Dear readers,
We are excited to present a guest post from one of our new bloggers, Rebecca of Unexpected Arts. Based in New Hampshire, Rebecca makes repurposed jewelry, often with items found at Goodwill. Today she is sharing with us a simple tutorial on how to make reusable baking testers – great for your kitchen and a great gift for the upcoming holidays! Become a fun of Unexpected Arts on Facebook.
DIY Crafting: Baking Testers
Hello fellow thrifters and crafters! I’m Rebecca and I have been crafting since I could hold a needle and a hammer. I am mostly self-taught, with the guidance of my mother and friends on occasion. I try to work things out for myself, figuring out my own way.
Today I want to show you a relatively easy item to make with copper wire and basic jewelry craft tools. I am going to show you how I make my baking testers. That’s right, no more fumbling for a toothpick, just to toss it out anyway. This is a reusable item, easily decorated with beads you are likely to find at your local Goodwill. I suggest copper wire, a soft wire that can easily be shaped, and just as easily hardened with a little hammering. Kitchen safe too, copper has been used in cooking for quite some time.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Copper wire, I recommend 18 gauge; check your local hardware store if you have no luck at your local Goodwill.
- Wire cutters or a pliers with a cutting part
- A sharpie or similar sized round object
- Needle-nose pliers or similar
- A hammer
- A mini anvil or substitute (i.e. a piece of board something you won’t mind getting dinged up)
- Beads of course, preferably those with a fairly large hole
First off, cut a piece of wire about 12 inches long, using the cutting pliers. Try to make a flush (flat) cut. Take the wire and your sharpie. Starting about 3 or 4 inches from the end, wrap a couple loops around, leaving around an inch of tail. Bend the tail and the remaining wire to get about a 90-degree angle between the two. Now pinch that spot between a thumb and forefinger and, careful of the end, work the tail around the length. It can help to turn the sharpie in the opposite direction, this will help make a nice tight coil and the remaining length of wire. Remove the Sharpie.
Here I like to hammer the coil to strengthen it.
Now here is your fun part, making your bead design. Be creative! Look for a pretty focal and some accent beads. About an inch and a half of design is good.
Next, take your chain nose pliers, come up just under the last bead and make at least a 90-degree (perpendicular) angle, then a few more zig-zags. The object is to keep those beads in place and to look pretty as well. Once that is done, straighten and finish the rest of the wire. You have likely noticed how soft and pliable this wire is. When you draw the remaining wire between a thumb and forefinger, you warm the metal and thus you can straighten out any curves or bends. Lastly, hammer one side and then the opposite to strengthen and straighten, running through your fingers again as needed. Go slow. Be sure to hammer the corners of your zig-zags, being careful of your beads. You can flatten the end, a little like a paddle, and smooth the flash (sharp parts) with a nail file’s rough side.
There you have it, ready to use, ready to hang, ready for Thanksgiving favors! You can smile each time you use it knowing that you have supported charitable donations and you are keeping a little more waste out of the landfill. Namaste! Until next time.
