Tag: glue

Craft Projects, Jewelry, Quick and Easy Crafts

DIY Button Stud Earrings

Jessica Smith

Button Stud Earrings Cover

I ordered earring stud posts about a month ago and they couldn’t have arrived at a better time. I got home yesterday and found the tiniest package waiting for me on the counter of 50 silver studs — talk about a great way to break me out of my creative rut! I love to make earrings, but I never wear any of what I make because they are all dangle/drop earrings. I am trying to get into the habit of wearing dangle earrings more, especially after receiving a beautiful cobalt blue pair from my neighbors and a mint green pair from my family this past holiday season. But, old habits die hard… or should I say my insecurities die hard. Confession… I am super sensitive about my ear lobes! I have attached ear lobes and think they look funny. My hubby is so sweet and tells me sometimes how nice my lobes are (sounds really weird when I write it on my blog), but I still am not super adventurous in calling attention to my ears with big statement earrings.

Long story short, I really like stud earrings. I think they look a lot better on my ears. Until now, I’d never tried to make them! Last night after an impromptu dinner date with my dad and after watching an episode of Glee (another confession… I love Glee. Don’t judge too much!), I sat down in my craft room and actually crafted! Woot!

Since I’ve never worked with studs before, I made several pairs of super easy earrings using buttons.

For this project I used:

  • Buttons
  • Stud earring backs
  • E6000 glue

Yup, that’s it!

I spent about 20 minutes sorting through my mounds of buttons, hoping to stumble upon two purple buttons that matched. No such luck (which I still cannot believe)! So I pulled out a bunch of other matches that I liked enough to sport on my ears.

button earrings1

Then, I placed a small dab of E6000 onto my workstation (a Neiman Marcus box) and grabbed an old needle to spread the glue with. You could use a toothpick or a rolled up piece of paper. I just grabbed an old needle because I was planning on tossing it anyway.

e6000

Using the needle, I scooped up some glue and carefully spread it on the backing of my stud.

Glue on stud

Then, one by one, I placed an earring stud onto the back of each button.

button earrings2

I let everything dry overnight before adding plastic earring backs to each pair.

These gold ones are my favorite. The best part is that the buttons are made of plastic, even though they look like metal, so they aren’t heavy on my ears at all.

Gold button earrings

In fact, I wore them to work today (bad photo alert). I look so happy to be wearing them, huh? Haha… I swear I love them even though I look slightly pained in this photo.

Me earrings

Here’s another cute pair… cobalt blue! Love them.

Blue button earrings

I can’t forget about the orange ones I made for Dana. She loves orange and she just got her ears pierced (well… a few years ago). The novelty of making her earrings hasn’t worn off yet.

orange button earrings

I made a black pair, a teal pair and two pairs of super teeny buttons. I love them all. Now, I really need a jewelry box to store them all. Anyone have any recommendations on where to get one? I am super picky and can’t seem to find one I like online.

Hopefully this project was just the start of getting out of my creative rut 🙂

Craft Projects, Dollar Store Crafts, Holiday, Valentine's Day

Hot Pink Valentine’s Day Boa Tree

Jessica Smith

Valentines Day Boa Tree

Need an inexpensive, cute Valentine’s Day decoration for the upcoming holiday? Why not make a Valentine’s Day tree!?

OK, I know trees are usually just for Christmas, but just follow along with this one because the end result is pretty darn cute.

Supplies:

  • 1-2 boas from the dollar store
  • 1 cereal box
  • Hot glue
  • Tape
  • Embellishments (ribbon, chain, etc.)

Step 1: Cut your cereal box down to one panel.

Valentines Day tree - box

Step 2: Fold your cereal box panel into a cone shape and tape the heck out of it so it keeps the shape. This becomes the base for your tree. You can’t see the tape through the boa, so feel free to use however much you need.

Valentines Day tree - cone

Step 3: Trim the edge of the cone to be flat. You will have a lot of excess from the cereal box, so it is OK to cut a lot off. Cut it to the size that you would like your tree. I only had one boa, so I made a small tree. If you have additional boas, your tree can be taller.

Step 4: Starting at the top of your tree, hot glue your boa to the cardboard. Boas usually have small finger holes at each end that are made of rope. I put this little ring around the top of the tree and glued that on first.

Valentines Day tree - glue

Step 5: Start winding down the tree with hot glue and boa. When you get to the bottom, cut a small slit into the bottom of the cardboard base and place the other knotted finger loop in the slot. Hot glue it in place to secure the boa on the tree.

Valentines Day tree - boa

Step 6: I stuffed the base of my cone so it was a little sturdier. To do so, I spiraled hot glue in the cone and put two crumpled up paper towels in the cone.

Step 7: Embellish. I added a silver chain, black ribbon and a black bow to my tree.

Valentines Day tree - bow

Step 8: Display in your house for everyone to see. Mine’s on our mantel right now and I love it. It looks half tree, half little pink monster hiding behind our wedding photos.

Valentines Day tree - mantel

Come Christmas time next year, I want to make several of these trees using white boas. I’ll probably make them in varying heights. How pretty would that be?

Happy friday and have a great weekend! Got any good plans for the holiday weekend? It’ll be visiting with family and lots of football at our house.

 

Craft Projects, Jewelry

Silverware jewelry

Jessica Smith

Silverware Jewelry

Back in November I showed you how to make spoon earrings. For Christmas I made a smaller set of fork earrings for my best friend. I also made her a spoon necklace to go with them — fitting because of her love of all things culinary.

This necklace is fairly easy to make. You need a pliable spoon (preferably one with a pretty handle), E6000 glue, chain, a clasp and a set of clamps.

Step 1: Trim the chain down to desired length and add clasp. Set aside.

Step 2: Carefully bend spoon handle backward until the tip of the handle reaches the middle of the back of the spoon.

Step 3: Place a moderate amount of E6000 between the back of the spoon and the handle.

Step 4: Clamp the handle to the spoon and let dry overnight. When you remove the clamps, the handle should be securely connected to the back of the spoon.

Step 5: Clean up any excess glue and add the necklace chain through the hole in the handle.

Spoon necklace