woodturning ornament

As this blog is for informational purposes, I assume no responsibility for the operator.

There was an article in the ‘Winter 2008’ issue of Woodturning Design that caught my interest seven years ago. This article was on Twisted Wire Ornaments by Davis Reed Smith. As it is currently only April some may wonder why they should be thinking about ornaments at this time of year. Well there is a two fold purpose to learning how to make this type of ornament. One is to learn the ease that these ornaments can be fabricated and the second is to learn the numerous ways these ornaments can be modified with minimal effort. I will not spend much time describing the very thorough article. The jigs and fixtures are very simple but they ensure a quality final ornament. I will spend some time explaining how I embellished the various ornaments.

The wood used to make the ornament will require some consideration. I have had excellent luck using cherry or other fruit woods like apple or pear as they are not bland but they are also not too brightly colored.

I use numerous combinations of colored anodized aluminum wire to form the twisted wires that follow the theme I am attempting to indicate. Simple twisted pairs of wire for a Christmas theme can be red and green, silver and gold, or any other combination that catches your creative spirit.

Thought should be given to the theme the ornament will be attempting to display before assembling (gluing the wires). The article within Woodturning Design did not mention putting any item within the ornament but I have found the ornament captures more attention with something either sitting on top of the finial or swinging from the cap. I have spun miniature snowmen to sit on the finial. Paint pens can help color the snow man’s top hat black if you do not want to use ebony. For one ornament I turned a miniature sombrero to hang within an ornament that was Cinco-de-Meyo themed. The ornament with the Cinco-de-Meyo theme also had three twisted wires of the appropriate colors to match the Mexican flag. After figuring that a small eye hook can be screwed into the cap to hang the sombrero I realized there are many other items that can be put in ornaments.

The quest to make each ornament better than the last has opened a floodgate of ideas. The sombrero ornament is still revered by the recipient as they have never seen anything like it anywhere. I have a friend who mentioned the possibility of hanging a single earring within the ornament. A fast review of various crystal vendors like Fire Mountain Gem and Beads showed they typically have web sites showing customer ideas. From these sites I realized that the cost of various gems, pearls and crystals was very reasonable. I quickly realized the customers were thrilled when they found out that I use Swarovski elements in my ornaments. This bling has a unique appeal to women that asked if I could make them earrings to match the item within the ornament.

If you are planning on placing a turned snowman in the ornament then the snowman needs to be attached to the finial before gluing the wires. I have found that putting a eyepin in the cap allows for an earring to hang within the ornament. Stacking two crystal pearl beads, a black flat bead and then a black tube bead makes for an eye catching snowman that shimmers and seams to float within the ornament. A basic book on jewelry fabrication or even just following the directions on one of the many web sites can show how easily the jewelry items can be fabricated.