Tutorial – Decopatch Friendship Heart Pendants

Over Easter I shared with you all some crafts inspired by Polystyrene eggs. While shopping in the town centre when enjoying a recent holiday to Butlins in Bognor Regis, I popped into the ‘Works’ Where I uncovered these cute little polystyrene hearts.

Having recently used polystyrene miniature eggs to create Egg pendants with the children, it gave me an idea for a crafty project for these hearts.

The idea… Heart Friendship Pendants!

If you fancy a go at these yourself, they are relatively easy to make just a little fiddly if anything. Its the perfect craft to do with bigger kids. Alice who is 10 had lots of fun making hers.

Here’s what you’ll need to make two pendants like ours…

2 designs of decopatch paper (your choice of design and colours)

Decopatch Glue

Mod Podge Shimmer (gold)

Glue/Decopatch Brush

Tiger Wire/Craft Wire

fishing Wire

Tiny Gold Beads

Glass beads

Glass crystals (colours to complement Decopatch paper)

5 x 4mm flat backed crystals (colours to complement decopatch paper) I used white and blue.

Jewellery Findings (couple of crimping beads and crimp covers, 2x pendent attachment, jump hoops, 2x clasps & catches)

Tools…

Crimping tool
Brushes
Scissors
Nail (to pierce a hole through hearts)

Here’s how to put it all together to make your heart pendents

1) Use a sharp nail to pierce 2 small holes opposite one another, right at the top of your hearts in the centre, like so…

2) Cut papers into small manageable pieces. Decopatch your hearts using your paper pieces and decopatch glue. This is done by simply adding glue directly to the heart and over the top of the paper. Cover one side of pendants, allow to dry for 30-40 minutes before doing the other sides.

When it comes to covering the sections of the hearts where the two holes are located, do this using the nail to locate the holes and piercing the paper.

3) Once these are dry use a clean brush to apply a thin layer of Mod Podge gold shimmer. Apply to one side of the hearts, leave it to dry for 30 minutes before adding the shimmer to the opposite sides and again leaving to dry.

4) while the pendants are still wet, secure your 3 4mm flat back crystals in a row down the centre of one side of one of your pendants and the remaining crystals onto your remaining heart pendant in the same way. Now leave to dry.

5) Now take your two tiny gold beads and insert into the two holes with the holes facing up.

6) next take your pendant attachments and fit them to the hearts via the holes on the gold beads.

7) Next, take some fishing wire (enough to make desired necklace length) and thread it through each of your pendants hoops

8) Now thread on your glass beads and crystals like so. Five on each side looks nice. Do the same for your second necklace in a different style.

9) Make a knot on both ends of the wire while you prepare your findings.

10) Finally connect your crimps and covers, jump loops and catches. Sit back and admire your work.

We made 2 heart necklaces as Alice-Sara wanted to make these for herself and best friend as friendship necklaces.

The thing I love most about this project is the endless possibilities it brings. You can make a different heart for each day of the week just by changing the paper style or beads and crystals on your necklace.

What’s more, with the magic of Decopatch glue and Mod Podge your polystyrene heart is now stronger and much more solid, but still super light to wear.

Why not try it yourself, experimenting with different papers and beads as you go.

Hope I’ve inspired you to get creative with Decopatch papers… Enjoy.

How Too Make A Clay Beaded Necklace

So I had some clay left over after the children had made their Piggies for the Natwest Competition.

This was air hardening/drying clay and with more than enough air tight containers full of modelling clay or play dough, I decided to use it up.

It was a real awkward amount, not enough to make anything to big, but more than enough not to want to waste. With this I decided to make some clay beads and a necklace for my daughter.

Here’s what I used…

Air Hardening/Drying Clay
Pearlised Acrylic Paints (Green/Yellow)
Acrylic Glaze
Black Bead Thread
Plastic Necklace Fastener

Tools…

Paint Brushes
Scissors
Clay Modelling Tool
News Paper or Table Cloth ( to cover surfaces)

How I Made The Beads

Despite only needing a small number of beads for the necklace I decided to make some extra so that the toddler could use them to help build his fine motor skills.

To make the beads I simply worked with very small amounts of clay at a time, rolling them into a ball, then using the sharp end of a modelling tool to make a hole through the middle of each bead (make sure the tool pushes right through the clay so the hole goes all the way through).

I then used the opposite end of the modelling tool to score lines, grooves and various patterns into each bead.

Feeling a tad adventures, I also made a few different shaped beads and charms.

The clay instructions are not to use water as its ‘Air drying’ However, I always find that this type of clay tends to crack more easily and does so fairly quickly. So, with this I often just wet my fingers a little and smooth over any cracks if I find this to be the case at all!

Once all my beads were complete, I left them on a sheet of newspaper and placed them in a dry area, leaving them over night to dry at room temperature.

Tip: You can tell when your beads are dry as the colour of the clay will turn from a stone grey colour, to white.

Decorating The Beads…

Once fully dried, I choose two paint colours (pearlised green and yellow) and put a small amount of each on a pallet (aka paper plate). I then used the end of a very thin paint brush and pushed it through the hole of the bead I was going to decorate. This allowed me to paint the entire bead without it being to fiddly and no area was missed.

I rotated the colours, painting one green the next yellow and so forth.

The paint is very quick to dry, but I left for a good hour then repeated the process.

I then left to dry for another 2 hours before painting them in the same way only this time with a clear acrylic gloss glaze.

After an hour the beads were ready to thread. I used black thread and secured with a plastic necklace fastener.

Having made my necklace and some beads for harley to practice his fine motor skills, I did however, find I had a bit more clay left over. So, with this I decided to make a pendent for the necklace and a pair of earrings to match. I also made a feather pendent too.

How I Made The Matching Pendent & Earrings…

Added materials needed…

Earring wires

I flatten the clay so it became very thin and delicate. I then used the modelling tool to cut out a large tear drop shape for the pendent and two for the earrings. Once I had my earring shapes I then flatten these a bit more as to make them almost paper thin. This is to unsure they are not to heavy to wear.

I then used my fingertips to help form a pattern, before using the sharp end of the modelling tool to complete my desired design. I did this for both the pendent and earrings (not worrying if they were the exact same in detail)!

I then used the sharp end of the tool to make holes in each piece.

Next I followed the same steps as I did for the beads. I painted in the same way only using both colours on each piece. I also covered all pieces in the same acrylic gloss glaze.

The last step was to add the ear wires to create a pair of earrings.

How I Made The Feather Pendent…

I flatten the remaining clay like that above and cut out one large leaf shape and another one about half its size.

I used the modelling tool to add the detail of the leaf before finally adding the holes for threading.

I then did all the same steps as I did for my beads, pendent and earrings. I used the same paints, gloss glaze and dried for the same amount of time. (Note the earrings and leaf pendent dried much faster as they were so thin!)

Alice loved all the pieces (apart from the earrings these are to large for her as she only wears studs, plus they are not real silver)!

The clay jewellery is perfect for dress up or even gifts. I’m now making clay bead bracelets for Christmas Cracker fillers. 🙂

Alice is keen to have a go herself so I’m going to make a batch of salt dough and see what she can come up with!

How to make a beaded picture

I know Easter has been and gone, though this is a method you could use for other occasions and designs.

Making beaded pictures are a really simple yet fun activity, it’s not all that messy (well, a little) and the end result is pretty effective.

Now you may choke on your tea with complete horror if I told you I did this activity with my 2-year-old toddler! Why? Because this does involve working with small beads. However, Harley really isn’t one for putting alien objects in his mouth, up his nose or even in his ears. I was with him throughout, therefore lots of sticking fun was had. 

Nonetheless, please do note that this activity does require you to work with small beads and sequins, so please be careful with small children, especially those under 3. Only you as a parent knows if your child is suited to an activity so you should therefore do this at your own risk. 

This activity is perfect for improving or aiding the development of a child’s fine motor skills

What you will need…

Some card in a selection of colours

Some thick double-sided tap (white as opposed to clear) 

Selection of beads

Selection of sequins 

Glitter 

Large sheet of black or other coloured card 

Glue stick

scissors

pencil

clear glue

Paint brush

Now we recently got a pack of eggs and baskets made from thin card (the type that require you to fold it along a dotted line leaving you with kinda 3D design). These are meant to be used for an egg hunt but I had other plans. Instead these became the perfect base for our beaded picture. Cutting along the dotted line, rather than folding it, then continuing to cut around the entire shape  I was left with a flat paper egg and basket. These cards were just £1 from poundworld and both perfect and inexpensive (they also make good templates).

However if you cannot get a hold of any, you will need to make your own by drawing a large egg shape on some coloured card and the body of a basket (no handle needed) on another piece of coloured card before finally cutting them out.

Next, lay down lots of newspaper over the space you’re working at and tip a selection of brightly coloured beads and sequins in the middle of the area.

Now, take your thick double-sided tape, adding a strip across the middle of the egg. It’s important that you only remove the outer strip protecting your tape once it’s positioned exactly how you want it! Note you don’t have to add a stripe across the middle, you could do any design that takes your fancy. 

Once protective strip has been removed let your toddler stick the beads to the tape. Top tip, buy white double-sided tape as this way your toddler can see where to stick

his/her beads and sequins.

Let your child stick them at different angles (on their sides, flat etc…) as this gives greater impact making it a fantastic effect.

DO this for both the egg and the basket

Once your child has finished sticking, Mum/Dad should give the beads the once over, giving them a firm press to ensure they are stuck down well.

Next, take the glitter and ensuring the egg and basket shapes are laid on some newspaper, sprinkle the glitter all over the tapped and beaded area, blowing and lightly tapping off any excess (This will cover any gaps between beads which will be much easier to see if using white tape)

Now with the paint brush cover your beaded area in clear glue, giving it a protective and shiny coat (do not use white glue as this will dry white and take away any sparkle you have going. 

Leave to dry for 1-2 hours before using your glue stick to stick down the decorated shapes any way you like on your black card (or which ever colour you chose). 

We chose black as I felt this helped our creation to really stand out.

So, there you have it! A beaded Easter Egg picture that’s both inexpensive to create and loads of fun to make.

 Why not try it yourself?