Acorn Charms

The tree in front of our place has been dumping acorns by the boatload. Inspired by my mortal enemy the squirrel, I feverishly gathered the good looking caps without any real purpose. A freshly cracked bag of pompoms happened to be nearby during an acorn cap inventory check, and they seemed like a hilarious combination. Came together in a flash too.

For one single acorn charm:

• Acorn cap
• Pom poms(size dependent on the caps- i used both 1/2" and 3/8")
• T pin, or map pin, or sharp needle
• 1 small (6mm or so) gold jump ring
• About 1- 1 1/4" 20 gauge Brass wire
• Magna-tac
• Resin Spray
• 2 Pair flat nose jewelry pliers, 1 Pair jewelry wire cutters
• Crappy cardboard box and Double sided tape

Prep the Lids:

• With the T-pin, poke a hole in the cap, near the stem. Don't go forcing it through in one poke- or it will break. Be gentle and twist it around until you feel it poke through. Create a nice clean hole. It helps if you angle the needle towards the stem.
• If the cap has a very small stem, poke a hole on the other side across from the first. If the stem is long, position the second hole a bit further towards the back of the cap, instead of straight across the stem. This will keep the stem in front of the bail.

• Place the acorns in the cardboard box, using double stick tape to hold them in place.
• In a well ventilated area, spray the caps with resin spray. Allow to dry, and spray again. 4-5 coats should get them sealed on the outside. When totally dry, flip them over and spray the insides. While they're drying, make the bail.

Adding the Bail:

• Using the pliers, make a right angle in the center of the wire. Use the width of the pliers to make another right angle on both sides, equal in length from the center. Trim the ends just before they cross.

• Pull out the 2 angles of the bail, slightly, until the ends can be fitted into the cap holes.
• Once they're in, squeeze those angles to push the ends in completely. You may need to twist the ends a bit so they lay next to each other.

• On the inside of the cap, the ends will stick up a bit. Use the tip of the pliers to push them flat against the roof of the cap.
• Add a dollop of glue to the inside of the cap, and stuff a pom pom in there.

• Hold the pom pom to the glue for at least 30 seconds, to ensure there's a serious bond happening.
• Twist open a jump ring with the pliers, and close it around the bail.

If on your acorn excursions, you should happen across twin caps they're even easier to assemble as a charm. Instead of making a bail, simply add a larger jump ring to one of the stems. They tend to sit at an angle on the chain that's totally endearing.

Now, I've never been one for subtlety, but with these guys, I prefer a single charm at a time. They look so cute all by their lonesome.

I don't recommend using these as charms for a bracelet, as the wear and tear might be too much for them. Even though they've been sprayed with resin, they're still a bit on the fragile side. Now, hurry up before the trees are bare- go get nuts!