Shaping Silver Sheeting

• One of the safest forms of silversmithing -- and one of the most appropriate silversmith crafts for kids -- is shaping silver with various tools, punch and dye sets, and mallets. Raw silver can be purchased from wholesale silver manufacturing companies in the form of silver sheeting. Under the supervision of a responsible adult, this sheeting can be cut into strips and squares and shaped around rubber or cast jewelry forms to create rings and cuff bracelets. Older kids can use a soldering torch to add additional artistic silver flourishes to these pieces or use an engraving pen to personalize and "mark" their pieces.
  
  

Silver Art Clay

• A popular new form of silver can be found in silver art clay, a pliable, clay-like substance that is .999 pure silver. Silver art clay can be rolled, cut, sculpted and manipulated into various objects and kiln-fired. After firing, the art clay silver is brushed with a wire brush, revealing the pure silver beneath. This clay is an ideal silversmith craft for kids. Kids can make an impression of a fingerprint or press clay against a texturized surface such as lace, brick or a texturizing plate and cut a hole in the top to create a simple pendant.
  
  

Silver Art Paste

• A more liquid form of silver art clay, silver art paste is "painted" onto organic objects and kiln-fired, with the finished piece being brushed and polished to reveal its silver finish. Kids can use silver art paint to cover soft cork sculptures or organic objects such as leaves -- or even bugs! The organic material fires away in the kiln, leaving just the hollow silver form.
  
  

Silver Findings

• The term "finding" is used to describe the various silver components used to add the finishing artistic touches to silversmith crafts for kids. Findings include silver headpins, wire, jump rings, bead caps and silver beads; these are all typically used to embellish silver projects and make them into jewelry or decorative art pieces. Findings can be purchased through silver wholesalers or arts and crafts stores. Kids can use findings to turn their molded or fired silversmithing projects into jewelry like pendants, bracelets and rings, or into other objects such as abstract sculptures, mini wall plaques, ornaments or lapel pins.