Suncatcher Pendant

With simple household items you can make a gift for anyone, men or women, and any child who works with glue can do it. This would be great for Mother's Day.

Approximate Time:

Supplies:

• clear glue E6000
• trinkets, buttons, beads, flowers, etc.
• cord
• waxed paper and white paper
• pencil
• toothpick
• 1 inch piece of wire for hook

Instructions:

1. Draw a pattern on white paper and slip it under your waxed paper, tape the waxed paper down to your pattern paper. Follow your pattern with your glue making a thin line of glue on the outside circle or oval.
2. Bring your cord in from the outside into the glue tucking the ends around itself neatly. A straight pin works good for this.
3. Cut a paper clip into a U or bend one from wire and slip it into the glue at the top. Let this set and dry. If you put the whole thing on a plate then you can transfer it to an oven to help it dry faster. I turn the light on, do not turn on the oven just use the light.

 
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4. Once the cord is set put a layer of either clear Elmer's glue or a thin layer of E6000 into the cord shape and carefully press your trinkets into the glue. Do not put them close to the cord or you will break it loose from the glue.
5. Put your larger ones in first with slight pressure push them down into the glue. Make sure you have glue on the whole surface inside the cord and sprinkle your seed beads where you want them. Leave some space open for light to come through.

 
6. Push the beads down into the glue again use a pin or toothpick, be careful about going into the glue itself with your toothpick or pin and making a bubble; they are hard to get out. If you get a bubble try dragging it to the side or under a flower so it doesn't show. When the glue dries it won't show anyway, but be on the safe side and hide it.
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7. Now is the time to slip your project into the oven with the light on. I left mine overnight, you could check it after 3 or 4 hours, you want the glue to loose its stickiness before finishing by adding the rest of the glue.
8. When you are ready to add more glue you will fill the area around you flowers and over the stems and beads with glue. Bring the level up even with the top of the cord and slip your project back in the oven overnight. It will still shrink down a lot, but you should not be able to feel the individual beads and the whole thing should be stiff. Add more glue if you need to until you are happy with it.
9. When you are done building it up and it has dried hard take a wet rag or light scratcher and lightly rub the paper from the back. Be careful here remember you are wetting glue so do not use a soaking wet rag just damp and rub in circles until the paper comes off.

 

 

 

By Ann Winberg from Loup City, NE