Bottles to Jewelry (Simple Sea Glass Charms)

This is just a simple tutorial for making your own sea glass, using a rock tumbler, then turning it into jewelry. The jewelry is just wire wrapping and spirals that is extremely easy to make.

I apologize for the poor picture quality and any grammar issues I may have made.

Step 1: Get Glass Bottles or Some Other Form of Glass.

In case you didn't know you need glass to make sea glass. :) I have a collection of glass I keep in a garbage can.

Step 2: Prepare Glass

Remove labels and contents of bottles then break them. Take safety precautions so you don't get cut. I wrapped the glass in plastic bags and the glass cut through it so I recommend using a different approach.

Step 3: Put It in the Tumbler.

I use a rock tumbler to make my sea glass. It will take a couple days for it to get smooth but it gets nice results. Sand and water are needed but you can also add small stones and other items to get it how you want it; My family adds rock polisher for our own personal touch.

Step 4: Clean Up

When you take the glass out you will need to rinse it off before you can use it, because mine has rock polisher it will come out with clay like gunk.

Step 5: Rock Tumblers I've Used

One of the cheapest tumblers you can probably get is the Smithsonian rock tumbler. I used a older one that I got when I was probably eight when I first started. It worked fairly well even though you could only do small batches and the tumbler also leaked. It's design made so the water ran right into the machine. It lasted for several months but we eventually got a new machine. The newer version of the Smithsonian tumbler, from images I've seen, may not have this problem but I've never used one. The newer tumbler I have fits a lot more and when it leaks the water does not run in the motor but it was also around 300 bucks ( the other is probably around 30). Depending on how often you will use it chose a rock tumbler accordingly. I think the new one is a tumbler's tumbler.

Step 6: Jewerly Materials

Materials used/needed

-round nose pliers

-flat nosed pliers

-wire cutter pliers

-wire

- pearlized beads (optional)

-crystal beads (optional)

- chains, earring clasps, and other jewelry items (if you want to put your charms on them)

- hot glue and hot glue gun (if you want to stick pieces together or want a easier way to make the jewelry)

Step 7: Spirals

First create a loop at the end of the wire by bending it around the round nose pliers. Then pinch the loop with the flat nose pliers and push the wire against the loop continue to push the wire against the loop until you get the desired size spiral. If you need farther help there should be other tutorials out there.

Step 8: Wire Wrapping

This part is really easy. Just press the wire in a way you like against your sea glass and twist the wire around it. To finish end in a loop or spiral.

Step 9: Hot Glue and Beads

Use hot glue to glue pieces together for a different look or to help keep everything together.

Beads go on like they would string but that's pretty self explanatory. The one above is one of the few I really like and uses a pearlized bead.

Step 10: Finishing Up

You can use chains, earring clasps, or other things for your charms to be worn. Everything mentioned before can be used to create charms similar to mine if you so choose, I even tried to get close up photos so they can be replicated. There's also a ring mixed in there as an extra.

Thanks for visiting this instructable :)