Copper Wire Ornament

by matif17 in Living > Christmas

1767 Views, 15 Favorites, 0 Comments

Copper Wire Ornament

IMG_2637.jpg
IMG_2639.jpg
IMG_2638.jpg

This ornament is VERY simple and can be used as a Christmas tree decoration or displayed all year long! It also makes a very thoughtful gift. This decoration only takes about 20 minutes to make and requires minimal skill and materials.

Materials

IMG_2611.JPG

You will need:

Soldering Iron

Solder

Desoldering Wire (in case you make a mistake)

Scissors

Copper Wire of any thickness (keep in mind: thinner wire is easier to solder)

Scotch Tape (to keep wire in place when soldering)

A piece of ribbon or string for hanging

Make Outer Circle

IMG_2612.JPG
IMG_2613.JPG
IMG_2617.jpg

1. Cut a piece of wire depending on how large you want your ornament to be. I cut a 9 inch piece because I wanted a fairly small ornament. To make a larger one, cut a longer piece of wire.

2. Form the wire into a circle. I didn't want mine to be perfect, so I just made a relatively round shape. If you want to have a perfect circle, I suggest you use a compass drawing tool to draw a circle on paper and then use it as an outline to form the wire.

3. Twist the two ends together to make them interlock, which makes it easier to solder the joint.

4. Take the soldering iron and touch it to the joint, while also touching the solder to the iron. The solder will start to melt upon contact with the iron, and it will harden immediately. BE CAREFUL-IT IS VERY HOT!!

5. If you have too much solder or it is in the wrong place, place the desoldering wick on the spot and put the iron on top of it. As it melts, the solder will be drawn into the wick.

Add the Star

IMG_2614.JPG
55d2364067400c541a00015d.jpeg
IMG_2616.jpg
IMG_2618.jpg
IMG_2619.JPG
IMG_2620.jpg
IMG_2622.jpg
IMG_2624.jpg

1. Cut 5 smaller pieces of wire to use as the star inside the circle. They must be at least the diameter of the circle, but can be longer. For the 9 inch piece that I used in the last step, the pieces must be at least 2 3/4 inches.

2. Starting with the soldered joint, begin by soldering one end of an inner wire to that joint. The reason for starting here is since there is already some solder there, it is easier for the wires to join. Then solder the other end of the inner wire to the outer circle. Unless you want your star to be exact, it does not matter where you solder that end.

3. Continue to add the inner wires until you have formed a star.

4. Solder the joints where the small wires intersect in the middle.

Make the Swirl

IMG_2625.jpg
IMG_2626.jpg
IMG_2628.jpg
IMG_2630.jpg
IMG_2631.jpg

1. Begin by turning the end of the wire over.

2. Continue twisting the wiring around until you have reached the appropriate size. The swirl must touch edges with the middle of the star.

3. Place the swirl in the middle and tape down to prevent it from moving.

4. Solder the edges of the swirl to the edges of the star.

Finishing Touches

IMG_2634.jpg
IMG_2605.jpg

1. Tie a small piece of string or ribbon to the top.

2. You may package as a gift or hang on your Christmas tree!

If you liked this tutorial, please vote for me!!! Thank you!