Necklace Holder

My necklaces always get tangled up in my jewelry box. It's time they get hung up where I can see them and they can stay away from each other!



MATERIALS:
toilet paper roll
air-dry clay
wire hanger
electrical tape
paint
"Great Stuff" insulating foam sealant
wooden plaque
1" dowel cut about 3" long
wood glue
wire cutters
Picture frame hanger

The first thing to do is cut your t.p. cardboard at a slant so it looks roughly like this:



(The trick is to make the cut so that it will mount onto your plaque with the slanted part against the plaque, and the uncut side is upright. This might take a few tries to get close, and it doesn't have to be perfect.)

Roll a ball of clay for the head and stick it on the uncut end of the t.p. roll like an ice cream cone. I placed my project on the neck of a beer bottle so that I could use both hands to work on the head, adding the ears and shaping the nose. Then roll out a flat sheet of clay and wrap it around the t.p. roll and work the clay into the base of the head. Trim the clay around the bottom so it's even with the t.p. roll.

While the clay is still wet, cut out some wire and start forming the antlers. Tape them together with electrical or masking tape, forming "branches." I curled mine at the tips. Stick the antlers into the head and allow the clay to dry completely. Paint the deer and the plaque as you like and allow to dry. You may also want to paint the antlers if you used masking tape.

Add the frame hanger to the back of your plaque. It's important to do this before you attatch the head, because most hangers need to be nailed onto the back.

Now it's time to assemble everything. Lightly mark with a pencil where you want the neck to sit on your plaque. You'll need to make a notch in the plaque where one end of the dowel will rest. It doesn't need to be very deep or completely accurate, but it helps for the dowel to have a resting place since it will support the head. I used a flathead screwdriver as a chisel and used a hammer to carefully chip away a notch in the plaque. Play around with the angle of the dowel and the notch and use wood glue to keep the dowel in place. Let the glue dry.

If you've never used insulating foam, you'll need to know that is SUPER sticky, so I recommend using gloves. It's also very permanent and very stable. Turn your deer head upside down and fill it half-way with foam. Over the next few minutes, it will expand and creep out of the head. Slide the head onto the dowel and be sure that it's at the angle you want. You will have a few minutes to wiggle it around before it dries.

Allow to dry completely. Don't worry if you see it creeping out some more. Once it is dry, you can take a craft knife or Xacto and cut away the unwanted goo.





TIPS:
Follow the directions on your clay and the sealant.

You will probably need some water to keep the clay moist and to add ears.

The head needs to be solid and thick to support the wires, while the clay that covers the t.p. can be thin because the cardboard will support everything.

If you don't have enough clay, you can always use what you have for the head and wrap the neck out of plaster strips or even paper mache (doesn't get any cheaper than newspaper and Elmer's glue!)

If your wire is too flimsy, wrap it with tape and maybe use some glue at the joints for extra support.

Check the slant of your head frequently against your plaque. You can always make changes while it's still wet.

The dowel can be any thickness, but I recommend 1" or larger, as long as it fits into the t.p. roll.

Put down newspaper because you are going to get MESSY!