Lily Vine Hair Pin

Steps 1-3

Steps:

1. Cut wire as follows:

• 12-inch piece of 22-gauge wire
• Four 3-inch pieces of 24-gauge wire
• Six 12-inch pieces of 28-gauge wire
• Two round loops made from 28-gauge wire

2. Shape the 12-inch wire into an S shape with loops at each end for the main body of the vine. Place it on a sheet of dark paper. Attach the wire to the paper with small pieces of masking tape. Bend the four pieces of 3-inch wire around needle-nose pliers and shape them into loose spirals.

3. Add the two looped 28-gauge wires to the vine and the six pieces of 12-inch 28-gauge wire.

Step 4

4. With all of the wires taped down, place the lily vine hairpiece onto a cookie sheet and peel one piece of tape off at a time. Brush flux on the areas to be soldered. Solder the wires together using small amounts of jewelry solder and a soldering iron. Wash the piece with soap and water.

Step 5

5. To shape the flowers, draw six flowers on a sheet of 22-gauge metal using a black fine tip marker.

6. Drill holes in the center of each flower.

Step 7

7. Use a sheet metal cutter or jewelry saw to cut out the metal flowers. Soften the edges of the flowers with a file.

8. Place the flowers on a mandrel and hammer the petals into a curved shape.

Step 9

9. Solder the flowers to the vine, applying flux before the solder. Wash the hair pin with soap and water and dry off. Buff the metal with a polishing cloth.

Step 10

10. To add pearls and crystals to the lily hair pin vine, use 28-gauge wires and string them one at a time, one to two inches from the base, folding and twisting the bead until the wire wraps to the base. Then repeat this action until the wire has made three offshoots with beads that appear to be floating out from the vine.

Step 11

11. Paint each flower with enamel paint. Paint two coats, letting each coat dry for at least eight hours between applications. Or apply a white layer under first, and then apply color over the top.

Mona Lisa is a native Californian or a "beach bunny" as she calls herself. She's been surfing for as long as she can remember and has recently began snowboarding. She's lived by the beach her whole life and would never think of living somewhere else. She found her calling in metal work and hair jewelry and now loves making pretty things her friends can wear at the beach.

Website: www.monalisadesign.com