Thrift Shop Scarves
You may remember that I picked-up several beautiful scarves while out “thrifting” one day. I got them for a buck-fifty each and felt like I scored big. I washed them and began to play with them, experimenting with different knots and styles. (If you are interested in creative ways to wear a scarf, check-out my previous post that featured a video demonstrating 25 ways to tie a scarf.) It didn’t take me long to realize that all of the scarves were similar in length and seemed to be quite a bit shorter than others I owned. I found them a bit difficult to work with because of their odd length. I decided that a clip or pin of some kind might help to make them “work” for me. Last week, I shared the t-shirt flower tie that works like a charm! You basically tie the flower around the scarf and then play with it until you achieve a style you like. Still, I couldn’t help but think that I would love to have a piece of jewellery that would serve the same purpose. I really wasn’t sure where you would purchase “scarf jewellery”, so I did what all DIYers do…searched the web. I can’t say I really found what I was looking for, but Pinterest is packed with all kinds of ideas for re-purposing old cutlery. I figured I could modify some of the ideas that others shared and make it work for a scarf…why not? On the weekend, I went to a local antique store and purchased a handful of old silverware for $5.
Silverware Scarf Jewellery:
Although I really didn’t know what I was doing, I proceeded to bend and twist one of the old forks until I came up with what I deemed to be a funky little piece. Some of the on-line tutorials talk about heating up the silver with a torch, but others just used basic tools to get the look they wanted. I didn’t really want to” play with fire”, so thought that I would stick to elbow grease, pliers and a hammer for my first project. I think it probably helps if you know what kind of material the utensils are made of, as some work better with a heat source while others don’t require it. I don’t know what these forks and spoons are made of and really wasn’t interested in investing the time to figure it out. I saw some cool pieces on-line and just wanted to see what I could come up with. If I end up creating more pieces, I will make sure I am using the appropriate techniques to create a more “polished” finished product, but for my first attempt trial and error seemed like the best course of action.
I think it works best if you flatten the piece out with a hammer first. I didn’t do this as I read this after fumbling through my first project. I had to work quite hard to get the prongs of the fork bent how I wanted them and even then ended up settling because I couldn’t get them into the exact position I wanted. I am guessing that the fork I started with probably would have worked much better with a heat source, as I found it quite difficult to manipulate. I had to apply a lot of pressure and the tools ended up leaving little nicks in the surface of the silver. I did try to sand/buff them out, but they are still visible. I decided not to worry about it and just call the flaws “character”. LOL
Overall, I am pleased with what I came up with and will wear it. It is a simple loop, so you need to actually knot the scarf into it. I will definitely try more pieces like this. I love the idea of “scarf” jewellery! Next time, I will probably try to “test” my piece to determine what it is made of and then use a heat source, if necessary. I am a little nervous about that and will probably work on my basement floor, so I don’t burn the house down. Anyways, I will keep you posted and let you know if I come up with any cool designs to share. For this one, I added in one of the baked marbles I made earlier this week. I basically glued the base of it to the fork and then wrapped the bent prongs around it. Hopefully it will hold.
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