How to Decorate Metal Tags
Turn plain metal tags into mini blank canvases to create wearable art for yourself or as meaningful gifts for friends and family members. From simple round tags to oblong dog tags, the objects are easy to adorn with accents like stickers, tiny photographs, gems and artists' mediums like glaze and paint. Once you complete the craft, you can wear the embellished metal tags on a long chain or charm bracelet or affix them to a key ring or tote bag zipper.
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Things You'll Need
- Old tablecloth, butcher paper or plastic sheet
- Metal tag
- Fine-grain sandpaper
- Acrylic paint or stamping ink
- Paintbrush, foam applicator or sea sponge
- Stickers, sequins, photos, ribbon or paper
- White glue
- Metal alphabet stamps and hammer
- Decoupage glaze or dimensional adhesive
- Flat-nose pliers
- Metal jump ring
- Chain, bracelet or key ring
Instructions
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Prepare your work area by covering the table with an old tablecloth, butcher paper or a plastic sheet to protect the surface from sticky adhesives, paints and glazes.
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2
Sand the surface of the metal tag with fine-grain sandpaper to help items adhere to the slick surface. Apply a layer of acrylic paint or stamping ink onto the surface of the tag with a paintbrush, foam applicator or sea sponge.
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3
Embellish the tag with a collage of stickers, sequins, images clipped from photos or bits of ribbon and patterned paper affixed with a thin layer of white glue. You can also use metal alphabet stamps to "engrave" a name or inspirational word onto the tag by holding the stamp against the tag and tapping the back of the stamp with a hammer.
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Seal the artwork on the decorated metal tag. Give it a flat finish by coating the tag with a layer of decoupage glaze. Produce a raised, glossy finish by applying a thick layer of dimensional adhesive by squeezing it directly from the bottle onto the surface of the tag. Let the tag dry overnight.
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Use flat-nose pliers to pry open a metal jump ring. Thread the jump ring through the loop or hole at the top of the metal tag and use the pliers to pinch the jump ring shut.
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Hang the hand-decorated metal tag on a bead chain necklace. You can also use the flat-nose pliers to re-open the metal jump ring, slip it onto a charm bracelet, the end of a key ring or the loop of a tote bag, jacket or backpack zipper and pinch it shut to attach the decorative tag.
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Tips & Warnings
To prevent bubbles when applying a layer of dimensional adhesive, let the bottle sit upside-down overnight. Without shaking the bottle or turning it right side up, take the cap off of the applicator tip and squeeze a dime-sized circle of the glaze onto scrap paper to ensure no bubbles are coming out before you squeeze the adhesive onto your tag.
If the artwork on your embellished metal tag still peels off despite the fact that you've primed the surface with sandpaper and paint and sealed the project with glaze, consider spraying the front and back of the completed tag with clear spray paint or brushing the glaze onto the front, sides and back of the tag to ensure you've sealed all of the edges.
