If you've ever taken a walk through the woods, you've probably seen stands of white birches with their distinctive, papery bark. The material is great for lightweight, unique pendants that you can easily make yourself.
Please don't strip a live tree, however! Look for branches that have fallen (or been pruned) off instead. If they've been exposed to the elements for a few months, the wood inside will have started to rot and it'll be very easy to slide the bark off in one piece.
Try to find a piece that has lots of interesting details - curved knots, dark and rough patches, neat striations and lines. These imperfections are perfect for creating one-of-a-kind pendants!
Here are some of the different shapes you can cut out. Geometric shapes like triangles and half-circles work well, but asymmetrical ones look great too. You can see that I cut some fringe into the piece on the bottom left to add even more detail. Do whatever you like!
Use an awl or thick sewing needle to pierce holes near the top on either side. Don't force it through too quickly, or you might rip through the bark. Twisting the needle or moving it back it forth as you push it through works best. Attach jump rings using needle-nose pliers, and attach whatever type of chain you like (not shown).
The finished product! You could also use two pieces, keeping one as the bottom pendant and attaching a smaller one further up on the left or right side as an accent piece.
Try not to get your necklace wet, or the bark may brown from the tannins in the bottom layers. For this reason, I wouldn't recommend glazing it with ModPodge or something similar either. It should be pretty strong and sturdy as is, as long as you're not too rough with it!
I'm eagerly awaiting the return of these bright-breasted birds, captured so beautifully in these oil paintings by Vitec Art.
Branches two different ways - gleaming in the sun against a bright blue sky, and as shadows on pure, untouched snow.
"Pine Cone Necklace" by ES Designs. All her pieces are nature-inspired, and amazingly true-to-life! I have one of her birch bark rings - it reminds me of trips to the family cabin (literally) in Maine, the clear blue waters surrounded by bright white birch trees.
"Carved Initials Necklace" by Lisa Hopkins. No one carves their initials in tree bark anymore (it's SO last century...), but you can do the next best thing by ordering one of these pendants.
This beautiful image of mist-shrouded mountains and waters, framed by puffy white clouds overhead, was taken by Scott Garner.
I came across the most beautiful photographs of birds in flowering trees on Flickr today. The poses, colors, and framing John&Fish use are just so lovely in every way.
