Ideas for African Jewelry Projects
- Hand-painted beads are used in traditional African jewelry.wood beads, colored beads image by Greg Pickens from Fotolia.com
African jewelry projects incorporate skilled craftsmanship with spirituality and language. Traditionally, Africans used jewelry in rituals and to identify with cultural groups as well as for decoration. From wire work to bead crafts, African jewelry projects provide opportunities to explore the rich culture through its historic craftsmanship. - African wire jewelry reclaims and repurposes scrap wire into pieces of unique and beautiful art. Traditional wire jewelry is made from thin pieces of copper, aluminum, iron, steel or fiber cord. Select a bendable wire that will hold its shape after you're finished molding it. Use pliers or wire cutters to shape the wire in a spiral that fits around your wrist to make a bracelet; once you master the basic shape, experiment with adding design elements such as waves or texture for a hammered look. Thin wires can be shaped, stacked and embellished with small beads for rings or earrings. Use small wires to create spirals; thread beads down one end and secure them by twisting the wire tightly around the bead. Twist the small pieces into your hair for an accessory.
- African jewelry makers recycle and reshape old glass bottles to create glass beads. Purchase a small bead mold that is oven-safe; bead molds can also be made from fired clay. Place colored glass bottles into a pillowcase and break them into small pieces. Carefully place the pieces into the mold and fire the mold in a kiln or in a clay oven. The glass with melt into the bead mold after 45 minutes. Remove the molds; using welding gloves and a small tongs, remove the beads while they are still warm and puncture them with a thin metal rod to form a hole in the center. Once they are cool, the beads can be painted and threaded into pieces of leather cord to make necklaces.
- Africa's large coastline lends itself to the prolific shell-craft tradition. Shells or old pieces of coral are incorporated into necklaces, earrings and bracelets. Collect shells from a beach or purchase them. Submerge the shells into a large container of water. Fit a drill with a small diamond-tipped drill bit. Hold the shell under the water to keep it cool and prevent its cracking as your drill a hole through it. Wipe the shell clean and use a thin coat of sealant to provide shine and prevent damage. Thread the shells onto fishing wire to create a delicate necklace or bracelet. You can also sand or grind shells down into circular shapes so that they more closely resemble beads.
