your play dough ball. After ever y 4 to 5 loops around the ball, be sure to loop back, gathering one section of the 4-5 loops together and securing the loose end of the wire around them. This will prevent the wire from unwrapping once the play dough has dissolved. Wrap. Wrap. Wrap. Wrap. Secure. And so on until you’re happy with the metalwork.
Now for the magic to happen! Run your wrapped play dough balls under warm water, gently shaking them to help loosen the dough. Alternatively, you can leave your ornaments in a bowl of warm water overnight. If you choose to leave them in water, be sure to rinse them right away the next morning so that the salt in the play dough doesn’t corrode the metal wrapping. As you take your play dough balls out of the water for a final rinse, watch as your marbles or other treasures re-appear, now inside your wrapped metal ball! Attach a ribbon or thread to hang your ornaments, or gift one to someone you love!
E XPLORE M ORE What other treasures can you find to put in your ornaments? Could you incorporate beads onto your wire? How will you do it? Give it a tr y!
M AKE C ONNECTIONS Who would you like to gift your ornaments to? What do you love about that person? How do you think they will feel when they receive your gift? How do you feel when you are given a gift?
THE LITTLE STAR Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are! Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky. When the glorious sun is set, When the grass with dew is wet, Then you show your little light. Twinkle, twinkle, all the night. In the dark blue sky you keep And often through my curtains peep; For you never shut your eye Till the sun is in the sky. As your bright and tiny spark Lights the traveller in the dark, Though I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star. - Ann & John Taylor
Love what you see? Click here to check out all the print & digital Crafting Connections magazines
Shop.CraftingConnections.Net (click HERE to see them all)
Contact : : [email protected] Unless otherwise specified, all text and photography copyright ©2013 by Crafting Connections, LLP. Bokeh Poetry photo: ©2007, Angela Antunes, CC BY 2.0 Mini-Magazine Published by: Crafting Connections, LLP and CraftingConnections.net
