Do people you know also know you make jewelry?  It sometimes follows that many expect to receive a jewelry gift!  There are also situations when you want to give away several jewelry gifts but are limited for time and resources - co-worker gifts, teacher gifts etc.  Then, this easy decoupage pendant tutorial is for you.  Production line it and you will have plenty of pendants very quickly.

What you need is pretty paper like origami paper or select from the tons of inexpensive domino collage sheets designed by talented graphic artists.  There are several designs available in each sheet so you will be able vary the look of your set of pendants.

Here is a lovely example : DreamUpGraphic's  Deco Flowers on Gemstone Backgrounds:


 You do not need to get plastic domino tiles unless you happen to have some to recycle.  I laser cut rectangular wood blanks  specifically for these collage sheets.

You could also use origami paper as I did. The general method will work for any of my wood shapes like these ones.

First thing to do is to lightly sand the wood. If you like the light color, then this is all you need to do at this stage. Some people like the ombre effect of the light scorching from the laser.

Trace around the wood shape. You can leave a gap where the tabbed hole is as you can add the straight across cutting line afterwards.  Alternatively, you can trace around the tab if you prefer although it is trickier to cut curves and punch tiny holes.


Then cut out the shape.


Then it is a simple procedure with Mod Podge to glue the paper to the wood as well as apply it as a sealant (a few coats) over the front, sides and back of the pendant.


You may have to trim any protruding parts.


You can also stain or paint the wood before you decoupage the paper onto the it. See my past post on How to Sand, Stain and Paint Laser Cut Jewelry Designs for further tips. 


An optional step is to use resin for the front.  This gives the pendant a glass like effect.  I used Little Windows' Brilliant Resin ( Use BG1516 to get a 15% discount).  Very little bubble formation if you follow the instructions when making it up.


Add a pretty bail (this one is a TierraCast antique gold).  Using a ribbon cord necklace is one way to reduce the chances of the clasp from moving to the front. There is more friction with the cords so the bail does not slip as much.


But a sure fire method is to modify how you use a bail. See my past post How to Stop Necklace Clasps from Moving to the Front.

With Resin

Laser Cut Paper /With Resin 
I used the laser cutter to precisely cut the origami paper for the earrings above and below.  You will have to cut carefully and use a small hole punch if you wish to hand cut paper frames like these ones.
Laser Cut Origami Paper on Wood.
What about using my frames SVG file with the Cricut or Silhouette die cutters to get the paper portion?  Maybe.  You have to be prepared to size the paper frames correctly to fit the wood frames. Will need some experimentation.

The domino pendants and shapes from my store are all 10% off this week until Sunday November 17. Please do check out my new items. 

Photography
I used  my iPhone 8+ for final product photography in natural light. I used  the Orangemonkie studio which comes equipped with LED lights - for artificial light photography in my windowless basement studio. The Foldio2 is particularly affordable. I use the Foldio3 with the extra light bar because I need the room for tutorial photography.  

My online class Easy Guide to Smartphone Jewelry Photography is now available. Read more about it here.  

Before You Go:
Disclosure
This blog may contain affiliate links. I do receive a small fee for any products purchased through affiliate links. This goes towards the support of this blog and to provide resource information to readers. The opinions expressed are solely my own. They would be the same whether or not I receive any compensation.
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Original Post by THE BEADING GEM
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