How to Make a Photograph Charm Bracelet With Little Frames
Creating your own jewelry saves you money and allows you to express your creativity. When you design your own accessories, you have complete control over the style, color and elements incorporated in the jewelry you make. Personalize your jewelry even more by making your own photo charms. These charms can be added to store-bought charms in a bracelet that expresses your personality.
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Things You'll Need
- Photo-editing software
- Photo paper
- Printer
- Blank photo charms
- Craft knife
- Diamond glaze
- Needle
- Paper towel
- Bracelet-length chain
- Jump rings
- Clasp
- Round-nose pliers
- Flat-nose pliers
Instructions
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Open the photos you would like to make into charms in a photo-editing program. Crop the portion of the photograph that you want to frame. Re-size the photo to the dimensions of your blank photo charms and repeat for each photograph. Print the images on photo paper with an alcohol-based ink.
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Cut out the images with a craft knife. Spread a thin layer of diamond glaze on the back of the first image and center it in the blank photo charm. Press down firmly. Fill the photo frame with a thick, even coat of diamond glaze. Start in the top corner and work your way across. Repeat this step for each charm.
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3
Use a needle to remove any air bubbles from the glaze. Place the charms on a paper towel and allow to dry for several hours. The charms will require three hours of drying time for each millimeter of glaze.
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Open a jump ring by gripping it on each side of the opening with both sets of pliers and twisting the pliers away from each other. Add a charm to the jump ring and string the jump ring through a link on your chain. Close the ring by reversing the twisting motion. Repeat for each charm, spacing them out evenly along the chain.
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Use your pliers to open the last chain link on each side of the bracelet in the same way you opened a jump ring. Add one side of the clasp to each end of the bracelet and close the chain links. If the links are soldered shut or are too thick to accommodate the clasp, use a jump ring to join the chain and clasp together.
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Tips & Warnings
Use a paper punch the same size as your charms for uniform photo cut outs.
Allow your charms to dry overnight to ensure the glaze sets properly.
Do not shake the bottle of glaze. This will cause air bubbles to form as you apply it to your images.
Do not use water-soluble ink to print your photos. Such inks will run when glaze is applied.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit chain image by AGITA LEIMANE from Fotolia.com
