Are you looking for more art and craft ideas? Consider making beautiful dragonfly ornaments. Here I present how to make DIY dragonfly ornaments
These dragonfly crafts pearl ornaments are very versatile. Make them in any colors you choose. Hang them on a Christmas tree, or display them as “everyday” decor whenever and wherever you please!
The first time I made one of these dragonfly ornaments, I used a craft kit made by Mac Enterprises. I purchased the kit at Michael’s Arts and Crafts store a number of years ago.
Making these ornaments is more difficult and time-consuming than it may look. Assembling the wings can be frustrating. So I suggest that you don’t plan to whip out a lot of these in a short time.
Here is how to make these lovely pearl dragonfly ornaments. The finished ornament measures approximately 5-1/2 inches from the top of the antennae to the bottom of the body.
How to Make DIY Dragonfly Ornaments – Materials Needed
1 white 14mm pearl
1 white 10mm pearl
1 white 8mm pearl
4 white 6mm pearls
12 white 5mm pearls
2 gold 5mm pearls
24 inches thin gold wire (28 gauge)
- Twelve 2-inch pieces
8 inches medium gold wire (20 gauge)
72 inches thick gold wire (18 gauge)
- One 14-inch piece
- Five 10-inch pieces
- One 5-inch piece
- One 3-inch piece
At least 7 inches thin gold cord (to hang dragonfly ornament)
How to Make DIY Dragonfly Ornaments: Instructions
make the first set of dragonfly wings
Cut two 10-inch pieces of thick (18 gauge) wire. Roll each end into spiral shapes, as shown in the photo on the right.
For one piece, leave approximately 2-1/2 inches unrolled in the center between the coils. For the other piece, leave approximately 1-1/2 inches of space between the coils.
Cut another 10-inch piece of 18 gauge wire. Bend it into an oval shape (approximately 4 inches wide). Overlap ends approximately 1-1/2 inches on each side.
Cut two 2-inch pieces of thin (28 gauge) wire. Use these pieces to connect the spiral piece (the one with the 2-1/2 inch span between the coils) to the sides of the oval-shaped wire. The coils should curve upward, as shown in the photos below.
Cut two more 2-inch pieces of 28-gauge wire. Thread a 5mm white pearl onto one of these pieces. Attach the pearl by wrapping one end of the 2-inch wire around the outer edge of the spiral and the other end around the oval-shaped wire. Repeat on the other side. (See photos below.)
Take the other 10-inch spiral piece (the one with the 1-1/2 inch span between the coils) and attach it to the oval wire in the same manner, except that with this piece, the spirals should curl downward instead of up. For this step, you will need four more 2-inch pieces of thin wire (28 gauge) and two more 5mm pearls.
Make the second set of dragonfly wings
Dragonflies have two sets of wings. For the second set of wings, cut another 10-inch piece of thick (18 gauge) wire and bend it into an oval shape as you did before.
Cut one more 10-inch piece of 18 gauge wire and shape spirals at each end, leaving approximately 1-1/2 inches of space between the coils. Cut four 2-inch pieces of thin (28 gauge) wire. Attach the spiral wire and two 5mm white pearls to the oval so that the piece looks like the photo on the left.
Join the two sets of dragonfly wings together
Cut one 3-inch piece of thick (18 gauge) wire. Pinch the center of the first oval piece. Do the same for the other oval. Then, attach the two ovals together by wrapping the 3-inch wire around the center to join the wings into one piece.
Begin the dragonfly’s body
Cut a 5-inch piece of thick wire (18 gauge). Wrap one end around the center of the wings a couple of times so that it is securely attached. Leave approximately 4 inches of wire coming down from the center. This will form the dragonfly’s body.
Add head and antennae to your dragonfly ornament
Cut one 8-inch piece of medium wire (20 gauge) and fold it in half. This wire will be the antennae. Put the center of the wing piece inside the “V” of the folded antennae wire and twist the antennae wire once to fasten the pieces together.
Slip both ends of the antennae wire through a single 14mm white pearl.
Slide the pearl all the way down to form the dragonfly’s head.
Spread the antennae wires apart. Thread a 5mm white pearl onto the end of each antenna. To secure the pearls, roll the end of the wire around the pearl. Coil the ends of the antennae.
Complete the body of your dragonfly ornament
Wrap one 14-inch piece of thick (18 gauge) wire around a pencil. When the wire is completely wrapped, slip it off the pencil and slide it up the “body” wire (the 4-inch piece of wire that extends down below the head and wings). Then slip on pearls in this order:
One white 10mm pearl
One white 8mm pearl
Four white 6mm pearls
Four white 5mm pearls
Two gold 5mm pearls
Coil the end of the wire to secure the pearls well.
Finishing touches for your dragonfly art ornament
Cut a piece of thin gold cord (at least 7 inches long). Loop the cord around the dragonfly’s neck twice. Tie the ends together in a secure knot.
For variations of this beautiful ornament, use different colored wire including silver, blue or red, or use different color(s) of pearls (or beads). Have fun!
What a beautiful dragonfly. There is a glare in the photos so if I might make a suggestion. Experiment with different backgrounds, but not something that’s slick and shiny.
Excellent tutorial.