Crackle Glass Pebble Pendants - Simple Gifts

This is one of those crafts that you make, and it's very gratifying.  These pendants are so pretty, and they are so versatile that they can easily become your favorite accessory.  I made several that were just clear glass, and the people who received them as gifts immediately said they were their go-to item when they needed a simple but elegant accessory. 

These are made with glass pebbles that are found in the floral and decorating department at places like Dollar Tree, Hobby Lobby, and Michaels.  You can find several colors to accessorize your outfits, represent a birth month, or they can look festive and fun for an upcoming holiday.  

Bake them in the oven, shock them into cracking with ice water, glue on a bail, and poof you're done!  See the specific instructions below.  Now have some fun! 

Here's how to make them.  

Crackle Glass Pebble Pendants

• Glass pebbles (I do many at a time so that I have them ready made)
• Wire glue-on bails (instructions on how to make these HERE)
• E6000 glue or Super Glue
• Chain, ribbon, or leather for necklace 
• Bowl of ice water 
• Cookie sheet or aluminum pan 
• Towel 

INSTRUCTIONS:  Place the glass pebbles in a pan in a single layer.  I do several at a time to save on energy and to make sure I have them ready for future crafts.  Place the glass pebbles in the oven, and turn it to 500 degrees.  Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Have ice water ready.  When pebbles come out of the oven, immediately dump them into the ice water.  They will sizzle, bubble, and some may even break, but the rest will begin to crackle.  Leave in the water for about 5-10 minutes, to allow pebbles to cool completely and finish crackling process.  Remove from water and drain on a towel. 

When ready to make, flip pebble over, and glue on one bail using E6000 glue, centering so pendant will hang evenly. 

Allow to dry/cure for 4 hours, preferably 24 hours.  Flip over and add necklace, then wear.  These are adorable as short pendants strung on a ribbon choker, or worn as a long statement necklace.  

Turn Your Children's Artwork into Jewelry - Simple Gifts

 

Do you have a particularly darling piece of artwork that your child has made and would like some way to preserve it and even possibly show it off?  Or how about share it with Grandma or Aunt Susie?  You can easily turn your child's artwork into a pendant!  All it takes is a few art supplies! 

SUPPLIES NEEDED: 

• Scanned or photographed artwork
• Glass pebbles or stones from Dollar Tree or other floral supply/aquarium supply places
• Printed artwork (see below)
• Aleene's Clear Tacky craft glue
• One glue-on bail per pendant (see instructions HERE)
• Mod Podge
• E6000 adhesive
• Clear spray paint or clear nail polish.

First, you will need to scan or photograph your child's artwork and save the image to your computer.  You can also take it to Walmart and use their photo printing machines to make tiny photos.  If you download it to your computer, use either Microsoft Word or photo software such as Picasa (free) to resize and retouch the picture.  You will likely need to boost the saturation and contrast to make the colors more vivid. Use the setting that prints showing the entire photo. 

Print out photos in 1 x 1 inch or 1.5 x 1.5 inch squares.  Cut out each photo, and leave enough room so that a little paper is available to stick out on each side of the photo.

Coat the back of the glass marble with the clear tacky glue.  You can use Mod Podge, but it risks smearing the ink because Mod Podge takes longer to dry.  Press the glass to the photo firmly so that the entire photo is adhered to the back of the pebble and there are no bubbles.  

Allow to dry completely, at least a couple of hours.  Once dry, trim excess paper from around glass, and apply 2 thin coats of Mod Podge.  Thin coats are better than thick coats because they take longer to dry and can cause the colors to deteriorate if too much is applied.  

Allow to dry thoroughly between each coat of Mod Podge.  Once dry, secure glue-on bail to the back of the pendant, making sure that the stem and bail stick up at an appropriate point to make the pendant hang straight.  Again, allow to dry thoroughly.  

Once the glue-on bail has completely dried (I recommend 24 hours), coat the entire back of the pendant with either spray-on clear acrylic spray paint (I use Walmart's generic brand) or coat with clear nail polish.  Doing so will give a nearly waterproof seal, as Mod Podge is water soluble and can eventually come off if not sealed.  Allow to dry thoroughly.  

Once completely dry, flip over, and string your wonderful creation on ribbon, chain, a leather cord, or satin rat tail cord.  It will become a darling, personalized keepsake to show off your child's artwork!

Refrigerator Magnets or Necklace - Simple Gifts

So you're looking for something fun to make that's easy, unique, and can be personalized.  How about refrigerator magnets from glass pebbles?!  The glass pebbles can be purchased at Dollar Tree for $1.00 per bag for 14 oz., which is a lot of pebbles.  You might even have a few of these left over from prior craft projects, such as the hardware store jewelry from a prior post, and this is a great way to use up the remaining pebbles.

These can be personalized with funny sayings, photos, scrapbook paper, or definitions from an old dictionary.  Above is a collection of magnets featuring Mae West, two from a scrapbook paper collection, one photo of my son sitting in my father's lap, and one from the peace sign collection.  

Glue a magnet to the back for refrigerator magnets, or glue a bail to the back of a finished piece and string it on a chain to wear as a necklace pendant.  

SUPPLIES: 

• Glass pebbles
• Photos, scrapbook paper, typed sayings, or photos from a magazine.
• Clear Tacky Glue craft glue such as this:  Duncan 239396 Aleenes Quick Dry in. Tacky in. Glue-4 Ounce (Google Affiliate Ad)
• Mod Podge
• Paintbrush or sponge applicator 
• Packing tape (to seal items that are not color fast)
• Glue-on magnets (You can use old magnets from business cards and calendars, but they must be a strong magnet, otherwise they will not hold the weight of the glass pebble.)

Pick out the photos or pictures you want to use.  Check how they look by placing the glass pebble over the photo.  The glass tends to act as a lens and magnify the picture a bit.  

 The flower on this chair is very pretty and makes a great focal point!

 Ooooohhhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

The pattern on this shirt is very pretty and would make a wonderful collage of fall themed magnets or a pretty pendant! 

Once you have determined which photos look best, cut out a small portion of the item, leaving enough so that a bit sticks out on the side of the glass. 

Turn your glass pebbles over and coat them with a small bit of the clear tacky glue.  

If you are using photos or other printable items that have ink that would smear or bleed, now is the time to seal those between two pieces of packing tape. These are small photos of family members I printed on my printer and needed to seal so that the ink wouldn't bleed. 

Once the pebble is coated with glue, press it glue side down onto the face of the photo or item.  Press hard so that the glue spreads out and adheres to the entire photo.  Make sure you press firmly enough that there are no bubbles in the glue.  

Once adhered appropriately, flip these over, glass side down, and allow to dry for several hours.  Once completely dry, use scissors to trim away the excess paper.  Using a sponge applicator or paintbrush, apply a couple of thin coats of Mod Podge over the backs of the pebbles, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly.  Several thin coats are better than one large coat of Mod Podge.  Otherwise, strange things happen to the paper once it's very wet. Once dry, glue a magnet to the back.

To turn one of these into a pendant, skip the magnet and instead spray the back of the piece with clear spray paint to provide a waterproof finish.  Unfortunately, Mod Podge is water soluble, so if you sweat and it's next to your skin, the Mod Podge will dissolve.  So a coat or two of clear spray paint will seal this.  Once completely dry, adhere a glue-on bail to the back of the pendant, allow it to set, and string on a pretty chain!

See the photo above of the magazine page with the woman holding the dog.  The pendant above is made from the pattern on the chair in the photo!

Simple Gifts - Hardware Store Jewelry

 

Need a fun, funky, and easy gift idea but don’t want to spend a lot of money?  You may very well have the things you need in your garage or junk drawer!  Here are two necklaces made from components from around the house or that are inexpensive purchases at any local hardware store. 

The first is a metallic, Victorian/steampunk inspired necklace.  Steampunk is known as “industrial Victorian,” as it combines elements of mechanical items, such as gears, wires, and circuitry with Victorian elements such as rhinestones, filigree, and delicate chains. 

The second is a Victorian pendant made with an iridescent glass pebble and hardware store items.  This is very pretty as a choker or short pendant worn on a ribbon.  

Metallic Victorian/Steampunk pendant

Items Needed

One 2 inch fender washer

One floral mirror mount (these are mounts used to hang mirrors in a bathroom)

One external tooth lock washer

One glue-on rhinestone or other flat-backed pretty item

One glue-on wire bail  (instructions on how to make these HERE)

E6000 glue

Ball chain and connector at least 20 inches (found in hardware or plumbing section)

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS:  Place fender washer on flat surface.  Glue mirror mount to washer with E600 glue.  Place glue along bottom of mount, just slightly inward from the outside edges to get a firm seal.  Allow to dry.  

Add lock washer to center of mirror mount.  Place glue along the area which will touch mirror mount the most.  Allow to dry. 

 

Add flat-backed rhinestone to center of lock washer, and allow to dry.    

  

Once all components are dry, flip washer over and glue bail to back.  In this photo I have the pendant propped up on a toothpick while drying.  Otherwise, if allowed to dry flat, the bail will tip backward, and pendant will not lay flat when attached to a chain.   

  

String on ball chain, cut to desired length, and wear!

 

 

Victorian Iridescent Glass Pendant

Items Needed

One large iridescent glass pebble (I bought these in a bag at Dollar Tree for $1 in the floral section)

One flower mirror mount

One glue-on flat backed rhinestone or other flat-backed item

One glue-on bail (instructions to make these HERE)

E6000 glue

Ribbon, silk cord, or dainty chain

 

 INSTRUCTIONS:  Glue bail to flat back of pebble and allow to dry. 

 

Using sandpaper or a nail file, rough up front domed surface of glass pebble slightly.  Check positioning of mirror mount on front of domed glass and use pliers to bend slightly and contour the mirror mount to the shape of the pebble.  Glue mirror mount to glass pebble and allow to dry.  

 

Glue flat-backed rhinestone to center of mirror mount and allow to dry. 

Place on ribbon, silk cord, or dainty chain and wear! 

The key to both of these pendants and necklaces is to use what you have on hand.  If you've seen something and the thought popped into your mind that it would make a pretty necklace, use it!  Instead of the mirror mount, you might have a pretty pearl button that came from a coat.  Use that!  Have a length of broken chain?  Use it to wrap the circumference of the button using glue.  Have an old broken watch with an interesting watch face?  Take the watch apart and carefully remove the watch face and use it in the place of the mirror mount.  See an old typewriter key that's flat and has an initial on it or words like "caps lock" instead of a letter?  Use that!   Have old bits of broken jewelry?  Use those.  Snip off broken parts and combine the elements by gluing them to the washer or a glass pebble.  The possibilities are endless and are as interesting as your imagination and junk drawer. 

Simple Gifts - Homemade Glue-On Wire Bail for Pendants

 Glue-on bails are so much fun.  They can turn just about anything into a pendant to wear as necklace.  However, buying glue-on bails is expensive if you're trying to keep costs down.  There's an easier way.  Grab a spool of Artistic Wire jewelry grade wire from a craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Michael's and make your own!

I usually buy around 20 gauge wire in a nontarnish finish.  There are several colors, but I'm fond of the simple colors such as silver, gold, or aged brass. 

I'll be doing another post on Wednesday for hardware store jewelry as a  simple gift, and these glue-on bails make excellent parts of this project, so watch for the blog post! 

GLUE-ON WIRE BAILS 

ITEMS NEEDED:

• Approximately 6-7 inches of jewelry grade wire (I prefer Artistic Wire brand)
• Wire snips
• Needle-nose pliers wrapped with tape or round nosed pliers for jewelry making
• An ink pen or pencil to serve as a mandrel to wrap the wire around
• E6000 glue (to glue bail onto object). 

General information: Keep in mind the weight of the object this bail is going to be glued to.  If the object is heavier, you may want to use the double-loop technique for more strength.  If you wish to just use a single-loop bail, you may want to use a heavier/thicker gauge wire. 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SINGLE-LOOP GLUE-ON WIRE BAIL:  Snip off approximately 6-7 inches of wire.  Straighten the wire and run it between your fingers several times to heat and soften the wire.  Eyeball  approximately the middle of the wire  and wrap it around your pen/pencil.  Twist it 3-4 times.  Make sure ends of wire are even.   You might need to snip off a little bit to get an even length.  

Next, begin curling the wires in a spiral either inward or outward.   Make the first curl around the end of the pliers.  

Then remove the pliers and use the flat part of the plier to grasp and turn the wire in circles to form a spiral.  I usually do at least 3 full spiral loops.  

Repeat this on the opposite side until the the spirals are even.  Do not curl too close to the loop so that you have  room to glue the spirals to the back of the object.  You'll need the "stem" part between the curls and the bail to show.  

Glue to the back of your object with E6000 and  allow to dry for a minimum of 4 hours... preferably 24 hours.  

 

INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOUBLE-LOOP GLUE-ON WIRE BAIL (Shown in top photo):  Snip off two sections of wire, approximately 6-7 inches long.  Loop both wires around the pen/pencil, then twist 3 times to form a stem.  Cut the tails of the  wire so that the  wire closest to the bail is shorter than the bottom wire.  Beginning with the top  wire, form spirals, as instructed in the single-loop bail instructions.  Use approximately 4 spirals for the top wire.  For the bottom wire, repeat, but make only about 3 spirals.  See photos above.   Curl either inward or outward, as your artistic inspiration fits.  Do not curl spirals too close to the stem of the bail, as the bail will be too close to the pendant.  You want to  have enough  room to glue the spirals to the  back of the item, have room for a small stem, and then the bail.  Once finished, remove the pen/pencil from the bail, straighten, and glue on  using E6000 glue.

These bails are so simple to make and can turn a plain item into something very elegant just by gluing one of these to the back.  If you have glass decorative marbles used as fillers for  vases, glue one of these to the  back for a simple yet elegant pendant!  Glue one to the  back of an interesting button.  Find a pretty rock that has been polished?  Glue a bail to that and wear it as a necklace!  The possibilities are endless. 

Wire Wrapped Glass Pebble Pendant - Easy Christmas Gift

Wire wrapped glass pendants are a fun and easy gift you can make with relatively inexpensive items.  The sloppier the design, the prettier it is, and despite how complicated they look, they're really easy to make.  They make beautiful gifts, and you can whip them out in just a few minutes once you get the hang of this.  

I'll give a list of items below, and then try to show step-by-step how it's done.  The only part I do not have pictures of is the actual placement of the wires simply because I needed two hands to hold everything in place and couldn't really take photos.  So here we go! 

Materials Needed 

• Glass pebbles or river stone from Dollar Tree or any other dollar store.  See HERE  ($1.00 per bag)
• Jewelry wire for wire wrapping.  I prefer Artistic Wire in 20 gauge silver nontarnish. (This link says $5.99, but I got it for $2.99 on sale.)
• A 3-in-one jewelry plier tool from Walmart

**or **

• Needle-nose pliers (may need to wrap the tips with tape if using on jewelry wire so the wire doesn't get scarred)
• Wire Snips 
• Tweezers 
• Necklace chain, silk cord, leather cord, or ribbon, about 24 inches in length.

INSTRUCTIONS (Click on Photos for Larger views):

Cut two lengths of wire approximately 1 foot long.

Begin bending them in a loopy zigzag pattern, leaving tails on either end.  

(Photos show loopy wire and sizes of glass pebbles. )

Lay wires in a cross pattern, and center one pebble in the middle. 

This is the trickiest part of this whole thing, but it will be fine. The glass can be slippery!  

Begin folding the wires up and over the pebble, overlapping the wires, bending and smooshing them together.  The wires need to be enmeshed.  Form a cage around the stone.  Grab the pliers or tweezers and bend the wires around each other.  For example, bring a loop up through another and then bend it back over.  Leave two wires long at the top for use to make the bail later on.  If needed, use the loose ends for the bottom and side pieces to loop back through or snip off and use elsewhere.  Curl the ends of any loose wires, and tuck them in against the glass.  

Cut short lengths of wire from the spool and use to bridge a gap between two loops of wire if there is a space where the glass could "escape."  Again, curl the ends under, then twist the wire and tuck it snug against the glass (see photo below).  The piece is sticking out so that you could see how I passed the short wire piece between the two.  I curled it further and tucked in the pieces.

Once the wire is shaped around the glass the way that you like, it's time to make the bail at the top of the pendant.  

I used a ball-point pen and wrapped the two wires around it one full wrap.  I have exaggerated how the wires come off this so that you can see how they come back around.  You'll want the wire to be as close to the base as possible.  

With the pen still inside the wire loop, begin wrapping the two wires around the base in a concentric spiral fashion until all of the remaining wire has been used.  Curl ends of wire and tuck under the bottom of the bail.  Straighten and center bail as necessary. 

This doesn't have to be neat, just so long as it is held securely. 

If you feel this needs a little more security for the glass, use tiny dabs of E6000 glue on a toothpick.  Place it between the wire and the glass. A little E6000 goes a very long way.  Allow to dry/cure for approximately 24 hours before wearing.  

Another way to "tighten" wires is to put the pliers (or tweezers) in the middle of a piece of wire and twist slightly to form a crook.  See before and after photos below.  This takes up any excess slack in the wire and lends an artistic appearance. 

Suspend this from a chain, ribbon, silk cord, or strip of leather tied off.  These are very pretty, unique, and no two are alike.  

Here is another pendant that I made using one strip of wire in the zigzag pattern, then wrapped around the glass pebble.   It has a single-loop bail.  I made it, thought that it needed a little bit more umph, and put some artistic crooks in the wire with the tightening technique I talked about above.

ONE FINAL NOTE:   You will always be your own worst critic, so do not be overly critical of your design.  If you feel like it doesn't look good, put it away for a day or so, and then look at it again or show someone else to gauge their opinion.  You can always add more wire or bend the wires in a different way that is more pleasing.  Remember, have fun, and don't be afraid to ad lib!

That's it!!