If I can use a soldering iron, anyone can use one! I stumbled into soldering a few years ago when I was on a stained glass buying trip. The owner of the stained glass shop gave me a quick demonstration to show how easy it is to solder and offered to sell me a used soldering iron at a price I couldn’t pass up. Later she gave me an old Fume Trap she was given by another customer. You don’t NEED a fume collector to solder, but if you are going to be spending hours soldering it is a good thing to have.
I love dreaming up new ways to use copper wire. If you add soldering flux to 2 pieces of copper wire, they stick together! It is amazing how a bit of copper wire and solder can make this very sturdy Heart Wall Hanging.
Form 16 gauge copper wire into a heart shape. At the pointed bottom of the heart, use a piece of copper foil to secure the ends. Emboss of piece of ArtEmboss copper metal with a saying. Punch a hole in each corner of the copper metal and tie each corner to the heart shaped wire with 28 gauge copper wire.
I got an expandable bracelet at a garage sale last fall and took the pieces apart so I have enough for 2 wall hangings. Thread the 28 gauge wire through the bracelet channels and wrap them around the 16 gauge copper wire.
I take a black felt pen and scribble over the words, then rub a bit of acetone over the felt pen ink and let it settle into the embossing.
Flux is your friend! You just need a dab at every intersection of 29 gauge wire to 16 gauge wire. I have a plastic bottle cap with a liner and brush that is dedicated to only using flux.
Now the silver colored solder is securely holding my wire heart together and it feels very sturdy. After rinsing the flux at the sink, it is time to change the silver color back to copper colored with copper patina.
I have a dedicated patina brush also, if you pour the patina in the cap you can easily dip the paint brush. Just apply the patina and it immediately changes the silver to copper like magic!
Now for a handle. Cut some 28 gauge wire and attach to one side of the heart. Since the heart is only 6 1/2″ long, it needs beads that are on the small side.
The handle is an important element to tie the whole wire heart wall hanging together. This heart took about an hour to make and would be a wonderful gift that is so easy to personalize.
WhimziVille 