sun catchers

CATCH OF THE DAY

Maybe the big one got away, but to lovers of sea glass, these mini fish are even more prized than the edible kind. There are many applications for this unusual craft: sun catchers, tree ornaments, package or napkin holder decorations.

Materials

Sea glass

18–24 gauge green craft wire

Tools

Wire cutters

Flat-nosed pliers

Round-nosed pliers

Dremel rotary tool (or standard drill)

Range of diamond-tipped drill bits

Drilling Tip: Water must slightly cover the sea glass while drilling in short pulses. This keeps the glass from overheating and shattering.

Safety Tip: Always wear protective goggles when drilling sea glass.

1) Lay out pieces of sea glass in the shape of a fish, and drill two holes in the head and body pieces. Drill one hole in the tailpiece, as shown.

2) For 2-piece fish, cut wire into 2 sections: one 6” and one 8”. For 4-piece fish, cut wire into 4 sections: three 6” and one 8”. Using the flat-nosed pliers, bend one end of each wire in a 90° angle, 1 1/2” from the end.

3) Insert the short end of the wire through the tailpiece, and bend the longer section over the top of the sea glass.

4) Bend the short end up and twist it once around the long piece of wire.

5) Trim wire flush. With the flat-nosed pliers, bend the wire 1/8" up at a 90° angle.

6) Insert the wire through the body piece and bend over the top of the sea glass.

7) Wrap the wire around several times, and trim flush.

8) Insert an 8" piece of bent wire through the top hole and twist it around several times. Trim flush. Grasp the end of the wire and twist it with round-nosed pliers to form a small spiral, and gently bend the wire to make a hook. For the 4-piece fish, follow the above directions.