Week 14 {tiny paintings project}

 This Week: SUMMER CAMP NECKLACE

Let the summer camp scheduling madness begin! Instead of trying to fill out all those online forms faster than the next person, imagine you are out in the woods whitteling youself a neclace.

Get the artwork in the "artwork downloads" column to the right. Print it out on 4" x 6" photo paper and make sure the print size is 100%. You might need to save the file and print using a photo application.

And please, if you use my artwork, send me a picture of what you made, so I can pin it to my pinterest board.

FIG. 1: Supplies. Find a tree with smooth bark that needs pruning. Trim a straight branch about 14” long with a 2” circumference on the thick end. You can measure 2” by cutting out the tallest tree picture and wrapping it around the branch (see fig. 11). Saw & miter box, drill with 9/64 bit, printout, scissors, Tacky glue & glue brush, clippers, 13 rubber bands, and a bamboo skewer, pliers (notice I wrapped the tips in tape to avoid scratching the bark), block of scrap wood, sandpaper, and cord (I used 46” each of blue and green for necklace, plus hemp twine for tassels).

FIG. 2 Clip knots off branch. Cut out landscapes and use them to measure lengths for beads. Cut beads about ¼” longer than each painting, starting at the thick end of the branch with the tallest paintings. Cut at least 8 beads, from the thin end of the branch as wide as the plaid trim. The small ones tend to crack so you might want a few extra.

FIG. 3 Drill holes in the end of each bead, holding it steady with pliers. If the paintings overlap the holes a bit, poke them out with a skewer later.

FIG. 4 Roll the sandpaper into a flat log. Sand the ends and centers of beads smooth, avoiding the rings of bark on the top and bottom.

FIG. 5 You should have 7 big beads and more than 8 little beads.

FIG. 6 Dry-fit a painting by wrapping it around its bead and trimming little bits off the bottom and sides until it no longer overlaps. Brush the back with glue.

FIG. 7 Secure the painting with a rubber band and let it dry. Wrap 6 beads with plaid, leaving 2 bare.

FIG. 8 Tassels. Loop twine through a plaid bead as many times as will fit, keeping the ends on the bottom.

FIG. 9 Apply a drop of glue to the loop end.

FIG 10 Slide the bead up to tighten the loop around the skewer, and remove the skewer.

FIG. 11 Thread the tallest bead to the center of the cord. Tie a knot on either side. Add 2 tassels next and then 2 more knots. Continue to the smallest landscape beads, and finish with 2 bare beads.

FIG. 12 Trim the ends of each tassel to be a little longer than its tallest neighbor.