How to Make Your Very Own Initial Pendant

Monogrammed items are becoming all the rage when it comes to gift giving in today's world. It seems as though every time you turn around there is someone offering to put your name on a towel, a cup, a washcloth, a place setting, a set of dishes, a brush, a mirror, a Christmas Tree ornament, a body part-you get the idea. Why is this so popular? Monograms are in vogue because it gives people a thrill to look at an object and have it proudly declaring for the world to see that it is theirs. It's an alpha male thing going back to the days when humans were little more than animals.

With jewelry the monogram often serves two purposes. It can proclaim to the world the owner of the jewelry or it can proclaim the man or woman to whom the owner belongs. (Generally this is a man-most men do not choose to walk around with a piece of jewelry with a woman's name or initial hanging around their neck unless it was given to them as a gift, and even then not willingly and not when she isn't looking.) Either way, creating one of these pendants is fun and easy, and is an activity enjoyed by many. Remember, it does not have to necessarily be worn by you. Jewelry makes a great gift, and having some of it stockpiled aside when Christmas rolls around can go a long way towards making the stress of the holidays a little bit easier.

There are two ways you can make your own pendant. For those who are ambitious jewelers you can choose to purchase the silver yourself and shape it. There are many methods by which you can do this. The easiest method for the beginning silversmith is probably to purchase a mold, melt the silver down to its liquid form over a safe heat source (this is probably not something you want to attempt over your kitchen stove) and pour the silver into the mold. A ceramic crucible (remember your high school chemistry class?) and a torch is generally considered the safest and most effective method of melting down silver. While the silver is still hot, make a loop on the top that you can string a chain through. The chain you will probably want to purchase from a store unless you have a great deal of experience in jewelry making; small links are very difficult.

For those who are less inspired it is possible to simply buy an already finished charm from any craft store (or department store that has a craft section) and purchase a chain. These can be found in such retail establishments as Michael's, JoAnn Fabrics or WalMart. This is much easier and safer than melting down the silver but does not afford the wearer nearly as much choice as if they had made their own.

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