by Mark Montano
YOU’LL NEED
Mason twine in three different colors
4 links of white plastic chain (no. 6)
2 large silver-tone jump rings
2 silver-tone earring wires
Dritz Fray Check
Scissors
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut about six pieces of twine 8 inches long in each color (18 pieces altogether).
2 Take three pieces of each color and tie them around one link of each earring. Secure each knot with a drop of the Dritz Fray Check and let dry. This will keep it in place without discoloring the twine.
3 Cut the chain into two pieces of two links each. Put a jump ring and an earring wire on the top link of each earring.
TASTE THE RAINBOW
This one is for the kids at camp! Use whatever you have at hand, and have fun with it. Isn’t that what crafting is all about anyway? Learn the rules and then break them! Have fun and don’t call me until the end of summer when I have to pick you up. Love, DAD
YOU’LL NEED
Plastic gutter guard
Scissors
Yarn in several different colors
Strips of fabric in any color
Vinyl or leather scraps in several different colors
1 large flat-back gem
Fiskars pinking shears
E-6000 glue
1 ponytail band
1 large button
Needle and thread
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut a piece of gutter guard 3 inches by 8 inches. Weave your fabric strips around the edges. This will soften the edges and give the piece a nice frame. Don’t worry if you have to tie knots; it will give it more texture.
2 Weave your yarns in a spiral, working from the outside edges in toward the center, changing colors as you like.
3 Tie off the yarn with a knot.
4 Using pinking shears, cut your vinyl scraps into circles of various sizes ranging from 3/4 inch to 3 inches in diameter.
5 Stack them in sets of four or five, starting with the largest on the bottom, glue them together with the E-6000, and let dry.
6 Glue the gem on the center of your vinyl centerpiece and let dry.
7 Loop a ponytail band around the end of your cuff as shown in photo d.
8 Sew a button on the other end of your cuff. This is what the ponytail band will loop around to make the closure.
9 Glue the vinyl circle onto your cuff in the center with E-6000 and let dry.
MIXED MEDIA
I’m always a bit confused about when to call something a “mixed-media” piece. Since I spend the majority of my days gluing random things to other random things, I would say that almost everything I do is mixed media in one way or another. Long ago I changed my motto from JUST DO IT to JUST GLUE IT! These pieces definitely have a distinct mixed-media flair and I’m sure with your creativity you will be able to make something even more amazing. I can’t wait to see what you make!
MONA LISA MIXED-MEDIA BROOCH
Do you ever just look in your craft box and wonder what to do with all the bits and pieces of projects from days gone by? Well here’s the answer! This mixed-media brooch can be made any number of ways with whatever you have left lying around. Change the image, use an old photograph, or make a collage. It’s up to you!
YOU’LL NEED
Flat, thin cardboard
Book pages
Elmer’s Glue-All
Small image of the Mona Lisa
1-inch flat paintbrush
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
Scissors
Toothpicks
Fabric
10 inches of 3/4-inch ribbon
Fabric flowers
Crystal chain
Large flat-back acrylic gems
Small piece of jewelry or part of an old earring
Pearls
3 inches of long fringe
E-6000 glue
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Pin back
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
5-inch piece of 20-gauge wire
Optional: Sewing machine if you want to stitch the ribbon like I did
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut your cardboard in an oval about 4 inches by 3 inches.
2 Cut out an oval from your book page a bit bigger than the cardboard oval. Fringe the edges, and with your paintbrush and some watered-down Elmer’s, glue the book page to the cardboard, folding the fringed edges around the back of the cardboard.
3 Trace the oval again on a book page, cut out the shape, and glue it onto the oval so that it covers the back.
4 Cut out your image, and with more Elmer’s glue, adhere it to the oval.
5 Coat the entire front and back in Minwax Polycrylic and let dry.
6 With dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick, carefully add your flowers, crystals, pearls, and jewelry pieces to the outer edge of your oval.
7 Cut 3 inches of wire and make a loop as shown below.
8 Cut a strip from the fabric 10 inches long and 11/2 inches wide. On the sewing machine, stitch your ribbon on top of the fabric strip to give it some interest.
9 Tie it in a bow and glue it just under Mona’s neck.
10 Bend 2 inches of the wire in half to make a loop and hot-glue it to the end of the ribbon. While hot-gluing, wrap the ribbon around the wire to make your tassel.
11 Slip your wire tassel loop onto the wire loop, glue it to the bottom of the oval, and let dry.
12 Glue on your pin back with E-6000 and you’re done!
MIXED-MEDIA NECKLACE
I’m sure that you will take this project and run with it, because I already know how supercreative you are. What I love about this project is that I could use everyday items from around the house for it. I know if you dig in your craft box, you’ll be able to create this necklace, and something even more spectacular. Make sure you send me a photo when you’re done, okay?
YOU’LL NEED
Flat, thin cardboard
Elmer’s Glue-All
Image you like that will fit on the oval
1-inch flat paintbrush
Book pages
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
Scissors
Toothpicks
Ribbon
Fabric flower
Crystal chain
Small piece of jewelry or part of an old earring
Scraps of lace
E-6000 glue
18 inches of black chain
Lobster claw closure
3 jump rings
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
3 inches of 20-gauge wire
Optional: Sewing machine if you want to stitch the ribbon like I did
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut your cardboard in an oval about 4 inches by 3 inches.
2 Cut out an oval from your book page a bit bigger than your cardboard oval. Fringe the edges, and with your paintbrush and some watered-down Elmer’s, glue the book page to the cardboard, folding the fringed edges around the back of the cardboard oval.
3 Trace the oval again on a book page, cut it out, and glue it onto the oval so that it covers the back.
4 Cut out your image and with more Elmer’s, glue it to the oval.
5 Coat the entire front and back in the Minwax Polycrylic and let dry.
6 With dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick carefully add your chain to the outer edges of the oval.
7 Add your lace and jewelry pieces, and finally add your ribbon flower.
8 Cut a 3-inch piece of wire and make a loop as shown below. Glue it to the back of the oval with E-6000 so that it sticks out over the top edge by about 1/2 inch. This is where you will hang your chain and tie your ribbon.
9 On the sewing machine, stitch your ribbon to give it some texture. For a really nice touch, you could add some hand stitching instead.
10 T
ie it in a bow around the wire loop.
11 Attach a jump ring to the exact center of your chain and loop the cameo onto it.
12 Add jump rings on the ends of the chains and a lobster claw for the closure.
SEEING HEART
I was with my friend Erica at an art gallery this year, wandering through rows and rows of paintings, when I saw a portrait of a medieval man with a heart painted on his chest and an eye painted on the heart. It completely inspired this piece of jewelry and reminds me of a wonderful day spent with a friend enjoying art. I know it seems like this project requires a lot of supplies, but you can alter it depending on what you have around the house.
YOU’LL NEED
22 inches of 1-inch satin ribbon
Plastic gutter guard
18 pearls
E-6000 glue
Toothpicks
Hammer and nail
Scrap wood
Aluminum flashing
Medal or charm
Images of eye and heart
Flat, thin cardboard
Elmer’s Glue-All
Scissors
2 large jump rings
Red acrylic paint
Lumiere metallic bronze paint
Tin shears or heavy-duty scissors with serrated blades
Paintbrushes (for the paint)
ICE Resin
Disposable paintbrush
Krylon black Fusion for Plastic
Rubber or plastic gloves
HERE’S HOW
1 Copy the eye and heart patterns below on plain white paper (or copy the heart on red paper and save a step).
2 Glue the heart to the cardboard with Elmer’s glue and then cut it out.
3 With tin shears or heavy-duty serrated scissors, cut a piece from the aluminum flashing 4 inches by 6 inches. Trace the heart shape with an additional 1/4-inch border all the way around onto the flashing. Cut out the heart shape from the flashing.
4 Put the heart on a piece of scrap wood so that you don’t ruin your work surface. Tap a hole in the top and bottom of the heart with your hammer and nail.
5 Paint the heart red and let dry and then paint gold rays from the center.
6 Glue the eye on the heart with Elmer’s glue.
7 If you need to, review the instructions on the ICE Resin and my tips. Mix your resin outside using gloves. The fumes from resin can be harsh and you will need to work in a well-ventilated area. Coat the entire piece of cardboard in resin and let dry overnight in a room or area of the house that you don’t use. This will make it jewelry quality and give it a wonderful finish.
8 Spray-paint the tin heart black.
9 Cut your gutter guard in a diamond or square 1 inch by 1 inch with two extra diamonds on opposite corners.
10 With dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick, fill the center grid with pearls. Be neat! Repeat for the second piece.
11 Glue your cardboard heart on the tin heart with E-6000.
12 Hang your medal or charm from the bottom of the heart on a jump ring.
13 Cut a second piece of gutter guard in a diamond or square 1 inch by 1 inch with two small diamonds at each end as in photo g. With dabs of E-6000 on a toothpick, glue in your pearls.
14 Thread ribbon through the extra diamond spaces on the corners of the pearled gutter guard pieces so that they slide into place.
15 Hang your heart centerpiece between the pearl sliders with another jump ring.
16 Close the choker by tying it behind your neck with the extra ribbon.
LOVE HANDCUFFS
Ah, romance! Nothing like it! When you’re falling in love, the entire world just seems wonderful. I used a love letter for this project, but you can use a favorite poem, short story, inspirational quotes or whatever you want. As for me, I love the idea of having a love letter around your wrist. It seems, well, poetic.
YOU’LL NEED
1-inch bangle
Elmer’s Glue-All
1/2-inch flat paintbrush
Copy of love letter
Minwax Polycrylic clear coat
Lumiere metallic paint in gold
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut your love letter in strips, keeping them in the order in which they should be read.
2 Using a brush and watered-down Elmer’s glue, glue the strips around and around your cuff making sure to only slightly overlap each strip so that the bangle doesn’t show through.
3 Continue until you’ve covered the entire bangle.
4 When your bangle is covered, coat it with several coats of Minwax Polycrylic to seal and protect it. Let each coat dry for about 15 minutes before applying the next one.
Hint:
I used a very small bit of Lumiere metallic gold paint over one bangle to give it some shimmer. Give it a try!
LOVE IN A BOTTLE
I put this love letter on my copy machine and made it as tiny as possible. Then it sat on my desk for a month before I decided what to do with it. It wasn’t until Valentine’s Day was just around the corner that inspiration hit . . . and this was the result. You really could put anything in this little glass vial, but I chose a love letter. It seemed so romantic. Adding charms is your choice. I used hearts and keys, but it’s up to you.
YOU’LL NEED
Small glass vial with cork top (make sure the vial has a lip around the mouth)
20 inches of delicate silver-tone chain
Several silver-tone hearts
Silver-tone key charm
5 silver-tone jump rings
1 silver-tone lobster claw closure
Love letter (and access to a copy machine that reduces images)
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut 20 inches of chain, then cut 2 inches off that.
2 Wrap the 18-inch piece of chain around the neck of the glass vial at the 9-inch mark and secure with a jump ring so that it’s snug around the lip.
3 With another jump ring add the 2-inch piece of chain to the longer chain so that the 2-inch piece hangs free.
4 Add a heart to the end of the smaller chain.
5 Add a key to the smaller chain, or at the neck, wherever you think it looks best.
6 Shrink your love letter on a copy machine so that it will fit into the vial (about 11/2 inches by 11/2 inches).
7 Roll it into a tube, slip it inside the vial, and close with the cork. You could tie it with a small ribbon or piece of thread.
8 Add jump rings and a lobster claw to the ends of the chain and go show off your love.
Other Ideas For This Project:
Birthday wishes, small photos, best friend pendants.
WEARING MY WISHES
I believe in good-luck charms and putting things out into the universe. This necklace is the perfect way to do both and look chic at the same time. Replace the wishes or carry one for a friend and fill your glass bottle (and your life) with all the magic that you can.
YOU’LL NEED
Small glass vial with cork top (make sure the vial has a lip around the mouth)
20 inches of delicate gold chain (or make this any length you want)
Several gold-tone charms
Gold-tone key charm
5 gold-tone jump rings
1 gold-tone lobster claw closure
List of wishes and access to a copy machine that reduces images
Needle-nose pliers (and wirecutters if the pliers don’t have them)
HERE’S HOW
1 Cut 20 inches of chain, then cut 2 inches off that.
2 Wrap your 18-inch piece of chain around the neck of the glass vial at the 9-inch mark and secure with a jump ring so that it’s snug around the lip.
3 With another jump ring add the 2-inch piece of chain to the longer chain so that the 2-inch piece hangs free.
4 Add a charm to the end of the smaller chain.
5 Add more charms to the smaller chain or at the neck, wherever you think they look best.
6 Shrink you
r list of wishes on a copy machine so that it will fit into the vial—about 11/2 inches by 11/2 inches. Cut the wishes into separate strips so they can be read easily.
7 Slip them inside the vial and close with the cork.
8 Add jump rings and a lobster claw to the ends of the chain for the closure.
9 Take out your wishes when they come true and replace them with new ones!
Other Ideas For This Project:
Birthday wishes, small photos, best friend pendants!
GLASS-TERPIECE
I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had more fun with any craft project than I’ve had with my Fuseworks microwave glass kiln. Melting glass in my kitchen has been a true adventure, and it allowed me to make pieces for this book that I never would have been able to make otherwise. Rarely do I go nuts over a particular product, but this glass kiln has changed the way I create. YOU WILL LOVE IT! Go to www.diamondtechcrafts.com and tell them Mark Montano sent you! Now, if you can’t wait for your kiln to arrive to make some of the projects in this chapter, I would suggest using large beads or paper turquoise.