Intro: FCMG - Make Jewelry - Paper Pendant

Paper Jewelry is making a come back!

At Fairfield Makers Guild, we're making a lovely pendant made from scrap copy paper and cardstock and cut with a Silhouette Portrait die cutting machine.

For our June Build night, we created these paper pendants using up some of our scrap copy paper we had lying around and a couple of sheets of thick card stock to make it sturdy.

You'll need:

Silhouette die machine
printer mat
copy paper - (used preferably. Why use up your good printer paper??)
tacky glue
large jump ring
necklace
paper craft spatula - to srape paper off mat
a sheet of decorative paper -- (we used some vintage chiyogami paper)
patience

we will assume you've downloaded the silhouette studio software and are a bit familiar with operating it

STEP 1: Create Your Shape

you will need to decide what shapes you want to use for your pendant. AKA what you want it to look like. We went with a Celtic looking shape. We used 6 circles with 3 of them slightly smaller than the others and interlocked them.

Next, we cleaned up the lines in the middle of the rims the interlocking circles made with the eraser tool.

This was needed as the silhouette will cut EXACTLY on any line you draw. So if you intend to cut out a shape that will have negative space, then you will need to remove any lines that connect through the that space.

STEP 2: Create Multiples

Once you have your shape cleaned up and ready to roll, you'll want to highlight it and duplicate it several times to print as many shapes on 1 sheet of paper as possible.

STEP 3: Print

Next, you'll want to make sure your printer's knife (cutting blade) is adjusted to cut cleanly through your selected papers. you can consult the silhouette manual here.

Once you're ready, send that baby to the printer!

STEP 4: Peel Off Your Cut

Slowly lift up and peel off your paper starting at the corner of each shape. the pendant pieces should be still stuck to the mat.

Use your spatula to carefully lift these up and off the mat as well.

MARVEL at how pretty and CLEAN those cuts are.

STEP 5: Print Again. and GLUE

While you print out at least 2 more sheets, you'll want to grab your glue and start stacking those pieces one on top of the other.

ONE LAYER AT A TIME!

** We used our copy paper up first and then printed 2 sheets of the card stock

Once you have a desired thickness, print your last sheet on your decorative paper. Again, we used this beautiful Japanese chiyogami paper I scored some time ago in Canada (luv ya canada).

STEP 6: Add Your Jump Ring and Necklace - Voila!

We recommend leaving your pendant to dry at least an hour

Once its dry on the outside and firm enough to resist bending too much, add your jump ring, loop that baby on to your necklace and hit the town! Or be nice and give it to some one special.

We know you'll do the right thing.