Recipe for Art: Wrapping Stones

Sometimes during a flare or especially painful lesions, those of us with HS are stuck in a loop of depression and inactivity. Art can help us to process our feelings and reprogram our brains, and release tension and anxiety. Art is personal, not perfect. Making these pendants can allow you to focus your energy on creating a free form with the wire, which hopefully takes your mind off of your pain and anxiety. Metal and stones are elements of the earth. These both allow you to ground yourself and focus.

You can even do this project from bed

This particular project doesn't have to be expensive. You can purchase bundles of wire at hardware stores for $5-8 for 100 feet (I recommend 20 or 22 gauge stainless steel), and you can even get rocks at the dollar store (I recommend unpolished for beginners like myself). I used a 3-in-1 tool that costs about $11, but really all you need is some sort of clipper to cut the wire, and anything else you would use as a helper tool like the handle of a paintbrush to help bend around the wire is just fine. This project can end up costing you only pennies.

This is a fairly easy project that nearly anyone can pick up and is gender neutral, and doesn't require any skill set. There are so many different sources of inspiration for what to do with stones and wire that the possibilities are limitless, that if someone feels ambitious enough to do more, they certainly could. And yet, this is also something you can do from your bed if need be. You can always scrap the wire and start over if you don't like the end result!