Bullet Necklace (DIY)

Okay - let me preface this post with the fact that I know nothing about guns. So if you do, then you probably know all the official gun lingo, and you will probably notice that I used some creative (and made up) terminology.


***EDIT - I have been told that bullets sometimes contain lead and wipes are available to remove the lead residue from the surface. Please look into this potential danger when choosing your materials.***

I like quirky jewelry - especially if it happens to be created from other things.  Bullet necklaces are especially unique and interesting, so I decided to try my hand at making one.  One thing I was sure of going into this project is that I wouldn't be drilling into any bullet casings (or shells?) to add a loop for hanging - not even if they were empty or used or whatever.  Instead, I attached a wooden bead with a ring using glue.  Look at that - crisis diverted!

You will need:
- empty metal bullet shell
- wooden bead to fit on the opening of the shell
- metal jewelry pin
- plastic pony beads (that fit inside the shell)
- E-6000 glue or another strong adhesive
- chain
- pliers and wire clippers








First, you must find an empty bullet shell.  My shell is from Goodwill Outlet Center (you can literally find anything in those bins).  Ask your gun toting friends, visit a shooting range, or purchase them from Etsy - another place you can find almost anything.

This shell will be the base of your bullet charm and the tip of the bullet (or point, maybe?) will be made from a bead.  I scavenged a wooden bead from old earrings that fit well on the opening of the shell. I recommend using an oval bead or one that looks like two cones connected, like a diamond with rounded edges.  Does that shape have a name?  When you have a bead that looks good, pull the pin through.  If your bead's hole is larger than the pin, put a smaller bead on first.

Use pliers (round jewelry pliers work best) to form a tiny loop in the pin.

Now, if you glue the bead to the shell, it might stay...but chances are that you'll have a big globby mess & the entire thing will fall apart. So to avoid this, we are going to fill the shell with a stack of plastic pony beads & glue the wooden bead to the stack.  Are you following this?
--image here --
Before you break out the glue, see how many beads will fit inside the shell. The wooden bead should sit comfortably on top with no gap between the rim of the shell. Its okay if your wooden bead does not touch the pony beads below it, you can bridge that gap with lots of glue.

Remove the beads and put a dot of glue in the shell.  Add each of the pony beads with a dot of glue between each.  Use a toothpick to force glue into the center of the beads.  Top the stack with a big dollop of glue and gently place your wooden bead on top.  Hold it in place for a few seconds.

Look at how cool this bullet pendant is!  Give the glue an hour or so to harden then string your bullet on a chain and wear!