If I want to go to Michael’s Craft Store I can plan on an 1 1/2 hour trip down Hwy 26, that’s if the tourists are driving the speed limit!  I don’t get to Michael’s very often and it is so fun to go up and down the aisles because it is likely they have something new I haven’t seen before.

 

I found this litte bag of 30 pieces of wool balls.  The price was $3.99 but I had a 30% off coupon so the actual cost was $2.79.  I thought they would make cute earrings so I popped them in my cart.

It was not as simple as I imagined sliding a eyepin into the wool.  The wool ball is quite dense and I bent the eyepin first try.  However…..I got out my trusty awl and the awl worked!

 

I held each wool ball firmly and pressed the awl into the ball firmly until the end of the awl stuck in the wood board I was working on.  Working quickly (the hole the awl makes heals very fast!) I put a copper seed bead on the eye pin and then added the wool ball another seed bead and closed the end in a loop.  I made a bunch of them and connected them to make the necklace and bracelet.

 

One package of the felted wool balls made the necklace, bracelet and earrings.  Since I already had the necklace and earring findings, this was a fabulous find!

Hint:  If you don’t want to make the investment of lots of jewelry findings like chain and lobster clasps, you can take an existing necklace (I get them on clearance at Claire’s) and use wire clippers to cut the chain length and make the wool ball necklace to attach.

 

I bet you can think of someone who would like a necklace set like this, or just the bracelet or earrings, since it is easy to make and inexpensive think of this when you are making your Christmas List for your friends or family.   :  )