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In this necklace, I used one of the steampunk charms I showed you how to make a couple weeks ago, added wing charms, plus some bead clusters from another necklace that I never wore.

To make a cluster-style statement piece, gather the items you want to include in your charm and lay them out on the table until you get an arrangement that pleases you. Then, start with the foundation pieces (usually the pieces that are larger and make up the back layer of the piece), and begin to wire them together using a piece of wire about 12-18″ long. If the pieces have loops or other gaps, run the wire through those to secure. If they don’t have gaps or loops, just wrap the wire around the piece several times until the piece is securely enclosed in wire. Continue building with smaller pieces and beads until you get a look you like.

In this style of jewelry-making, free-form is great, and having wire wrapped around your components adds to the look of the piece. If you don’t like the wire-wrapped look, stick with glue or try to hide the wire as much as possible.

This necklace uses a large pendant that broke off its necklace a few years ago. I added large beads, clusters of beads on top, and charms (the Eiffel Tower, and a pear with a purple stone in it). I like to add moving components to my big necklace pieces, so there are a few beads attached with jump rings that can move freely. I formed loops on either side with wire so that I could easily attach the piece to a chain. You can do this, or attach jump rings to wire to make a way to hang the piece from a necklace.

This necklace began with a round copper charm that had a swallow on it. I just added the wings and wrapped it with brown wire. I wanted to make it a pendant, so I just attached a jump ring to the top of the charm so it can hang freely from the chain.

Tips for Composing Your Jewelry Statement Pieces:

• Choose a color scheme for maximum impact
• Add an accent color or two
• Don’t be afraid to mix and match shiny, sparkly, matte, and dull pieces together
• Don’t be afraid to mix metal colors
• Odd numbers are eye-pleasing, so try to use accents in 3s
• Make sure the back of the necklace is comfortable to wear: don’t let any wire bits stick out toward the skin, but curve them into the necklace so they won’t scratch or catch on clothing