Wire, Stone, and Wood Sculpture

This project is rated: MODERATE

You have a great deal of latitude in selecting materials for this project.

Project Instructions

Wood: The wood is to be used as a base for the sculpture. If you want a rustic look as shown in the project image, cut a piece of a tree branch 6 inches long that is about 1.5 inches in diameter. Cut it in half (or split it) so that one side is flat. A smaller diameter branch can be used if there is a fork in it. It would not have to be made flat on one side since the fork will provide the necessary stability to keep it from turning. Alternatively you may use a board of about the same dimensions.
Wire: You will need 5 pieces of wire, each piece being about 8 inches in length. There are several choices of wire. It must be solid wire, not stranded. It should be fairly stiff and straight. I recommend brass wire which you may purchase at some craft stores or hardware stores. You can also use bare copper electrical wire or steel wire. Wire comes in various gauges. The gauge number is a measure of the diameter of the wire. The larger the gauge number, the smaller the diameter of the wire. In brass or copper, a gauge number of 20, 22, or 24 should be suitable. Steel wire is slighter thicker for the same gauge number. Form a loop in one end of each wire. The loop should have a diameter of about 0.25 inches. Then bend the loop so that it forms a right angle with the wire (Note: The round loop appears as an oval when viewed at an angle.) Each piece of wire should look something like the illustration below.

Stones: You will need 5 stones. I recommend polished semi-precious stones. However, you may use some attractive pebbles that you have found in a brook or in a driveway. If there is a rock shop in your vicinity, they may have suitable stones for purchase.
Glue (I recommend epoxy cement) a stone to the loop on the end of each wire. This can be a little tricky. One method is to support the wire vertically so the loop is horizontal. Some glue can be applied to the bottom of the stone and then the stone placed on the loop. The wire and stone must be supported in this position until the glue sets.
Your base should be cut to the shape you desire. Drill a hole in the middle of your base that is large enough to hold all 5 of your wires.
Place all five wires in the hole provided in the base. Add a little glue in the hole to hold the wires in place. If the hole goes all the way through the base, be sure you have placed it on a newspaper or other material to protect your work surface.
When the glue in the hole has set, you can bend the wires outwards to create an attractive arrangement. This completes your project. You can display your sculpture on a table, a mantle, book shelf, etc.