On the 1st Day of Christmas: A-layin' Pendant

According to Wikipedia,

The twelve days in the song are the twelve days from the day after Christmas (December 26) (Boxing Day or St. Stephen's Day, as being the feast day of St. Stephen Protomartyr) to the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6, or the Twelfth Day). Although the specific origins of the chant are not known, it possibly began as a Twelfth Night "memories-and-forfeits" game, in which a leader recited a verse, each of the players repeated the verse, the leader added another verse, and so on until one of the players made a mistake, with the player who erred having to pay a penalty, such as offering up a kiss or a sweet.

I've taken a little bit of license with the song, Twelve Days of Christmas and used a little blue bird charm instead of geese. The blue bird is patiently waiting for her offspring and spring to arrive.



Project Rating: Easy Wire

Materials
1 blue bird glass charm
3-4 feet of Vintaj 20 gauge bronze colored wire
3-4 fine gauge Vintaj headpins
3-4 bronze colored pearls

Tools:
chainnose pliers
Round nose pliers
flush cutters
(Tip: If you're new to jewelrymaking, here's a good review of pliers

Directions:

1. String the 20 ga wire up through the bottom of the blue bird charm. Use the roundnose pliers to make a eye at the top end (or head) of the bird charm.

2. Wind the 20 ga wire around the bottom of the blue bird to make a nest leaving about 2.5 inches to make a wrapped loop at the bottom of the nest.

3. Make a wrapped loop using the round nose pliers. Wrap the remaining wire around the bottom of the nest or if it looks good to you after the wrapped loop, cut with the flush cutters.

4. String a pearl onto a headpin. Make a loop using the round nose pliers. Make 3-4.

5. Attach the pearls to the bottom loop of the pendant.

Voila! You have a "bird a-layin" pendant ready to string onto your favorite necklace, use as a zipper pull, or cell phone charm!

Tutorial by Cindy Gimbrone who is busy in her studio creating art beads and jewelry making projects.