Copper Wire Ornament

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.

Step 1: Materials

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

Step 2: Make Outer Circle

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.

Step 3: Add the Star

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.

Step 4: Make the Swirl

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.

Step 5: Finishing Touches

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!