Steampunk Vacuum Tube Charm

Since the charm swap is in full swing (we now have 45 people playing along!!) I thought it would be fun to start sharing more charm ideas here and there to spark your creativity!

I have been waiting to share these charms with you now for weeks...Remember back a few months ago I told you I bought a couple boxes of vintage tv/radio vacuum tubes at an auction we went to?  Well here is one of the projects I've been playing around with....

Steampunk Vacuum Tube Charms!

Supplies:

Vacuum Tube (any shape/size)
Wire (pretty heavy)
Wire working tools

Instructions:

1. Snip off a piece of wire approx. 12-14" in length.

2. Use your round pliers to make a circle near the center of the wire.   I usually fold the wire in half and wrap it around my pliers. 

3. Slip the circle over the little nubbin on the vacuum tube and gently fold the two tails down around the body of the tube.

4. Now wrap and twist the wire in interesting shapes around the body of the tube....  This is totally a free form type of art.  Just experiment, play and have fun.  Sometimes I add little curly-ques, other times I add waves, just do what feels good.

5. When you reach the end of the tube, bend each of the tails so they join in the center among all of the little metal pins. 

6. Create a loop with these tails and knot any extra wire under the loop. 



And here are a few variations of this charm using different colors of wire and of course different wire designs.   I really love creating these charms because no two will ever be the same.  For me the wire at times seems to take on a life of it's own and just goes where it pleases.  I think that's what makes these charms so much fun!

Of course you could hang all sorts of other charms, watch bits, gears, etc. from the loop but this gives you a nice starting point.

I will be making some of these for the charm swap but I thought it would be fun to give away a few of the Vacuum Tubes so one of you Inky readers could give them a try yourself!

So if you'd like to win a few tubes for yourself simply leave a comment and a way to contact you. 

You have until 7-25-11 to enter to win!

Good Luck Friends!!