Give mom a garden of memories

Hands-on time: Approximately one hour to make six photo clips.
Total time: Add drying time if you choose to paint wires in assorted colours.
Skill: Easy. Tween- and teen-friendly.
Cost estimate: About $1.50 each.

Materials & Tools

• Craft wires, 22- to 24-gauge in assorted colours (available at craft stores and Wal-mart)
• Wire cutters, round or needle-nose pliers (3-in-one craft pliers are available at Wal-mart)
• Beads in assorted colours, sizes and shapes (available at craft stores, dollar stores and specialty stores)
• Screws or nails in assorted sizes (to make curls and corkscrew shapes for the dragonfly tail)
• Assorted family photographs
• Craft scissors with fancy edges (zigzag, scalloped, wave or pinking pattern)
• Planter or flower presentation of your choice

This Mother's Day, give mom a garden of memories with stylish wire photo-clips holding pictures of loved ones.

These fun wire clips are easy to make, and take no time at all. They can range from flat spiral shapes to elaborate flowers or dragonflies and can be beautifully enhanced with beads. This is a simple project to try if you've never worked with wire or beads; even tweens and teens can create something special for their mothers.

Select coloured wires and beads to coordinate with your planter presentation.

Spiral photo clips: Cut a piece of wire about 50cm long with wire cutters and make a small hook shape at one end with pliers. Make four to five spirals by working around the loop, wrapping the wire around it several times, growing ever-larger using pliers or your fingers. You can thread assorted beads at different intervals along the stem or onto the tip of the spiral. To make a leaf shape, cut a wire piece 15 cm long in a green colour, make a curved loop shape, twist the wire ends together and then twist it around the stem to secure in place. The spirals can be shaped to form square, star or triangular spirals.

Flower-shaped photo clips: Create a spiral at one end of a meter-long length of wire by making four turns and overlapping them a bit; this forms the clip part to hold the picture. Continuing from the same end of the wire, make five loops (to make the petals) with your fingers, bending the wire back and forth around the spiral center. After creating the last loop, the wire continues as the stem. To embellish the flower, wrap silver wire around the petals and stem. Attach small beads and bead leaves to another wire and twist the wire around the flower.

Dragonfly photo-clips: At the end of a meter-long piece of wire, make a small spiral of four turns to make the center clip. Continue with the wings by shaping two loops with your fingers, and then tuck the remainder of the wire through the spiral to make the stem. Pull the center of the spiral forward and insert a glass marble or bead, then close the spiral to secure the marble inside.

For the dragonfly's antennas, cut a 10cm piece of wire in a contrasting colour and bend each end, making a small spiral. Bend the wire in half and twist onto the meeting point of the wings to attach in place.

To make a corkscrew of tail, wrap a 10cm piece of wire around a screw and twist it off to release it. Twist the tail onto the part of the spiral just under the marble. Wrap leaf loops and wires in contrasting colours around the stem.

For each photo clip, make a "V", "U" or triangle shape at the end of each stem to form a base that can be inserted into the planters. Simply add your favourite photographs in the spirals, and voila.

Tips

• For your planter presentation, try growing grass in a rectangular bread pan or in a muffin tray which has been painted in fresh pastels or silver. Note that grass takes about a week or so to grow from seeds.
• Give your planter presentation a little Zen appeal by adding coloured pieces of tumble glass, glass-bead nuggets or assorted rocks.
• Instead of buying wire in several colours, you can paint wire with glass, acrylic or spray paints.

Variations

• Individual photo clips can decorate a gift or be added to a bouquet.
• You can also make a spiral base for each photo clip, or make individual stands in assorted shapes (squares or triangles) with Fimo clay.
• Let your imagination soar to create free-form photo clips by making a variety of spiral shapes and adding combinations of corkscrews and beads. To put a twist on things, make each stem different with curves, zigzag bends or spirals; the variations are endless.