Welcome back to our fun new series on making jewelry with unconventional materials.  We hope you are enjoying it as much as we are!

For years now, I have been into decoupage.  What is decoupage?  As far as I can tell, it’s French for gluing stuff together.  Well, that’s what it means to me, anyway.  I think it literally means “the art of decorating an object with paper”.  So it’s a fancy word for collage, right?  When I was in high school, that meant ripping up magazines and decorating my walls with pictures of my favorite bands and actors.  Now that I am a bit older – and I would like to think  a bit more refined – it has become a favorite way to make jewelry as well as home decor.

To create decoupage jewelry, you just need a few things:

• A decoupage medium, such as Mod Podge.  The medium should be a water based glue, sealant and finish.
• Pretty paper or cardstock; you can use old wallpaper, greeting cards, etc.  Just don’t use something printed on an ink jet printer, or the image will run.
• A foam or paint brush.
• A flat surface, preferably wood.  I like to use squares and hearts and other such things I find in the hobby aisle at a craft store.
• Scissors.
• A nipper tool or Xacto knife.
• A glue-on bail.
• Glue for bail, such as E6000 or Zap-a-Gap.
• A finished chain or cording.  I use ball chain and corresponding connectors.

1.  To begin, determine which part of your paper you want to use.  If you have a specific pattern or image, make sure your wood is centered and lined up where you want it.  You can use a pen or pencil to trace the image.

2.  Apply a thin layer of Mod Podge to the top of the wood object.  Place the wood object on the back of the paper.  Press gently.  Allow to dry.

3.  Use your scissors to cut the image around the wood, making sure you trim as close as possible to the wood.  Use your nipper tool or Xacto knife to cut any excess paper.

4.  Apply a layer of Mod Podge to the top of the paper and around the edges of the wood.  Let dry.  Repeat one or two more times.

5.  Turn your pendant over so the paper is face down.  Determine where you want your bail to go.  Apply a dab of glue to the glue-on pad on the bail.  Apply the bail to the back of the wood.  Let the glue set.

6.  Cut your chain to the desired length.  Run it through the bail and then add your end(s).

This process is so easy and so fun, I have found myself scouring the shelves at my local craft store to find all kinds of wood products I can decoupage; everything from boxes to picture frames.  And once you have done it a few times, you find out how quickly you can create these little gems and you will soon find your craft space covered in paper and glue!

My desk after a day of decoupaging!

The post Making Mixed Media Jewelry – Part 3: A Paper and Wood Decoupage Necklace appeared first on Auntie's Beads.