How to Make Postcard Jewelry
Postcards are a rich source of artistic inspiration. Vintage pieces with interesting postmarks or modern pieces with eye-catching artwork can be preserved and worn as jewelry through a process called resin casting. Resin casting takes your postcard pieces and encases them in a clear, hard plastic. The end product is a piece that you can drill or glue and use to make pendants, charms, earrings, bracelets or pins.
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Things You'll Need
- Postcard
- Scissors
- Decoupage medium
- Paintbrush
- Craft resin
- Catalyst
- Paper cup
- Wooden craft stick
- Newspaper
- Resin mold or jewelry mold with reservoir
- Mold release
- Hair dryer
- Drill
- Jewelry hardware
Instructions
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1
Protect your work surface and hands. Resin damages wood finishes and is difficult to get out of cloth and off of hands. Lay down newspaper and wear gloves while you complete this process.
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2
Measure and cut your postcard to fit your mold. You want to measure and cut with precision so the piece covers the entire bottom without gaps or folds.
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3
Prepare your paper pieces. If you place the postcard cuts directly into the resin, its chemicals will dissolve and smear the ink. Use a paintbrush to coat the front of the postcard with a decoupage medium like Mod Podge. Let it dry, then apply another coat. Let that coat dry and repeat until you have six dry coats. Turn the piece over and repeat on the back side.
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4
Spray your mold with mold release so you will be able to get the cast out once it hardens.
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Mix your resin and allow it to cure. There are different types of resin, but most involve mixing equal parts resin with a catalyst and stirring for 2 minutes. Check your package directions.
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Fit your image into the bottom of the mold. Make any last-minute trims if necessary.
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Pour resin on top of the postcard. Fill until just shy of the top of the mold. Gently shake the mold back and forth to even out the resin.
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Run a hot blow dryer over the top to remove any bubbles that may have formed.
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Let cure for at least 72 hours before attempting to make jewelry. Once cured, pop the postcard resin cast out of the mold. It's now ready to make into jewelry. You can drill holes in the resin for hardware or glue hardware to the back.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
