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Health & Fitness

HardWEAR Store Jewelry

Get your "steampunk" on! See how my latest trip to the hardware store scored me some fashionable accessories.

Allow me to start this post by saying, I am NOT a jewelry designer by trade.  I have great respect for the real ones out there who craft beautiful, unique, or whimsical jewelry.  Some make their own clay beads, fuse glass, or string countless teensy-weensy seed beads for hours on end.  I am none of those people…..I just spend an inordinate amount of time at Home Depot.  Seriously,  I’ve been there twice in the last four days and can already think of at least three things I need to go back for.  Not the point though.

I’m usually too impatient for tedious tasks such as opening tiny metal jump rings with my needle-nose pliers while I hold it so close to my face I start to go cross-eyed.  I prefer larger projects….ones that may require power tools.  But every once in a while, when my lower back hurts (due to years of being hunched over painting a dresser in the driveway), or I have four shows on my DVR that need cleared, or my current furniture project won’t dry fast enough, I’m left with either incessantly checking Facebook, or actually doing something useful.  And just like most everything else I make, the “jewelry” I recently created was made from unexpected items found in either the hardware, electrical, or plumbing aisle of Home Depot.

Some of these items include:

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-split lock washers

-lock washers with internal teeth

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-lock washers with external teeth (the ones that look like flowers!)

-conduit locknuts

-screw nuts

-washers

-electrical fuses

-hitchpins

-decorative chain

I purchased the jump rings, earring heads, and toggle clasp closures from the craft store.

There’s not really a How-To for this.  I just kind of started putting things together.  If you look closely, you can see what each piece is made of.

I may have even modeled some for you. ;)

I wasn’t initially planning on selling these.  I have some beautiful hand beaded woven bracelets already for sale (No, I didn’t make them).  I guess it depends on your reaction to these.  Are they cool?  Do they look like hardware?  Would you wear any of them?  Does anyone else frequent Home Depot as much as I do?  Anyone??  Feedback pleeeeeeease……

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