Thursday, July 22, 2010

Washer Pendant Tutorial

At last, as promised, the washer pendant tutorial is here!

Please let me know if you have any questions about anything. Hopefully the photos and text will make sense, but if not I will be glad to clarify.

1. Begin with a washer from your hardware store. (Choose the size that you like best; there are lots of choices. When I asked a random lady in Home Depot her opinion, her husband thought I was a bit crazy!)

2. Cut paper to fit the washer. (I used scrap paper to get my first one just right. It took a few tries, but once you have a template you're good to go. Since that first one, however, I created a template on my Pazzles which cuts it automatically for me.)

3. Spread mod podge (I used matte) all over the front of the washer. Be sure to cover all the way to the edges. It's even okay to get some on the edges, because you will be able to get rid of the excess later. You MUST have really good coverage at this point, but it doesn't need to be too thick.


4. Use an old credit card (or similar tool) to smooth the paper to the washer. Let dry. (This part will take a while so be patient. I left mine on the table overnight, but I'm sure it doesn't take that long. I do have another life to attend to at times.)

5. Use a finishing file to smooth and even up the edges. Be sure to file from the front of the pendant to the back so you won't pull up the edges of the paper. (Notice that it's a pendant now and no longer a washer!) This filing should remove any excess mod podge also. I found this step was very helpful to do over a trash can to catch the "dust." Of course brush off any "dust" when finished.

6. Decorate the pendant with Glitz glitter glue gel, sparkles, rub-ons, etc.

7. Apply a layer of Liquid Glass* to the entire front of the pendant, making sure that you're covering the edges of the paper. Work slowly and carefully so that you don't get lots of air bubbles. (Sorry, there's no photo of this exciting- but integral- step.) You need the Liquid Glass to seal the paper so that your pendant is waterproof. You don't have to cover the face of the Sparkles (gemstones) but you can.

*Liquid Glass is a Close To My Heart product that you can order HERE (U.S. customers).  If you're in Canada or Australia, you can find a consultant by visiting the CTMH home page.  Liquid Glass is a clear, thick adhesive that dries bright and shiny.

OPTIONAL 7b. IF you're adding paper flowers, stick them into the wet Liquid Glass where you want them to go. Don't worry that they're not covered with Liquid Glass yet. Add sparkles to the center if you'd like. Let everything dry overnight. If you're NOT adding paper flowers, go on to step 8.

OPTIONAL 7c. Apply a second coat of Liquid Glass to completely cover and preserve the paper flower(s). You must cover the entire pendant with Liquid Glass- don't just try to cover parts of it or it won't look good when it's dry.

8. Let everything dry overnight. (Go have a life; let your family and friends know that you still love them!)

8b. Definitely cover the back of your pendant also.

9. Cut 2.5' to 3' of hemp. (Any shorter and the necklace will probably not go over most people's heads. If you're really good at jewelry making and want to attach some sort of clasp, then you could cut your hemp shorter. The button is optional but I think it's cute.

10a. NO BUTTON: Find the center of your hemp. Push the center of the hemp through the center of the pendant. Push the ends through the loop that the center now makes and pull. (I'm sure there's a name for this but it eludes me.) Your pendant should now be on the hemp. Knot the ends of the hemp tightly, put on your necklace, and enjoy!
10b: WITH A BUTTON: String one end of the hemp through the center of the pendant. Tie a very tight knot to attach the pendant to the hemp. You need a tight knot if you want the pendant pattern to hang in a particular direction.

10c. A TWO-HOLE BUTTON: Once your necklace is tied to the hemp, you will now have two "pieces" of hemp. Thread ONE of the two "pieces" through the button. Tie a very tight knot with BOTH "pieces" of hemp just above the
button. Then tie the ends of the hemp, put on your necklace, and enjoy!

10d. A FOUR-HOLE BUTTON: If you have a four-hole button (which I prefer), then you thread one of your hemp "strings" through opposite holes and the other of your hemp strings through the other pair of holes to make an "x" on the front. Pull tightly as you work. This crossing of the strings should keep the button in place without any knots. Tie the ends of your hemp, put on your necklace, and enjoy!

Whew! Okay, I think that covers everything, but if not be sure to let me know. Please leave me a comment to let me know what you think of the tutorial. Also, if you make any of these, I would love to see what yours! (After all I did show you mine so it's only fair if you show me yours. LOL) Leave a link below in the comments section.

53 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Hi there I've been anxiously waiting for this tutorial. thanks for the info. I was curious as to what products you used to keep the paper in place. Now we know.
    BTW the knot you mention in the no-button method is a Larks Head knot.I have no idea why it's called that. one of those girl guides (scout) knots I learned way way way long ago.
    Deb

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  3. Great tutorial, I will have to try it but for now I will enjoy the one you made for me! :-) Thank you again!

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  4. I was waiting for the tutorial too! Thanks!

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  5. Beautiful! Thanks so much can't wait to give it a try!

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  6. Thanks for the tutorial. Now I have to run out to the hardware store. I can't wait to try one! I'll be sure to post it when I do.

    Thanks again!!

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  7. Great tutorial, Haley! Now I need to go to Lowe's to get the washers. My husband was the one who wanted a NASCAR one -- if I break down and make one, I'll be sure to post it here! lol!

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  8. Hi Haley, thanks again for the tutorial. I think I sprinted to the store, lol! I entered my link into Mr. Linky:)

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  9. Thanks so much for sharing your tutorial on how to make these gorgeous necklaces! I can hardly wait to make some...I think I might even do a workshop to show my customers how to make them to! You're so creative!!

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  10. I made some necklaces and they are so addictive. I made five more today with a lot more bling. They are drying so I can't take a picture yet. I made mine a lot smaller becasue that is just my way and I hadn't seen your tutorial when I bought the washers. I am going to teach this at a Family Reunion tommorow. Wish me luck! Thanks for posting all this great info and allowing me to use it! You are a doll!

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  11. Darling, these are spectacular...once I finish the 4K other projects sitting on my craft table, I would love to give it a go and I promise to show you mine...thank for going first and getting us over that awkward first part LOL. Love your style, and think we could be BFFs someday (same sense of humor and all!) Thanks for the great tutorial. I'll be back.

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  12. What a great idea!!! It's a perfect little gifts for girlfriends!!!

    Thanks for sharing!

    Jenn (:

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  13. Finally getting around to trying these - I love the idea...can see it used in so many different ways. I'll have to remember to take photos and come back to link.

    Thanks for an awesome tutorial!
    Hugs,
    Helen

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  14. I like the idea of covering the washer. Thanks for the directions.

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  15. I finally got around to making these. Don't know why I waited so long! Thanks

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  16. Hi Haley
    I just finished with the hodge podge so while I am waiting... Did you do anything to the back?? or did you just leave the washer showing?

    Thanks!!

    Jenn (:

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  17. Jenn (and anyone else happening to be reading!), for the original set of washer necklaces I made, I didn't do anything on the back. They usually lay fine but every now and then they didn't, so on all the new ones I've made (to be posted soon), I did both sides. One side was pretty plain and the other side was fancier, but they coordinated well. That way if it does flip around it won't really look turned the wrong way. Of course most jewelry has a "right" and "wrong" side, so go with what you prefer!

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  18. So glad I finally found your tute!
    Thanks again, Haley....had a blast with ya at CU On-line!

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  19. THANK YOU Haley for your fabulous tutorial and for inspiring me to want to try making these (I just added my link so you can see what I've done)! These are so easy and so fun and so "wowie"!! They have been a big hit with all of the customers I have created them with recently. Thanks again for your fantastic blog and for sharing and inspiring me so much!

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  20. P.S. - Our home depot didn't have the right sized washers, so mine are just a bit smaller than yours - I used 1.5" washers - and they worked great too! I got a box of 100 of them for $37 (so 37 cents each is pretty affordable I think)!

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  21. Awesome tutorial! Thanks so much for sharing this. I am working on some new charms and pendants for a new jewelry line. These will be a perfect addition.

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  22. Great tutorial! Crafting is a relatively new hobby of mine...so, I am constantly looking for new things and techniques to learn.

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  23. I see you put a layer of "liquid glass" over the finished piece, what is that exactly? The craft stores can't give me a answer. Is there a brand name, and where do you get yours?

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  24. *Liquid Glass is a Close To My Heart product that you can order at http://haleyd.ctmh.com (U.S. customers). If you're in Canada or Australia, you can find a consultant by visiting the CTMH home page (http://closetomyheart.com). Liquid Glass is a clear, thick adhesive that dries bright and shiny.

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  25. Olá,

    Sou brasileira e muitas vezes não entendo algumas coisas. Por exemplo, não sei do que se trata o pingente da máquina de lavar. Poderia explicar para que eu encontre aqui, pois achei muito belo e gostaria de fazer.

    Grata,

    Viviane

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  26. Hi Ms. Haley, I've just started to do the washer pendants and I was wondering if you could explain how to hook a washer to a key chain that would give it a clean look. I've look everywhere on Pinterest and I can't find anything. I would appreciate it so much if you could help me. Happy crafting. :) Ruth

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  27. Cute! I think elementary kids could do this, too! Thanks for the idea!

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  28. what a fabulous idea! I can see the gemstone chips and other 'treasures' coming out to play very soon here.. what a fabulous base for steampunk pendants too. THANK you for feeding the muse. Sharing your page! Interested in the liquid coatings you use too. Thanks!

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  29. These are fantastic, I am going to give these a try!

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  30. Is there any products instead of "liquid glass" that I can buy in stores. The anties nearest to me are Walmart, ace hardware.

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  31. Brittany, you could try mod podge or possibly even some kind of shellac or varnish? I can't attest to how well they would work, but it might be worth a try. You can of course buy a few bottles of Liquid Glass from my website http:/:haleyd.ctmh.com.

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  32. What size washer did you use?
    Thanks, and they are awesome

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  33. I'm hoping to do this with some precious ladies in the Philippines on a mission trip next month. Could you tell me approximately how many 2" pendants you think a bottle of the liquid glass would cover? I'm trying to get an idea of how many bottles to buy. The pendants are beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing!

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  34. Jacqui, I want to say that I used about half a bottle to make 40 at a time, but I honestly don't remember. If you're keeping them simple, you can just use one layer of Liquid Glass. I really recommend covering both sides with paper and Liquid Glass.

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  35. These are beautiful. A couple of questions.
    Do you cut the middle circle out before you glue it together or after?
    How do you cover the sides of it?

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  37. I used my Pazzles to make a template of a circle within a circle, so I cut out the inside circle before adhering. You could punch a hole in the middle, adhere, and then use a file to scrape out the middle if you didn't have a good circle cutter. I have both finished the edges with StazOn ink (dark brown) and also left the silver edges plain silver.

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  38. Your necklaces are adorable! I would love to try this for Christmas presents. Do you mind sharing your Pazzles file? You can email me at midgetnuget@yahoo.com

    Julie

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  39. What kind of paper do you use?

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  40. You could use any kind of paper that you like, though I imagine thin paper would be difficult to work with. I love to use a medium weight paper- thicker than regular copy paper.

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  41. These are beautiful. Does liquid glass dry hard? Also, how are you tying off your string/ribbon? I used paracord and it seems too thick to knot and move a bead over. Thanks!

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  42. Thank you! The liquid glass dries very shiny and very hard. I used a hemp cord from WalMart for the necklaces featured here. It wasn't as thick as paracord I don't think. To tie off the ends, I just held the two pieces together (side by side) and tied them in a knot rather than holding them separate (like tying shoes) and tying in a knot. I don't know how to make that clearer, so hopefully that makes sense.

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  43. Just wondering could you use utee extra thick embossing powder melted in the pot and dip washer in it???? Do you think it would work.

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    1. It couldn't hurt to try! Be careful, though, because that metal will probably heat up fast.

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  44. Are you only covering one side? You dont show the other side. You dont mention repeating on other side..

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  45. Yes, do cover both sides. (I've added that step in the instructions.) As you wear your pendant, it will probably flip sides from time to time, so finish both sides.

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  46. These would make great eye glass holders. Slip one of the arms into the hole. Let them hang down

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  47. Thanks I enjoy doing this is nice I will make some for Christmas.

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  48. Do you cover both sides of the washer
    Or did i miss that part

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  49. At first, I did not cover both sides but have since used two different, coordinating papers.

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  50. Does Diamond glaze work as well as liquid glass?

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  51. I have only used the Liquid Glass so I can’t compare them.

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