Step by Step: Scrabble Tile Pendant

As you can probably tell by the posts on this site, I don’t do a lot of paper crafts. I don’t scrapbook or do any bookbinding.

I also don’t do much with jewelry. I dabble a little with beading, but not much. I don’t really wear jewelry on a daily basis, so it’s not a craft that I’ve ever focused on.

However, I’ve been really, really intrigued lately by all of the pendants I’ve seen for sale on Etsy. Some are scrabble tile pendants, and some are glass front pendants with beautiful paper collages. I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making my own, but didn’t want to spend a whole lot of money on supplies.

Luckily, I found a seller on Etsy who sells do-it-yourself pendant kits – Annie Howes Keepsakes. She includes everything you need to make a few pendants yourself, and packages the kits beautifully, so you can keep them or pass them on as gifts.

I ordered the Scrabble Tile pendant kit, and this weekend sat down to make my own pendants. Her instructions are much more detailed than mine, but I think you’ll get the idea of what’s required in case you’re thinking of making some yourself.

Here’s what came in the kit:

E-6000 Adhesive (strong), Diamond Glaze adhesive (water based), scrabble tiles, an assortment of pretty Japanese paper, and bails.

First, apply a very thin layer of the Diamond Glaze to the plain side of the tile. Don’t go overboard, but you’ll want to cover the entire surface. Then, place the paper face up on the tile and press out any bubbles or blurbs of glue. You want a nice, flat surface.

When the glue is completely dry, use a craft knife to trim away the excess paper. Then apply a generous layer of the Diamond Glaze directly on the paper. Use a toothpick to spread the glue, and remove any bubbles. This layer of glue will be the shiny surface of the pendant, so work quickly and carefully, but make sure that the entire surface is covered. You can also add beads or embellishments at this point. It will look opaque, but that’s OK.

See? It dried clear!

Now you need to attach the bail. Use a toothpick to apply a dollop of the super strong E-6000 glue to the bail, and attach it to the back of the tile. You’ll be able to move it around to center it if you need to. E-6000 takes about 24 hours to dry completely.

Once it’s dry, you’re done! Add a chain, and you’re ready to wear!

All things considered, this was a very easy project. It will take some practice for me to get the glue perfect (I had a couple of tiny bubbles in my finished product). But for a quick, weekend project, I consider this a success!

If you have any tips on making these types of pendants, I’d love to hear them. Do you use different materials? Have the perfect solution for avoiding bubbles? Please let me know in the comments!

Filed in: Step by Step