A Thousand Little Pieces

What do you do when one of your insane friends mails you a care package full of 1,000 brightly colored paperclips?

Make jewelry.

Of Course.

I armed myself with a pair of needle nose pliers (which makes working with the colored clips so much easier). You just need to have a care not to clip the colored coating right off the clips when you bend & swirl.

I've never been much into jewelry making (I've got friends that bead and bend). But I'm beginning to see the appeal. Even on such a tiny, kitschy level as this, there's a huge instant-gratification aspect to the process.

The Munchkins poured out the entire pouch of paper clips and had a blast organizing and counting the clips by type and color and size.

I'm slowly but steadily working my way through the piles, making rose rings and paperclip people and other-shaped clips (hearts, rings, swirlies) with which to attach papers.

I'm contemplating Teacher Gifts for year's end... and thinking perhaps just a nice set of notecards and some fun, twisted paper clips attached to some stiff cardstock decorated by the kiddos would make a nice little low-budget gift...

Isn't it funny how inspiration can just jump out at you from all angles if you're open to it?

I'm working on a tutorial for the rings...I'll have one complete with pictures up later this week.

I have the weirdest. best. most amazing friends ever.