| Making your own jewelry is as fundamentally | | | | simply your cut-out bouquet. A nice touch would |
| rewarding as it is lovely to wear. Most people | | | | be to frame it with a very thin border of gold foil, |
| associate decoupage with furniture or pottery, but | | | | but you can make a frame from any paper. Now, |
| the technique translates well into some very | | | | give the whole front of the piece about three |
| creative jewelry. The following article discusses | | | | coats of sealer. Since this is going to be worn |
| how to make simple jewelry using the decoupage | | | | against the skin, be sure to use a non-toxic |
| craft method. | | | | decoupage sealer (most available from the craft |
| The basic supplies required for decoupage jewelry | | | | store will be non-toxic). Lacquer is also used to |
| include sheets of chip board, scissors, decoupage | | | | coat a decoupage project, but since it is not a |
| sealer (that also doubles as your adhesive), and | | | | non-toxic product, avoid it for jewelry projects. |
| pretty paper. Various jewelry findings will be | | | | When the front is dry, you can glue your pin pack |
| needed to finish off your pieces to make them | | | | and place and wear it. For charms, you will and |
| into true jewels like jump rings, chains, hooks, pin | | | | pendants, you will simply vary the size of your |
| backs, etc | | | | item and poke a hole in each piece for a jump |
| A pin is probably the easiest item to create. For | | | | ring to fit. When complete, the jump ring can be |
| instance, find an image you like on thin | | | | attached to a chain or bracelet sporting your new |
| paperglossy wrapping paper works well. Lets say | | | | charms or pendant. |
| its a Victorian cherub or rosebud bouquet. Cut | | | | Some great images for decoupage include |
| your chip board to the size of your pendant-size | | | | traditional cameo pictures, silhouettes, leaves, |
| image. Glue your image with the sealer to the chip | | | | flowers, butterflies, etcIn the case of the charm |
| board. Paint the back of your chipboard red or | | | | bracelet, vary the shapes with ovals, squares, |
| some corresponding color so the piece will look | | | | circles and rectangles. The charms can even be |
| finished from front to back. When the paint is dry, | | | | fashioned into earrings if your have fish hooks |
| give the back a coat or two of sealer allowing | | | | available. Decoupage jewelry also makes some |
| each layer to dry before applying the neck. | | | | great holiday jewels depicting vintage Halloween or |
| The front of the piece may require more than | | | | Christmas images. |