Vial Charm

Along similar lines as my offering bottle I made (see here), I have made a bottle of traditional medicines (native: sweetgrass and sage) to hang in my vehicle. I like to have some traditional medicines in my vehicle for whatever purposes I might need them for...and a vial seemed like a good idea. I have a good little supply of little vials in various sizes, and haven't found uses for them yet. I had planned on storing herbs in them, but they're too small to store 2 oz baggies worth of herbs, so now I have vials with no real use.

Sooo...I have found new use for them. One was the offering bottle I made (see link above) filled with offering herbs to Hecate. Now, I have a small vial filled with traditional medicines.

These bottles can be found mostly in your local craft store, but I also found some at my local dollar store (though they were filled with hole-less beads).

Making your own little charm is not that difficult.

Start with gathering supplies:
-Small corked vial bottle
-head pin (the one without a loop...looks like a long nail with a really small head)
-items to fill it with (this can vary...for this craft: pinch of sweet grass and a couple leaves of sage)
-colored thin string (I used embroidery thread)
-colored beads
-chain, cord, string (whatever you choose)

Step 1:
Take bottle and fill with your items

Step 2:
Push the head pin through the cork from underneath, so that it goes all the way to the head pin. Carefully bend the pin that's sticking out the top 90 degrees. Snip it about 1/4 inch from the cork (or whatever you're comfortable with) and (pinching the end with your round nose pliers) roll the remaining wire to create a loop
(**now...you can try using a screw loop-y thingy you can find at your local hardware store...the kind you use to screw into the back of wood frames to hang pictures...that might work if you're not confident enough to make your own loop...that'll work too)

Step 3:
Gently, but firmly push your cork as far into the vial as you can so that it doesn't come out (you can add a bit of glue to it if you really want to ensure it never comes off, but if you're planning on using the items within the vial, don't glue it). Be careful not to push TOO hard, you might break the vial.

Step 4:
Take your thin string and wrap the neck of the vial a few times, and add your beads, charms, decorations, etc. This is the time to add your own artistic flair.

Step 5:
Take your chain, cord, string, whatever, and attach it to the loop on top of your cork

You're done! This is what it may look like:

You can now wear it as a necklace, or like me, hang it in your vehicle so you have it with you should the opportunity to use whatever's in it arises :)

DIY Wire Bookmark

Along the same lines as the earrings and such, you can also make Bookmarks.

Step 1:
Take 22 inches of wire, bend it in half.

Step 2:
Grasping the bent end of the wire, make a closed loop (this will go at the bottom end of the book).

Step 3:
Make a large bend on the top end of the wire (this goes over the spine of the book)

Step 4:
Add beads

Step 5:
Make spirals in the remaining wire

In the end you have this:

Close up of beads

View of whole bookmark

How to Make: Non-Pierced Nose Ring

I've noticed that there aren't any tutorials out there on how to make non-pierced nose rings. I've googled and yahoo'd and found lame ideas for non-piercing jewellry...like gluing things on with eyelash glue (blah)

SOOOOOoooo....I thought I would do my own little tutorial on how to make your OWN...NON PIERCED NOSE RING!!


Lots of people would like to wear jewellery in interesting places, like lips and the nose and are a little timid (if not flat out terrified) of having steel shoved through their skin. Here is a painless way to wear cool jewellry.

You will need:
-1 pair round nose pliers
-1 pair flat nose pliers
-1 pair wire cutters
- wire (I'm using 20 gauge purple plated copper wire)

Step 1:
Measure out roughly 2 1/2 inches of wire and cut it with your wire cutters. With your round nose pliers, bend it exactly in half and with your flat pliers, squeeze the curve flat.

Step 2:
Using your round nosed pliers, curl the two ends of the wire in opposite directions, making two small "swirls".

Step 3:
Still using your round nose pliers, bend the wire (roughly a quarter of the way up your pliers) again in half again so the flattened curve is roughly equal with your "swirls".

Voila...you have made your very own non-pierced nose ring!!

Now, you can make variations to this.

Step 1:
Cut 2 1/2 inches of wire with your cutters. With your round nosed pliers bend the wire between 1/3 and 1/2 an inch from the bottom and make a loop at the end

Step 2:
On the other end, create a swirl by making a loop with your round nosed pliers, then rolling between your flat nosed pliers until you get a swirl to your desired size

Oh so simple! ANNNDD...so pretty!

Using similar instructions, you can make lip rings (or a nose hoop)

Step 1:
Again, with 2 1/2 inches of wire, bend in half and flatten at the curve with the flat nose pliers

Step 2:
Make a loop forwards holding both pointed ends of the wire

Step 3:
Using a pen or a dowel rod, wrap the wire around it to make a ring (with the loops either on the outside or the inside (doesn't matter, cuz this part will be inside the mouth))

Again, viola...you  have a lip ring!!

Hope these were helpful!!

Accessories: Hair Pins

I discovered this AMAZING idea for hair pins, especially for people with thick hair (like me)...

KNITTING NEEDLES!!!

I would have never thought of using knitting needles for my hair, but lo and behold, some genius thought of using knitting needles for hair accessories. While browsing YouTube for various hairsyles, I stumbled upon "TorrinPage"'s Hair Pins. She took double pointed knitting needles, bent them in half, and used them as hair pins to keep her hair up (and she has a LOT of hair). I was inspired, so I went out and purchased myself a set of double-pointed knitting needles. (Now, it's important to note...you must use METAL knitting needles...wooden ones may break.)  I went to Michaels (my local department art store), and purchased my own set. They're a pretty aqua-blue metallic color. Very nice.

This is the knitting needle before bending....

THIS...is the knitting needle AFTER!

Oh too simple. I got mine perfectly even by accident...I doubt I can do it a second time without some serious concentration lmao. To test it out, I braided my hair, wrapped it into a bun, and inserted it into my hair. It holds really well!

For me, to put my hair up, I have to rely on elastics. The downside, my elastics stretch out of shape, and the glue holding them together lets go after a while. I have metal barrettes...but I have to bend the part that goes under the hair in order to hold my hair (it's THAT thick). Now that I have five home made hair pins, I won't need elastics and my barrettes as often anymore. PLUS...I can embellish them with beads and other items to make them fancy.

These can make great gift ideas for people with long hair (or even medium hair)...it's such a simple art idea...ANYONE can do it.