Friday, January 14, 2011

crystal pendant tutorial



Crafting with friends is one of my favorite things in the world. Stacy may not be a regular contributor to this blog anymore, but she's still our dear friend, the crafting queen, and a major inspiration to us! We got together with her for some crafting this week and made these gorgeous crystal pendants. I couldn't believe how easy they were!


Crystal or Glass Tile Pendant Tutorial

You will need:
-a crystal pendant (this one is from Connie Crystal-Stacy bought it at our local Ben Franklin) or glass tile
-a pair of scissors
-patterned paper
-a pinch bale (Stacy bought ours at Ben Franklin)
-A clear crafting glue like Diamond Glaze, Crystal Effects, or Glossy Accents
-a chain (any length you like, we chose 24")
-a pencil

First, pick out a patterned paper that you love. The possibilities are endless; you should have seen us trying to choose one! Once, you have chosen, trace the pendant on the paper and cut it out with scissors.


Add some Diamond Glaze / Crystal Effects / Glossy Accents glue to the back of your pendant. Use sparingly, if you add too much it will bleed out the edges after you press the paper on.


Now press your paper face down on the back of the pendant so it can be seen through the other side. Press firmly to release any air bubbles.


Once it it firmly in place, you can trim any excess paper from the sides with a pair of scissors or Exacto knife, and then file with a nail file to make sure there is no paper sticking out. Be careful not to file the crystal--it will scuff easily. To protect the paper, we suggest applying a thin layer of Diamond Glaze to the back of the pendant as well.


Once, the glue has dried you can pinch your bail through the hole in the pendant. If you're using a square glass tile (you'll find these from tons of sellers on Etsy), use some Diamond Glaze glue to attach a glue-on jewelry bail like these.


Hang your pendant on a chain and you're done!


You can also make an adorable necklace with square or oval glass pieces, which can be found online at Etsy. I made a bunch of these on a girls weekend last year and they are wonderful! I love that I can pick one to match many outfits and they also make fabulous gifts! You can make these following the same steps above and gluing a glue-on bail on the back.

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34 Comments

34 Responses to “crystal pendant tutorial”

Divya said...

very pretty...where can these plain crystals or glass pendants be purchased online ?

Fran said...

thanks for the tutorial! I had no idea these gorgeous pendants were so easy to make :) Yours looks fabo

happeningswithLana said...

This is really cute! Would be a great gift. Might have to add this to my craft list for 2011.

Amy said...

I am not a jewelry girl but this one I love. Thanks for sharing!

~april said...

awesome idea! love the crystal you chose! this would be an awseome "thank you" shower gift or bridesmaid gift!

My Happy Empty Nest said...

I love this - you have the best ideas! I can't wait to make these with my friends!! thanks!

Anonymous said...

Wow, I'm so excited to see a good tutorial for these, and the type of bail I've never seen before. I have lots of crystals, but have been puzzled how to turn them into pendants. I'm sure I can find those bails on Etsy.

Ashley said...

OBSESSED! I love your blog! i just found it :)

Amy B Stitched said...

Cute pendants!! I love love love the scarf the young lady in the middle of the pic is wearing...so cute!!!

Sheila said...

Those are so pretty!!

Kelly said...

Love these!! So on the other side is just the paper right? You dont put any kind of protection piece over it? What a cool idea! I would love to make some of these!!

EditorK said...

This project is great, thanks for posting it and participating in the FaveCrafts blog hop! Our next blog hop will be February 15 and we hope you'll participate again!

Kirsten
Editor
FaveCrafts.com

Unknown said...

wowoww...so nice , but it;s not easy for me....

Beverly {Flamingo Toes} said...

These are soooo cute!! Thanks for the tutorial - I love how they turned out!

Onica said...

I am so copying this! These are so stinking cute!

Krafty-Lyn said...

This is such a great idea! I'm definitely going to have to try this sometime. Would it be OK if I link back to this on my blog when I do?

Maggie Lamarre said...

I luv luv this idea, it looks stunning :)
Maggie
http://passionatelyartistic.com

Katherine said...

A wonderful tutorial! Well done!

Susana of Montessori Candy said...

These came out so pretty! I've been looking at buying the crystal, but was wondering what size to look for. Do you know how many mm the one's you used are? We don't have any Ben Franklin's in my area, but we do have a Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and JoAnne's.

Thank you!

The Crafty Side Of Life said...

Those are so cute!!

Please link up at my linky party! It ends tomorrow! I have a free printable on my blog for Valentine's Day!! Come and get it!

TLF said...

This is awesome.. I love!!

Unknown said...

I loved it also... was wondering where I can purchase the crystal pendant. Live in Cali. no Ben Franklin here.
Really want to make!

Unknown said...

I loved it also... was wondering where I can purchase the crystal pendant. Live in Cali. no Ben Franklin here.
Really want to make!

Karen said...

There are 3 sizes of these crystals on the etsy store VenusAndStars. I've purchased the 38mm and 50mm sizes for necklaces and the 76mm for making crystal ornaments!

mel m. m. mccarthy said...

These are stunning. I had to repin them on pinterest. What a great idea & thanks so much for sharing all the details.

. said...

These are absolutely beautiful! It makes sense that they'd be so simple to make at home, but it never crossed my mind to try until seeing your tutorial. Thanks so much for the idea.

uppercase said...

Do you know the brand of bails you used? Thanks!

susanna said...

Thank you for the terrific tutorial! I just made two crystal pendants with paper backings. Still testing the backing...wondering if I should paint them... I'll certainly make more. Thank you for the inspiration! Anyhoo, I posted a photo of one of the pendants on my blog and provided two links to both your tutorial and blog.

Perspectivemedley said...

pretty pendants!

Unknown said...

Hello, Great minds do think alike, I was in Amsterdam and got a bunch of crystals like and whipped up the same thing but mine had holes in the top from hanging on a light fixture and this is what I wanted to add to your creation.... What I did was put two crystals together with the paper between them and they look great too.
SUccess.

vlmar55 said...

you can make your own glue on bail following the tutorial at http://www.beadingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2010/08/25/how-to-hang-flat-pendants-wirework-a-bail.aspx

Linda Schulthes said...

I thought the glue left the back of the pendant a little tacky, so I added a layer of clear fingernail polish on the back of my pendants. I feel that this makes them a little more perspiration proof during the warm weather. I still tell my customers that they are not WATER proof, however...

Unknown said...

Wow! This post is just amazing, so beautiful and truly inspiring! We thank you so much for this post!

www.ananasa.com- Home For Handmade

jiuli said...

this is so cute but hard to make

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