Learning Outcome 3: Select Materials, Tools and Equipment in making

Fashion Accessories
Objectives:

1. Identify materials, tools, and equipment in making fashion accessories; and

2. Describe each material, tools and equipment for making fashion
Accessories
Pre-Assessment

WHAT IS FASHION?
FAS

What to know?

CLASSIFICATION OF MATERIALS, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT IN FASHION

ACCESSORIES

Materials Used in Making Fashion Accessories

A. Fashion Accessories Materials

Metals include copper, brass, stainless, wires and

aluminum, as well as alloys.

Plastics are solid molded pieces of transparent,

translucent, or opaque plastic. Plastic can be used to
copy ivory, horn, or tortoise, or used on its own merits.
Paper Clay is a non-toxic modeling material that can be
sculpted, molded or shaped, and air dries to a hard
finish that can be carved, or sanded.

Glass can be formed or moulded into any shape. In its

most solid forms, it has also been used for beads. It can
be coloured by adding metallic salts and can also be
painted

Wire is an extruded metal and is quite versatile in

jewellery-making because it can hold its shape. It
comes in different thicknesses or gauges. The larger the
gauge, the smaller the diameter of the wire. However, if
you are making earring hooks for a pierced ear, you
should use sterling silver or sterling silver coated wire to
avoid earlobe infections. Sterling silver wire is available
in most craft stores.

Polymer Clay is polymer polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

modeling clay that will harden, thus making firm objects
we can use for jewelry making. Other PVC items are
white glue also known as PVC glue. Although this
product is called clay, it does not contain clay. In its
manufacture, liquid is added to dry particles to create a
gel-like substance that has working properties like clay.

Beads vary in types and shapes. Beads are made from

a wide range of materials such as gemstones, plastic
glass, wood, stone, metal. They can also be made from
natural materials such as plant seeds, pearls, bone,
ivory, wood. Even glass beads are wide ranging from
 lead crystal like Swarovski to pressed glass to lamped
work to fused to faceted.

Inexpensive imitations of gemstones are made from

colored glass, plastic, or clay. These are different from
synthetic stones which are made by chemists to
duplicate real gemstones.

Leather is a durable and flexible material created by the

tanning of animal rawhide and skin, often cattle hide.

Findings are the parts used to join jewelry components

together to form a completed article.

B. Indigenous Materials(Local Materials)

Tusks or teeth of elephants, walruses, and whales

where ivory comes from. It is hard, opaque, creamy-
white. It can be carved into intricate medallions or
figures. Fine-line carving of a picture on ivory, known as
scrimshaw, was originally done by sailors. Ivory is used
for pendants, bracelets, rings, earrings, pins, beads. It
can be decoratively carved or spartanly unadorned. **
(Substitution for these materials are widely used to
protect the animal welfare.) There are imitations or
synthetic made from plastics or fiber cast.

Tortoise shell is the hard, mottled brown shell of some

tortoises and turtles. It is translucent. Tortoise shell is
often used as an inlay material; it is also used for rings,
bracelets, earrings. Tortoise has also been combined
with silver. Horn comes from the horns of many different
animals. Often used like tortoise shell or ivory, it is hard
and usually translucent, ranging in color from creamy
tones to pale, mottled browns.**

Mother-of-pearl is the iridescent whitish coating inside

oyster shells. It is often used for studs, buttons,
inexpensive jewelry, and carved jewelry. Abalone is the
multicolored pearlized lining from shellfish of the same
name.

Wood can be used alone or in combination with metals

or other materials.

Seeds have been popular which beads can be made of.

Paper which is normally made from trees goes through

a pulping process and become paper. However, it can
be made from many other things as well such as
banana leaves, grasses etc. A variety of paper can be
used for the paper-based activities from recycled glossy
magazines, newspaper, junk mail, new gift wrap or
coloured bond paper.

Coconut Shells are the common materials used as

buttons as well as accessories . It comes from the inner
part of the coconut fruit. They are the hard parts of the
coconut fruits which contains the meat or the edible
part.

Jute is a thick and stiff but makes great plant

hangers.

Hemp is a scratchy and stiff but gets softer with wear

and frequent washings.
 Rattail is really smooth and slippery but makes up into
beautiful pieces.

C. Tools in Fashion Accessories and Their Uses

C.1. Cutting Tools

Scissors are used for cutting paper, fabric and thread

ends. Keep one sharp for cutting fabric and another for
paper as cutting paper blunt scissors. Do not use these
to cut wire.

Cookie cutters are ideal for cutting shapes out of

slabs of polymer clay.

Craft Knife is a type of utility knife. It has a small fixed-

blades or retractable, snap off blades. It is good for
cutting thin, lightweight materials with high degree of
precision and control.

C.2. Measuring and Sizing Tools

 Ruler is used for measurement and for drawing straight
lines. Generally, a metal one is better than a plastic

Measuring tape is handy for measuring curved

surfaces, like your wrist for a bracelet. Alternatively you
can use a piece of string.

C.3. Pliers

Curved chain-nose pliers are used to reach into tight

places to grip components, close jump rings, bend wire
and stabilize a design while working. The bent tip allows
access into difficult areas without blocking your line of
vision

Chain-nose pliers are available in both long-nose and

short-nose varieties. Short-nose pliers offer more
strength and stability while long-nose pliers give more
reach.

Crimping pliers are an invaluable tool for stringing

beads, as they easily secure crimp tubes to your
beading wire. The jaws have two notches (when closed,
one notch forms an ''O'' shape, the other a ''U'' shape).
To crimp, first squeeze the crimp tube or bead in the ''U''
shaped notch to lock it into place. Then squeeze the
 crimped tube in the ''O'' notch to further secure and
round it.

Flush-cutters trim headpins, eyepins and beading wire,

as well as fine wire used in wireworking. Flush-cutters
allow a flat, even cut even in the tightest of places
(hence the name), making for less filing and cleanup
time. The tiny jaws camouflage their incredible accuracy
and power. After cutting the end of a piece of metal
wire, check out the cutting surfaces and see how one
side makes a "V" shape and the other is flat. For a
perfectly flush cut, always keep the waste end of the
wire toward the concave side of the cutters.

D.Beading and Knotting Tools

Beading needles are thin wires with a sharp point at

one end and a narrow eye on the other end.

Tapestry needles are needles with blunt end and a large eye very
useful for beading.

Embroidery needles have a longer eye to enable easier threading

of multiple embroidery threads and thicker yarns

Review of Learning Outcome 3

Directions: Give the functions of the different materials and tools

No. Materials & Tools Functions

 1 Wire
2 Coco shells
3 Embroidery needles
4 Crimping pliers
5 Scissor

Enhancement activity 111Activity

Group Discussion

Direction: Group yourselves according to the kind of accessories you are going to make. The
group will assign somebody as a leader and reporter. The group will have to discuss the
following questions:

1. What are the materials and tools used making fashion accessory articles?
2. Why do we need to familiarize the different materials and tools as well as their
functions?