What can I make with Rig-a-Jig?

I love old toys, as my friends know. So I wasn't surprised when one brought me a box of "Rig-A-Jig," a plastic construction playset similar to TinkerToys. It was invented in the mid-50s by a Mr. L.E. Carson to amuse his sick son, Larry. 


Rig-A-Jig comes with a set of flat plastic shapes -- oval, triangle, square, rectangle, diamond, and hexagon -- in bright colors. Red translucent tubes connect the pieces to make all sorts of moveable toys. 

In my box, all the shapes were like new; alas, the red tubes were chewed at both ends. A small dog or pensive child? No matter, my inner child immediately came out to play.

One of the first things I made was a kind of twirling top. From my stash, I pulled some round translucent discs and white plastic flanges.

This made me think of a dangly, whirling thing I could hang in the window. 

Next, I tried weaving wire, beads and thread round the slotted edges of the shapes. For some designs, I broke off a few tabs or cut the piece in half. I think I like the purple and orange one best. It looks a little like the Evil Eye.

But could I turn Rig-A-Jigs into fashion? Earrings seemed an obvious choice. This pair looks vaguely Native American.

These look like snowflakes, I think.

I haven't made wire jewelry in awhile, so I got to practice my wire-wrapping skills, which had become quite rusty (as you can see from the sorry-looking rings around the beads below).

How about something more utilitarian and less ornamental? Like a key chain or luggage tag. 

After a few hours of playing with my Rig-A-Jig, I got ambitious. I fished out some polymer beads I'd made ages go and tried wrapping them to the jigs. This one is a punk-rock brooch called "Angry Heart."

Next I tried a couple of pendants. This one, because of its oval shape, reminds me of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

I strung the pendant below on a ball chain. The bead is designed to look like turquoise. Maybe I'll call it "Ice Cold Heart." Or, less sinister, "Blue S'More" since the brown jig looks like a squashed Herhey's Kiss.

Of course, my inner child couldn't resist making some silly playmates. Can you tell what these are?

If you want to try making some of your own Rig-A-Jig creations, you can find sets online here.