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.

Shabby Chic Inspired Mod Podge & Decopatch Tea Light Jars

I love using Decopatch papers to decorate items and surfaces. I had some pretty pink rose Decopatch paper left from another project and decided to use it to make some pretty tea light jars to match my heart twinklets I made a while back.

The results were fabulous and I was left with a really pretty tea light jar that I now plan to make more of.

Regardless of the beautiful result, these tea light jars are relatively simple to make and don’t require very many materials to create.

Here’s what you will require to make one of these tea light jars…

Small jar (Ikea spice jars are ideal)
Decopatch pink rose paper
Mod Podge
Hot pink fine glitter

Tools…

Scissors
Hog brush for Mod Podge

How to make your own pretty candle jar…

1) Cut your rose paper into medium size pieces.

2) Apply Mod Podge directly onto the glass jar in the area you want to apply your first piece of Decopatch paper.

3) Once you have stuck down the paper, add a thin layer of Mod Podge over the top.

4) Continue doing the above steps in till your jar is completely covered.
Be sure to slightly over lap the papers. Cut smaller pieces of paper for any patch ups. With this piece, try to ensure your papers at least match somewhat and the pattern doesn’t look too odd.

5) leave to dry for around 30 minutes

6) Once dry add a layer of Mod Podge around the jars neck and its bottom before sprinkling the fine pink glitter over the glued areas. Shake off any excess glitter.

7) Now add a small amount of Mod Podge to the middle of your jar and then cover with a little glitter (few pinches). Now leave the jar to dry for another 30 minutes.

8) Once dry finally add a final thin layer of Mod Podge over your entire jar and leave to dry for an hour or more.

9) Now, its dried, all that’s left to do is pop in a tea light and light it up with a candle lighter.

As the flame take form you will notice how your candle jar begins to spakle with the light and glitter.The effect is simply stunning and I’m really pleased with mine.

So… There you have it! Really cute tea light jars that are easy to make and don’t cost a fortune either. Why not make them for a loved one this Valentines Day?

How Too Use Decopatch To Decorate Paper Mâché Letters

I love working with Decopatch and always get excited when ordering new papers.

I visited one of my favourite stores last weekend… Hobbycraft! Floors and floors of crafty loveliness. Sadly there wasn’t many decopatch papers in stock as it seems everyone has taken up the hobby of late. I did buy some more rose patterned papers and a gorgeous set of funky heart papers, perfect for valentines. They also had lots of paper mâché shapes and boxes in the sale. I grabbed some more hearts, a few tiny picture frames, 3 gift boxes/gift bags, a heart embossed box and some great large Decopatch letters.

Most of the items I’ve covered in Decopatch paper have been covered in just the one pattern or colour, this time I wanted to cover the letter “A” in a variety of different paper designs to create a really funky design for my daughters bedroom. I was planing to buy all the letters to spell out the name Alice which I was planing to hang on her wall but sadly they didn’t have the letter “L” so I designed just to do the one letter that she can hang on her door or free stand on her dresser or chest of draws.

Luckily I had a nice collection of left over paper pieces that ranged from pretty shabby pink and floral prints to funky denim and bold star designs… Perfect for what I had in mind!

Here’s what I used…

Paper mâché large letter (A)
Lots of odd pattern Decopatch paper pieces
Antique cream paint (white is perfect)

Tools
Deco patch glossy glue
Glue brush
Paint brush
Scissors

I’ve spoken about how to work with Decopatch before on the blog. So with this I won’t go into to much detail here in fear of boring you all.

Basically I cut my random pieces of paper into various sizes shapes and sizes.

Before applying these to my paper mâché I painted the letter in an antique cream colour with acrylic paint. I would have just used white but because I only had white spray paint and didn’t fancy chocking oneself I opted for the cream instead.

My reason for painting the paper mâché is because its rather dark before beforehand and some of my papers were quite light. This is why Taking the time to give your paper mâché a quick lick of paint makes sense! It may be more preparation and time but you save on papers (these are not cheap) plus its easier later on.

I find that acrylic paint is really fast to dry so I was able to get started within a an hour of painting the paper mâché letter.

I do enjoy Decopatch but its so messy and I often end up looking like I have skin melting of the tips of my fingers. I worked on one side at a time, adding a layer of glue to my base and one over the paper to seal in place, slightly overlapping each piece along the way.

I decided not to rush my letter letting each side dry fully before starting another. While your Decopatch paper is wet it is more likely to rip especially when the glue is drying with your finger tips stuck to it! Hence the reason patience was important.

I worked on all sides in the same way patching up any gaps with tiny pieces of paper.

I decided to give it another glossy coat of glue once finished and then left over night to dry.

Funky wouldn’t you say?

#Silent Sunday