Saturday, August 18, 2012

Mica Book Charms

Everyone needs a little book that they can keep close. Even if you never write in it, it will make you feel connected to your passion for reading and art. I had some friends over to my house, and showed them how to make these tiny books to string on a necklace as a little charm. The cover is cut from a sheet of mica. Mica can be cut with regular scissors. It peels into layers, so you can get two covers out of one piece, or leave it as a thick sheet. We used a crop-a-dile to punch holes in it so we could attach it to a string or ribbon. Since the mica is fragile, we also inserted an eyelet into the holes to give it some strength.

We used thick watercolor paper for the pages, and just cut them to size. I wanted it to have a little bulk and not just be flimsy copy paper. You could decorate the paper with rubber stamps or paint.

Te back cover is cut from a sheet of copper. We used tin snips to cut the metal, and slightly cut the corners to remove the sharp edge. A dremel is perfect for smoothing out the edges, but you can also use manual files. You can't use a crop-a-dile or other paper punch for metal. We used a jeweler's hole punch to make the holes.

We made jump rings from copper wire. All very simple, and a pleasing result.




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