Beaded hearts and crosses

Beaded Hearts and Crosses

By Janet Keen Creativity Queen.

Recycling old jewellery.

If you’re anything like me you have a jewellery box full of beads, buttons, broken broaches, vintage crockery,and lone ear-rings that have gone out of fashion.

Don’t throw these gems away. Recycle them into wall ornaments; they make perfect Mother’s Day gifts. 

Materials needed.

Resene testpot of acrylic paint of your choice, Resene  

Piece of 10mm MDF board, available from Bunnings or your husbands wood stash.

Hair dryer

Jigsaw

Tweasers

Sandpaper

Design for a heart and or a cross (google hearts and cross silhouettes)

Bostik Clear Seal glue with the glue gun, Bunnings

Iceblock stick for applying Bostik Clear Seal

Spray can of Plastikote, gloss laquer, Bunnings

Small paintbrush

Screw eyes and string for attaching your piece to the wall,  from Two Buck and More Shop, Tutanekai Street.

Old junk jewellery or beads and buttons, scrapbook embellishments, Spotlight have a good selection.

Beads and scrapbook embellishments, Two Buck and More Shop.

Paper towels and turps or soap and water for cleaning your hands afterwards.

Cloth for polishing

Newspaper

Method.

Cut out your cross or heart with the jigsaw.

Sand the edges.

Paint two coats on the back and sides of your heart or cross in the colour of your choice with Resene Testpots of 

Dry off between coats.

Use the gun to spread some of the glue out onto a plastic plate. Make sure you are sitting near and open window with plenty of ventilation so that you don’t breathe in the fumes of the glue.

Spread some glue with your ice-cream stick onto part of your heart or cross, don’t do too large an area at once or the glue will dry out.

Place beads and broken jewellery on top

If beads are small you will need to lay them on with teasers.

Don’t be afraid to pile small beads on top of each other with a bit of glue to give a 3 D effect.

Keep sticking embellishments and beads on until finished.

Leave to dry overnight.

Polish the beads with a cloth so everything looks shiny and clean.

Lay some newspaper down outside and  place your hearts or crosses on them.

Give them a spray of the gloss Plasticote varnish. Do not breathe in the fumes.

Wait until dry and give another spray.

When dry, turn over and screw in the screw eyes as a wall attachment near the tip of your cross or heart.

 You are welcome to sign up for a heart or cross bead making workshop with me. 
Bring along your old, unwanted jewellery and beads.
 I’ll have the shape, glue, paint  and everything else all ready and you can make it in the comfort of my studio. 

                       My client Fiona's cross, this is the third one she has made and is in the process of making a black and silver one,. Ill post a picture of it when she's finished.


Art, Craft and Mosaic Creativity Classes 

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday  mornings from 9.30am until 12 noon. Ring Janet Keen  07 346-3436 or email jkeen@clear.net.nz  for details and prices

374 Clayton Road, Rotorua, New Zealand