by Mark Montano
HERE’S HOW
1 Using the patterns below, cut out your bangle from the birch plywood. Make sure that the opening is wide enough for your wrist but not so big that it falls off.
2 Sand it nice and smooth.
3 Stain it with Minwax Express Color using a small brush. If you use too much, wipe off the excess with a rag so that the wood grain still shows through.
4 Brush Minwax Polycrylic on both sides and let dry.
5 Make a mold and cast your bird head. When dry, spray with the metallic gold.
6 Glue your bird head on the pointed part of the bangle with E-6000 and let dry.
MAGICAL MIRROR
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the blingiest of them all? Isn’t it obvious? Add some sparkle to your morning routine with this crystal-trimmed mirror, and just like in the toothpaste commercials, you’ll see a tiny sparkle on your front teeth every time you look at yourself!
YOU’LL NEED
1 large wood frame with glass front
Sandpaper
Minwax water-base wood stain in Black
Lumiere metallic paint in Pewter
Rags
Paintbrush
Enough crystal chain to circle the frame twice
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
E-6000 glue
Toothpicks
Krylon Looking Glass paint
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
HERE’S HOW
1 Sand off any finish that might be on your frame so it will stain evenly.
2 Apply a coat of the Minwax stain and rub it into the wood so that you can see the wood grain.
3 With a rag, apply a small amount of the Lumiere Pewter on top to give it some shimmer.
4 With a paintbrush, coat your frame with Minwax Polycrylic clear coat and let dry.
5 Measure your frame and cut enough crystal chain to encircle the frame twice. Carefully glue crystal chain around the outside and inside edges of the frame using E-6000 on a toothpick.
6 Spray one side of the glass with the Krylon Looking Glass paint.
7 Frame the glass (which is now a mirror) in the frame and hang.
NATURE’S BLING NECKLACE
Sometimes I’m in awe of how beautiful nature can be . . . and how cruel! The very branch that I’ve used to make this necklace was the one that crashed down on my new car and dented it! In an effort to turn lemons into lemonade, I cut up the branches and made these beautiful little wooden disks. Okay, fine, I had my friend Josh cut them up.
YOU’LL NEED
Branches of various sizes (about 1 to 2 inches in diameter)
Jigsaw or band saw or someone to cut the branches for you
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
Rags
Paintbrush
Drill with 1/16-inch drill bit
20 large gold-tone jump rings
16 inches of thick gold-tone chain (I like gold for this project with the warm tones of the wood)
19 crystal beads or drops (mine were Swarovski, but you can use almost anything)
14 small gold-tone jump rings
1 gold-tone lobster claw closure
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Sandpaper
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut 14 disks of wood of various sizes from your branches. As you can see, mine ranged from large to small. Cut tons of extras just in case you want to make another project, like the bag Nature’s Bling Bag.
2 With a paintbrush, coat each disk with Minwax Polycrylic to give it a nice finish. Don’t forget, it will last much longer this way!
3 Drill two small holes on opposite ends of each disk.
4 Lay out your design with four disks in the center, three on either side of those disks, and two on either side of those.
5 Use the larger jump rings to attach your longest strand of wood disks to each other and to the gold chain at the exact center.
6 Attach your other strands to the chain in an even pattern as shown below.
7 Using the smaller jump rings, add a crystal to the front of each disk of wood and to the bottom of each strand of wood disks.
8 Add small jump rings to the ends of your chain and a lobster claw for the closure.
SOUTHWEST STYLE
I have always loved the bold jewelry of the Southwest. The huge chunks of turquoise and leather pieces that women wear—even in the most casual way—are stunning. Every time I go to New Mexico or back home to southern Colorado, I’m reminded that there are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of different distinct regional styles all over the world. How cool is that!
YOU’LL NEED
Chunk of paper turquoise, Glass Gem or stone you have and want to feature
1/4-inch birch plywood (4 inches by 4 inches)
Jigsaw with fine blade or band saw or someone to cut the wood for you
Sandpaper
Drill with 3/16-inch drill bit
Minwax Express Color in crimson
Paintbrush
Rags
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
20-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Lobster claw closure
4 feet each of three colors of leather, suede, or faux suede lace (I used orange, burgundy, and brown)
E-6000 glue
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut your wood centerpiece, using the pattern below.
2 Sand it and wipe off the dust.
3 Drill three holes on each side about 1/2 inch apart and clean the drill holes with sand paper.
4 Paint on the Minwax Color Express. Wipe off the excess so the wood grain shows through.
5 With a paintbrush, clear-coat your wood centerpiece with the Minwax Polycrylic.
6 Cut 6 inches of wire, thread on a lobster claw, and twist it into a loop toward the end. The twist should be about 3/4 inch long.
7 Cut all of your leather and suede laces in half.
8 Take the ends of the six strands and tuck in the wire loop so that it’s peeking out at the top. Tightly wrap the wire strands together with extra wire.
9 Do the same on the other end of the six strands, but without the lobster claw.
10 Thread three of the strands through the back of the holes on each side of your wood centerpiece and knot in the front where you want them to stay.
11 Tuck the excess laces behind the wood piece as shown below.
12 Knot some of the ends of the leather strips.
13 Glue a big piece of paper turquoise to the center of the wood piece with E-6000 and let dry.
Suggestion:
You could use any stone for this project. Try using a fused glass piece from the Glass-terpiece chapter.
WOOD AND GOLD LEAF CUFFS
Glints of gold leaf make these wood cuffs look even richer. They are simple and catch the light just beautifully. I know you’ll enjoy wearing them as much as you’ll have fun making them. This would be a perfect project for you and your other half to do together, too.
YOU’LL NEED
1/4-inch birch plywood (4 inches by 4 inches for each cuff)
Jigsaw with fine blade or band saw or someone to cut the wood for you
Sandpaper
Minwax Express Color wiping stains
Rags
Paintbrushes
Krylon spray adhesive
Painter’s tape or masking tape and scrap paper
Gold leaf
1-inch flat brush
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut your wood cuffs, using the patterns below.
2 Sand them with fine sandpaper and wipe off the dust.
3 Paint them with the Minwax Express Color. Make sure to wipe off excess stain so that you can see the wood grain underneath. I think this contributes to the beauty of this project.
4 Mask off some areas of your wood cuff with paper and tape. The exposed parts
will be gilded.
5 Spray with the spray adhesive.
6 Carefully apply gold leaf onto the adhesive areas and let dry.
7 Wipe away any excess gold leaf with your brush.
8 Apply three thin coats of Minwax Polycrylic with a paintbrush and let dry for about 15 minutes in between each coat.
NATURE’S BLING BAG
Tree-mendous! Woodsy! A great way to “branch” out your personal style. Earthy-crunchy couture. Too many things are whirling through my head right now, “woodn’t” you know it!
YOU’LL NEED
Old leather bag (medium size) in need of some nature love
Branches of various sizes (about 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter)
Jigsaw with wood blade or band saw or someone to cut the branches for you
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
Wood-burning tool
20 small flat-back crystals or gems (mine were Swarovski, but you could use almost anything)
E-6000 glue
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut 80 to 90 disks of various sizes from your branches. As you can see, mine range from 1/2 inch to 2 inches in diameter. Cut tons of extras just in case you want to make another project, like the Nature’s Bling Necklace.
2 On some of the larger disks, burn a starburst design with your woodburning tool as shown below.
3 Coat each disk with Minwax Polycrylic to give it a nice finish. Don’t forget, it will last much longer this way!
4 Lay out your design on your bag so you know about how you want it to look.
5 Glue a gem in the center of the starburst design with a tiny dab of E-6000.
6 Glue each disk on your bag—and along the handle, too, if you like—with generous amounts of E-6000 and let dry.
Hint:
Sometimes it helps if you take a digital photo of your work before you start to glue it down.
CROWNING GLORY
What is it about tiaras and crowns that make us feel young again? There are two little girls on my block who are going through the princess phase right now, and every morning when I’m running up and down the stairs for exercise I see tiny versions of Glenda the Good Witch headed for school. Am I jealous? Hell, yes, I am! Why can’t I wear a crown and sparkly shoes? I say, relive your princess phase and make some of these for your next party! Sending out a special thanks to my friend Corinne from Threadbanger for the inspiration for these projects.
GLENDA THE GOOD WITCH CROWN
Nothing says “Glenda the Good Witch” like a crown full of sparkly stars. I’m not saying you’ll find the Wizard, but I am saying you’ll be the life of the party. Just a warning: Beware of flying monkeys!
YOU’LL NEED
20-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Plastic hairband
Krylon spray paint in Purple or Pink
Card stock in several shades of pink and purple
Fiskars star punch
Flat-back acrylic gems
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Krylon Glitter Blast spray paint in pink
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut seven 10-inch pieces of wire.
2 Loop each wire in half and twist it, leaving 2 inches at the bottom.
3 Wrap those ends around the plastic hairband, with one end wrapping in one direction and the other end in the opposite direction, starting in the center and working your way out.
4 Continue until you have all seven pieces of wire on your crown in a triangular shape as shown below.
5 Spray-paint the entire wire crown in Purple or Pink and let dry.
6 Punch out your stars from the different-colored card stocks. I’d start with about 30, and if you need more, keep punching.
7 Hot-glue them to the wire wrapping and make sure they are secure. Work from the inside of the crown if you need to and cover up the hot glue with more stars on the inside of the crown.
8 Add acrylic gems wherever you like with a little more hot glue.
9 Lightly spray the entire crown with a little pink Krylon Glitter Blast to give it sparkle.
THE BUTTERFLY FAIRY CROWN
From what I understand, if you possess the Butterfly Fairy’s crown, you have her powers as well. At least this is what my niece told me, and she believes it wholeheartedly. Fortunately for me, I have access to this very crown. All I had to do was point my glue gun at the Butterfly Fairy, and she gave it up without a fight. It’s a big glue gun, and I can be pretty relentless when trying to find the perfect gift for my niece!
YOU’LL NEED
3 yards of 20-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
Plastic hairband
Silver Krylon spray paint
12 wire and nylon butterflies in various colors and sizes (most craft and party stores carry these)
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
1/2-inch and 3/4-inch-diameter flat-back acrylic gems (about 10 in all)
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut nine 10-inch pieces of wire.
2 Loop seven pieces of the wire in half and twist each piece, leaving 2 inches at the bottom.
3 Wrap those ends around the plastic hairband, with one end wrapping in one direction and the other end in the opposite direction, starting in the center and working your way out.
4 Continue until you have wrapped seven pieces of wire on your crown, bent to descend in height from the center.
5 Take the remaining two pieces of wire and make a semicircle on each side by bending the wire around the hairband.
6 Spray-paint the crown silver and let dry.
7 Hot-glue the butterflies to the wire and make sure they are secure.
8 Add acrylic gems wherever you like with a little more hot glue to fill in any empty spaces.
GOLD KRYLON KROWN
I’m just going to admit it. I wore this around the house for an entire day and loved every minute of it. Even the mail lady commented on my fashion statement, saying it made me look regal. The fact is that wearing a crown makes you feel amazing. Trust me on this.
YOU’LL NEED
3 yards of 20-gauge wire
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
130 plastic faceted beads
1 plastic hairband
Krylon gray primer
Krylon gold metallic paint
5 hot pink flat-back gems (3/4-inch-diameter)
E-6000 glue
Toothpicks
Hint:
Use crystal beads in one color if you don’t want to spray-paint this!
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut five 12-inch pieces of wire,.
2 Center a bead on one wire and twist twice just under the bead.
3 Place a bead over both wires and position it underneath the first bead to cover the twisted wire.
4 Separate the wires and add five beads to each wire and twist again to form a loop of beads as shown below.
5 Add another bead over both wires to cover the twisted wire.
6 Separate the wires and add four beads to each wire and twist again.
7 Add another bead to cover the twist.
8 Bend the excess wire around the exact center of the hairband and wrap one end in one direction, the other end in the opposite direction, starting in the center and working your way out.
9 For the beaded pieces on each side of your middle piece, repeat the above process twice using only three beads for step 6 and skipping steps 7 and 8.
10 For the next two beaded pieces repeat steps 1 through 4, but add two beads for step 5 as shown below.
11 Add the beaded pieces to your hairband in descending order from tallest to shortest.
12 Cut two pieces of wire 7 inches long and string nine beads on each.
13 Make a semicircle and attach each end of the wire for the last beaded wire piece on your hairband as shown below.
14 Take another 12-inch piece of wire an
d string approximately 22 beads on it. This strand of beads will cover the wire wrapping on the hairband.
15 With the beads across the hairband, wrap the excess ends of the wire around the hairband where your beads end on each side. DON’T WORRY: Right now the beads will not reach from end to end, and there will be extra exposed wire between them. You will need this extra space for the next step.
16 Cut an 18-inch piece of wire and wrap it around the hairband in between each bead to keep them in place.
17 Form your beaded pieces into a crown shape (in case it got bent while adding your last row of beads).
18 Spray-paint your crown with the Krylon gray primer and let dry.
19 Spray-paint the crown with the metallic gold and let dry.
20 With dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick, carefully add your hot pink gems and let dry.
QUEEN OF THE NIGHT
Some girls just aren’t pink and sparkly. I discovered this while hanging out with my friend Jenny, who prefers leather boots to stiletto heels. When she got married to her husband, John, we were all a little surprised for many reasons. Jenny is the kind of girl you call when you have a flat tire or need your washing machine fixed. She’s invaluable. For her bachelorette party, I had to make her this crown, because it just fit her style. Anything with color would have ended up in the back of her truck, hidden in her toolbox. We love you, Jenny!