The Big-Ass Book of Bling
Page 9
Lumiere metallic paint in pewter
Rags
60 inches of 20-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Minwax Clear Brushing Lacquer
Small paintbrush
HERE’S HOW
1 Using tin shears or heavy-duty serrated scissors, cut a piece of aluminum flashing 6 inches by 8 inches. Trace the rough shape of your fused glass pieces onto the flashing. Cut four ovals from the flashing 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch larger than your glass pieces (or paper turquoise stones) all the way around.
2 Place an aluminum oval on your scrap wood and hammer it until it has a nice texture. Repeat for the others.
3 With a rag, rub on the Lumiere pewter paint and let dry. Make sure it is applied evenly and gets into all the cracks and folds.
4 Coat each piece with Minwax Clear Brushing Lacquer.
5 Place your fused glass gems on each oval and mark spots for eight holes, evenly spaced around the gems.
6 Tap the holes in the ovals with your hammer and nail. Use your scrap wood to protect your countertop or work surface.
7 Flip the ovals over and tap the holes to make sure there are no sharp edges.
8 Thread the wire back and forth through the holes to secure the stone on top of the oval. If you want to glue the stones on the oval first, that’s fine.
9 Figure out the placement of your ovals for the necklace, and on three of them, make holes in opposite ends of the oval. On one of those three you will make a third hole from which to hang your fourth piece. On the fourth piece you will need to make only one hole.
10 Attach your pieces with large jump rings.
11 Attach your chains to the end pieces.
12 Attach jump rings and your lobster claw to the ends of the chains for the closure.
YOU’LL NEED
Aluminum flashing
Scrap wood
1 piece of fused glass
Tin shears or heavy-duty scissors with serrated blades
Silver-tone ring blank
E-6000 glue
Hammer and nail
Piece of scrap wood
Lumiere metallic paint in pewter
Rags
15 inches of 20-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Minwax Clear Brushing Lacquer
Small paintbrush
Ring blank
CAGED GLASS COCKTAIL RING
HERE’S HOW
1 With tin shears or heavy-duty serrated scissors, cut a piece of aluminum flashing 2 inches by 3 inches. Cut an oval from the flashing that is 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch larger than your fused glass piece all the way around.
2 Place the oval on your scrap wood and hammer it until it has a nice texture.
3 With a rag, rub on the Lumiere pewter paint and let it dry. Make sure it is applied evenly and gets in all the cracks and folds.
4 Coat the oval with Minwax Clear Brushing Lacquer.
5 Place your fused glass gem on the oval and mark spots for eight holes, evenly spaced around the gem.
6 Tap the holes in the oval with your hammer and nail. Use your scrap wood to protect your countertop or work surface.
7 Flip it over and tap the holes to make sure there are no sharp edges.
8 Thread wire back and forth through the holes to secure the stone on top of the oval. If you want to glue the stone on the oval first, that’s okay, too.
9 With a generous amount of E-6000, adhere fused glass gem to the ring blank and let dry.
GLASS, METAL, TWINE
There are times when you just have to experiment without caring about the results. It helps push you to different places and get you out of your creative routine. This bracelet did just that. It doesn’t use a color scheme or even shapes that I tend to gravitate toward. I do happen to love where I ended up with it, though. Toss a few things together and see what happens. You just might surprise yourself.
YOU’LL NEED
Aluminum flashing
Scrap wood
3 fused glass pieces or large beads
E-6000 glue
Paintbrushes
Colored twine in a color you like (I used bright yellow)
Tin shears or heavy-duty scissors with serrated blades
Piece of scrap wood
Hammer and nail
Bright blue and bright green acrylic paint
Rags
Small paintbrush
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
10 silver-tone jump rings
2 to 3 inches of large silver-tone link chain
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
3 inches of medium silver-tone link chain
1 silver-tone lobster claw closure
HERE’S HOW
1 With tin shears or heavy-duty serrated scissors, cut three rectangles from the aluminum flashing, each 3 inches by 11/2 inches.
2 On top of a piece of scrap wood tap the flashing pieces with the hammer to give them a hammered texture.
3 Rub blue paint into each piece with a rag and let dry.
4 On two of the rectangles, tap three evenly spaced holes on one 3-inch side, and one hole in the center of the other 3-inch side.
5 On the third rectangle, tap three holes on each of the 3-inch sides. This is your center rectangle.
6 Flip each piece over and gently tap the holes to eliminate any sharp edges.
7 With a brush, paint around the edges of each rectangle in green and let dry.
8 Brush the three rectangles with Minwax Polycrylic to coat them.
9 Glue a fused glass stone in the center of each of the rectangles with E-6000.
10 Using a toothpick to spread E-6000 around the edge of your glass pieces, add twine around each one.
11 Use your needle-nose pliers to connect the rectangles together on the three-hole sides with jump rings.
12 Add the large links of chain to each end of the rectangles with another jump ring.
13 Add the smaller chain to one side with another jump ring and another jump ring with a lobster claw to the other end for the closure.
KID COUTURE
Pretty soon I’m just going to have to own up to the fact that I’m really just a large (albeit hairy) child. I like toys, anything shiny and colorful, and dolls. Okay, creepy dolls, but I do like them. As much as I thought I would outgrow these interests, I never have. There is something to say for embracing your inner child. That’s what I’ve done with the projects on these next few pages. They may use elements that kids would love, but it doesn’t mean you can’t love them, too!
KOLORFUL KID COUTURE
I got a huge bottle of these plastic Melty Beads (also called Perler Beads) at IKEA years ago, and I just love them. They remind me of my trip to Africa and all the beautiful colors that were mixed together in the art and accessories I saw there. This project is perfect for kids, but I bet you’ll enjoy it just as much as I did. Try using only one or two colors instead of all of them. Maybe just red and blue, or yellow and orange. It’s really up to you. Just have fun!
YOU’LL NEED
Bottle or bag of Melty Beads or Perler beads (www.createforless.com has a terrific selection)
Tons of 5-inch-long nylon zip ties
Scissors
Black chain (or any color you like) with large links
10 inches for each long necklace
8 inches for each choker
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
1 lobster claw closure for the short choker and for each bracelet
2 large jump rings for the short choker and for each bracelet
HERE’S HOW
FOR THE LONG NECKLACE
1 Create several links by stringing 11 beads on each nylon tie and then zipping them closed.
2 Carefully cut off the excess.
3 String your beads on another tie and loop it through the first and
then zip it closed again. See, you’re creating a chain already!
4 Create chains that are about 27 to 31 links long, depending on how long you want your necklaces.
5 Add your last links through the end link on the 10-inch piece of large link chain.
6 Do the same on the other end to finish.
FOR THE SHORTER CHOKER
1 Follow the steps above but only use one color per link.
2 Create three link chains that are seven, nine, and eleven links long.
3 Cut your large link chain into two 4-inch pieces.
4 Add all three beaded links to one more link and add that one link to the chain.
5 Do the same on the other side.
6 Add jump rings and a lobster claw to the ends for the closure.
FOR THE BRACELETS
1 Follow steps 1 through 3 for the necklace, but create only as many links as will wrap around your wrist.
2 Add an extra-large jump ring and lobster claw to the ends for a closure.
WOW HEADBAND
I cannot stop buying magnetic letters at the dollar store. They are just too much fun to have on the fridge and use for craft projects. This headband is a terrific project for a bachelorette or birthday party. Whatever the occasion, spell it out and wear it proudly on top of your head!
YOU’LL NEED
Enough magnetic letters to spell your word
E-6000 glue
Wax paper
Fine sandpaper
Plastic headband
Krylon Fusion for Plastic in pink or purple
Krylon Glitter Blast in Posh Pink
Feathers
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
HERE’S HOW
1 On a sheet of wax paper, lay out your letters above the headband so you know the placement. IMPORTANT! Make sure they are spaced far enough apart so that when you open the headband to put it on your head, the letters don’t squish together and pop off!
2 Sand the edges of your letters and the headband where you will be gluing them together. This will give the glue some tooth and keep bond sturdy.
3 Apply a generous dollop (but be neat!) of E-6000 glue on the bottom of each letter where it touches the headband. The glue will not stick to the wax paper.
4 When the letters are dry, spray them with a base coat of Krylon Fusion for Plastic.
5 Spray the Glitter Blast on the headband and let dry.
6 Hot-glue feathers on the back of one of the letters.
I HEART YOU KATY PERRY!
I have a crush on Katy Perry. Maybe it’s because she wears a blue wig or that her dresses always look like cupcakes and glitter? I don’t know! I just adore her. My crush inspired me to make this heart necklace, which I’m planning to send to her. Katy, if you’re reading this between concerts, please send me your shipping address.
Love, Mark.
YOU’LL NEED
Flat, thin cardboard
Elmer’s Glue-All
3D Crystal Lacquer (www.sakuracraft.com)
Flat-back acrylic gems in different colors, shapes, and sizes
1 yard of crystal chain
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
20 inches of 1/4-inch turquoise blue grosgrain (ribbed) ribbon
20 inches of 1-inch pink grosgrain ribbon
10 inches of 1/4-inch red satin ribbon
E-6000 glue
Toothpicks
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Loose silver glitter
Sequins
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut a heart out of your cardboard about 3 inches wide.
2 Spread a layer of Elmer’s glue on top of the entire heart and quickly place your gems and sequins on the heart.
3 Sprinkle the loose glitter over the gems and add more glue and glitter where needed.
4 When dry, use dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick and carefully glue your crystal chain around the outer edge of the heart.
5 When the heart is completely dry, apply a coat of 3D Crystal Lacquer to keep the glitter in place and keep it from flaking. It dries quickly.
6 Cut 14 inches of crystal chain. Lay your turquoise ribbon flat and with E-6000 on a toothpick, glue the chain along the ribbon.
7 Cut two 4-inch pieces of crystal chain. Lay your pink ribbon flat, and using a toothpick and E-6000, glue gems and 4 inches of crystal chain on each side of your ribbon, leaving a blank space in the center.
8 Fold your red ribbon in half and hot-glue it to the back of the heart.
9 Tie the red ribbon around the center of the turquoise and pink ribbon and then tie it in a bow.
10 Use the extra ribbon at the back to tie a bow for the closure.
NOIR DRAMATIQUE
I got a little French when I was naming this project because Zip Tie Choker just didn’t capture how dramatic it looked. Besides, when something has a terrific name, it just seems more impressive, don’t you think? For example, if you name your child Hercules or Superman, they are instantly interesting. If you name them, oh, I don’t know, something like MARK, they have to work a lot harder to create that mystique. So, Noir Dramatique it is!
YOU’LL NEED
Beading wire and crimping beads
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
57 gold beads
22 (3-inch) black zip ties
22 (4-inch) black zip ties
11 (7-inch) black zip ties
1 gold-tone lobster claw closure
1 gold-tone jump ring
HERE’S HOW
1 Close all your zip ties, leaving only a small hole at the ends. This turns it into a bead with a very long tail.
2 Cut off about 16 inches of beading wire and string a crimping bead onto it, followed by the lobster claw.
3 Put the end of the beading wire back through your crimping bead and crimp it with your needle-nose pliers.
4 Start with a gold bead and then alternate 11 of your 3-inch zip ties and gold beads.
5 Continue with gold beads and 11 of the 4-inch zip ties, then 11 of the 7-inch zip ties, then 11 of the 4-inch zip ties, and finally 11 of the 3-inch zip ties.
6 Repeat the crimping process from step 2 on a jump ring to close the choker.
7 Leaving the three longest center zip ties alone, trim the four 7-inch zip ties on each side of the center ties so they graduate from short to long as shown below.
BELLE OF THE PING-PONG BALL
I can already hear the telephone ringing and Betty Draper from Mad Men asking me if she can borrow this piece for her next fund-raiser. Who ever thought Ping-Pong balls could be so chic?
YOU’LL NEED
3 Ping-Pong balls
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Two-tone decorative (or plain) twine
4 gold beads for spacers
12 inches of large gold-tone chain (www.createforless.com has a great selection of chain)
4 gold-tone jump rings
1 gold-tone lobster claw closure
Gold-tone beading wire
Gold-tone crimp beads
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Scissors
Large pin
HERE’S HOW
1 With dabs of hot glue, wind and wrap your Ping-Pong ball with the twine, starting at the base and moving upward, until the entire ball is covered. This technique might take a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be fine.
2 Poke holes in two opposite ends of the ball (where you started and finished wrapping the twine) with a large pin.
3 Cut 12 inches of beading wire, place a crimp bead on the end, wrap the wire around a jump ring and then back through the crimp bead, and then crimp with your needle-nose pliers.
4 Thread your beads and balls and finish by crimping the end of the wire around another jump ring.
5 Cut two 6-inch pieces of chain. Add jump rings to the ends of the chains and attach on both sides o
f the choker and a lobster claw for the closure.
HARAJUKU HEADBAND
Eat your heart out, Gwen Stefani! Your Harajuku girls are already loving this!
YOU’LL NEED
2 Ping-Pong balls
1 plastic headband
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Two-tone decorative (or plain) twine
HERE’S HOW
1 With dabs of hot glue, wind and wrap your Ping-Pong ball with the twine, starting at the base and moving upward, until the entire ball is covered. This technique might take a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll be fine.
2 Dab the hot glue on the end of the plastic headband and wrap it all the way to the other end, making sure to use dabs of hot glue all along the headband as you wrap.
3 Using a generous amount of hot glue, secure the balls on top of the headband and let dry.
SEXY AND THE CITY
Just like Carrie Bradshaw, you can wear your name (or whatever you like) around your neck and make your statement! Though this is not a very subtle piece of jewelry to wear, it certainly is fun. Even though I used kids’ toys for this necklace, save this Carrie-inspired piece for the grown-ups!
YOU’LL NEED
Plastic magnet letter sets from the dollar store
Wax paper
E-6000 glue
Large safety pin
Tealight
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
12 inches of silver-tone chain