Make your own rhinestone earrings A stunning piece of jewelry can enhance any outfit and make you feel like a million dollars but your jewelry piece should not empty your wallet. These earrings are simple to make, look expensive and you don’t need any jewelry making experience. For this project I used: A pair of oval shaped craft wood pieces (found in most craft stores) approximately 10 mm x 26 mm Small drill bit (approximately 1 mm in diameter) and/or awl Silver metallic craft paint Silver jump rings – 4mm and 8 mm Ear wires Gem Tac 9ss Light Siam rhinestones 10ss Crystal Rhinestones To begin, you need to make a hole in the top of the wooden oval shapes. I tried several methods. I found that you can use an awl but if you apply too much pressure, the wood will crack. If you apply slow steady pressure, you can make a hole without cracking it. I found it easier though to hand drill a hole using a small drill bit. I placed a block of wood underneath the wood shape and applying slow even pressure with the on the drill bit, I rotated the wooden shape until I was through to the other side. I wanted my earring to have a metallic look so next I painted the shapes with silver metallic craft paint. I painted several coats letting each coat dry completely. When the paint was dry, I inserted a 8 mm jump ring into each hole. To keep the earrings from facing the back, I added a 4 mm jump ring and then earring wires. You are now ready to glue on your rhinestones. Begin at the bottom of the earring by placing a drop of glue about the size of the rhinestone. Using your wax tipped tool, pick up a rhinestone and gently press it into the glue drop. Continue gluing until your shape is covered in rhinestones. Allow to dry for 24 hours. Just a turn of your head will send out shimmers of sparkle and you will feel like a million dollars!
Rhinestones and wax tipped tool are available from: www.RhinestonesEtc.com
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How to make a yarn Christmas tree Each year, the day after Thanksgiving, my kids beg me to take out our Christmas decorations to display around the house. Maybe it’s because decorations add that touch of festivity and magic, they look forward to decorating the house each year. This year, I’ve added a new one to our collection. This Christmas tree is easy to make and can be customized to fit any Christmas theme For this project I used: Green yarn White glue (any brand will do) Paper plate Plastic knife Cone shaped Styrofoam (the one I used was about 10 inches long) Aluminum foil Tape Gem Tac Crystal AB 10ss rhinestones Wax tipped tool Begin by wrapping the Styrofoam cone with aluminum foil, taping the ends together. I found it easier to start with shorter pieces of yarn, between 12-14 inches. As I added layers of yarn, I used longer pieces of about 24 inches long. The yarn needs to be saturated with white glue and this can be done different ways. You can squeeze the glue into a bowl and mix the yarn in or as I did, place the yarn on a paper plate squeeze glue along the length of the yarn, scrape with the plastic knife and repeat until the yarn is good and gluey. Wrap the gluey yarn around the aluminum covered cone. Continue adding gluey yarn until cone is nicely wrapped. I found it easier to do this in several layers, letting each layer dry completely. Slide the tree off the Styrofoam form and remove the aluminum foil. Using Gem-Tac, add Crystal AB 10ss rhinestones randomly along the tree. Place a drop of glue about the size of the rhinestone anywhere on the tree. Using the wax tipped tool, pick up a rhinestone and gently press it into the glue drop. Continue gluing rhinestones until you are satisfied with the amount of sparkle. Allow to dry for 24 hours. Now you have your very own handmade Christmas tree that can be easily personalized to fit in with any Christmas theme. On the mantel , bookshelf or as a table centerpiece, this will be a favorite for years to come.
Rhinestones and wax tipped tool are available from: www.RhinestonesEtc.com |
KarenI have been adding bling for over 20 years. Through my projects, I hope you find inspiration. Categories
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