Making a Jingle Bell!

Make your own Jingle Bell

Here is a tutorial showing you how to create a Jingle Bell. Hats off to Sandra Sirles for the jingle bell shape pancake die using our designs. You can order a jingle bell pancake die on sandrasirles.com that matches our jingle bell pressings.

Here is a link to the pancake die on Sandra Sirles' website:

Jingle Bell Pancake Dies

For the Small Jingle Bell pressing order Sandra's XMAS21C SM JINGLE BELL 4 pancake die.

For the Medium order Sandra's XMAS21B MED. JINGLE BELL 4 pancake die and for the Large Jingle Bell pressing order Sandra's XMAS21B LG. JINGLE BELL 4 pancake die.

Prepping the Jingle Bell

Begin with one of Metal Maven's Jingle Bell Pressings. Choose from Metal Maven's four different Jingle Bell pattern pressings.

Cut out the Jingle Bell

Use Sandra Sirles' jingle bell pancake die and a hydraulic press to cut out the bell or use a jeweler's saw to cut out one of the jingle bell designs.

Drill a hole

Next, drill a hole in the center of the top of the bell. Each bell has a design centered on the top of the bell with dot in the middle to show where a hole should be drilled. The hole allows you to add a wire hanger.

File the edges

File the bell's edges smooth using a file or sandpaper. On this Jingle Bell, I used a half-round, half-flat #5 file and then rounded the corners using the same file.

Forming the Jingle Bell

At this point, you are ready to begin forming the bell.

Watch the video to see how I formed it.

Making the Hanger

Cut a piece of 18-gauge wire 1.5" long. Next, use round-nose pliers to make a loop on one end of the wire. Pass the straight end of the wire through the hole at the top of the bell. Make another loop the other end of the wire to keep the wire from falling back though the hole.

Close the Bell

You may need to anneal the metal because it has become worked hardened when forming. Add the BB and close up the bell.

Tip: When annealing you will want to only heat your metal to a dull red color and then back off the heat. A way to tell if you have heated the metal long enough is to use a black Sharpie and put a couple of marks on your metal before you start annealing. Then, while annealing, keep an eye on your Sharpie marks and when they disappear your metal should be annealed.

Finishing Touches

After assembling the bells, you can add patina, and then they can be polished by tumbling in a rotary tumbler with stainless steel shot, some water, and drop of Dawn dish-washing liquid.

Tools and supplies you will need for this project:

Jingle Bell pattern pressing from Metal Maven

Wire for adding a hanger

Metal bead

Jeweler's saw and saw blades or Sandra Sirles' Square Jingle Bell Pancake Dies

#5 Half-Round Hand File

Round Nose Pliers for forming loops in wire

Round needle file to remove burrs from center hole (optional)

Drill press or some device to make a hole

Black Sharpie

Rotary tumbler with stainless steel shot

Dawn Dish-washing liquid