Sparkle Fairies

This pin is pretty, adorable and fun to make - what could be better? Sparkle Fairies from Candace Jedrowicz are fun soda can crafts that also help you trim your trash. Go green and use empty, washed-out aluminum cans for your project.

Materials:

Aluminum can
Scissors
Felt pens to color the aluminum – I used purple for the wings
20 gauge wire, about 2 feet - I used copper
24 gauge wire, several feet
Assorted seed beads
Sand paper, fine – I used a sand sponge for double duty
Pencil
Needle tool
1/16″ hole punch
Glitter glue – refer to video for use
Assorted small gems
Brads – I used jeweled brads on some of the designs for function and/or decoration

Instructions:

Begin by cutting the top and bottom off the aluminum can – See the video for tips on how and where to cut. Trace your design on the silver side and cut with scissors.
I used purple felt pen on the silver side of the wings. Watch the video tutorial to see the glitter glue option.
Place the right side of your wings down on a soft surface. I used a sanding sponge. With a pencil, or other embossing tool, fill the wings with a pattern.
Lightly sand the right side of the wings to show the embossed pattern.
Line the top of the body up with the top of the wings and punch a hole through both pieces. Punch holes for all four limbs in the body, but not through the wings. Emboss and sand the body if desired. I used a needle tool to make a petal texture on this body. On some of my others, I jeweled the body, glittered the body and used jeweled brads for buttons on the body.
For the limbs: Cut four 3″ lengths of 2o gauge wire. Make a loop on one end and wrap the tail around to secure it.
Slide on some seed beads.
Bend the unfinished end down to keep the beads on while you work and to help you slide it on the body.
For the head: Cut about an inch of 20 gauge wire. Begin bending small loops in the middle, keeping them close together.
This is how you’ll attach the beaded wire for her hair. This one has eight, but seven or six would work for a smallish head.
Bend out and back in for a bit of cheek on both sides.
Secure the ends by wrapping one end around the other. Cut off the excess wire. Cut a 3″ piece of 24 gauge wire for the facial features. Make a tiny loop in the middle for the nose.
Wrap a slightly larger loop on both sides for the eyes.
Attach both ends of the wire to the head just above the cheeks.
Cut about 12″ of the 24 gauge wire for the hair. Don’t be surprised if you need more wire.
Attach one end of the wire to the first loop on the head. I made curly hair by wrapping tiny coils of wire around a needle tool. I put on two beads, made three coils, put on two more beads and wrapped three more coils. Then I put the end of the wire back through the hole and repeated the process.This shows half of the first loop completed.
Here’s the first loop completed and threaded through the second loop ready to repeat. Experiment with the hair. Make long strands of beaded wire and bend it for long wavy hair.
When you have as much hair as you want, secure the end of the wire to the head and cut off the excess. You may notice as you’re making your hair that the shape of the face changes and you have to readjust your face. I like to think that the fairy is showing me how she wants to look. I think it’s especially so if the face wire moves to one side or the other. It looks as thought the fairy wants to have her face partially turned!
Begin attaching the limbs by sliding them through the holes on the front side of the body.
Carefully wrap each wire tail around to the front of the body without bending or tearing the body.
Line up the remaining hole in the body with the hole in the wings and slide the tail of the head wire through both, front to back. Carefully wrap the tail around the the neck to secure the head.
Add a pin onto the back with jewelry glue and finish with small jewels, if desired.