DIY Decoupage Gold Embossed Wood Disc Earrings

DIY Decoupage art jewelry earrings with gold embossing.  I had a bunch wood discs left over from another project so I thought what better way to use them up along with my scrap decoupage paper. 

I used my Sun and Moon Glaze for the decoupage glue but you can use Mod Podge. It has been years since I've done any stamping so this was an experiment. I found this cool stamp at JoAnn's; most stamps are too big for jewelry but I thought I could use sections of it. I also grabbed a Perfect Pearls embossing kit hoping this would work:

I had no idea if my idea was going to work, I googled but couldn't find any info on how to make the Perfect Pearls permanent for jewelry.  I've used powders on poly clay but not stamped! When my decoupaged discs were dry I just took the Perfect Medium, a clear but sticky "ink",  and patted it onto an area of my stamp. I then carefully pressed the disc onto the stamp without moving or smudging, then lifted it off.  At this point you can't see a thing but then I took the bigger soft brush that came with my kit and patted on a little of the Perfect Pearls gold powder, brushed it off and like magic the gold letters appeared:

 

So that looked great... but I've never had luck with sealing metallic paints; Krylon spray would cause things to run or the shimmer would go away so I was a bit nervous. I found in my closet, a sealer by Speedball made for gold leaf so I thought I would give it a try:

I thought maybe three very LIGHT coats may do the job and just maybe the gold wont run. So I  sprayed.....and a big blob of spray came out!!! Sure it was old and was in my closet for years!  I thought I ruined my earrings but I continued to spray the big blobs until everything looked evenly coated.  Okay,  they didn't run but will they become a goopy mess? Maybe the glaze and this spray aren't compatible like what usually happens to me so I left them to dry. I went back and checked them after maybe twenty minutes and they were completely rock hard and dry!  I will getting more of this spray sealer!  I drilled the holes, added some beads and earring wires and what do you think? I may make more! If you don't want to take all of the time to make these you can find them in my Etsy shop: (just click on the photo below)

See my other Decoupage Earrings DIY using old maps!

For more DIY jewelry tutorials follow my Pinterest board: DIY Jewelry Tutorials


If you have any crafts,  decoupage or gold embossing tips let us know! All comments are welcomed below:

Decoupage Map Earrings - DIY Jewelry Tutorial

Decoupage earrings made from a topography map

I love maps so I naturally have a pile of old maps that I have collected over the years.  I made a decoupaged map mannequin head, made map pen holders and spruced up an old acrylic mixed media painting with maps! Since I am a jeweler, I had to try map jewelry! I had a bunch wood discs left over from another project (you can find these at craft stores or online) These are easy to make but take many steps to complete.

Steps:

1) To prevent warping seal both sides with clear Krylon acrylic spray found in craft or hardware stores. I let them dry overnight. You can color the edges with a Sharpie first!

Maps ready to be glued to wood discs

2) Use a paper punch or trace the outline of your discs and cut out your maps.

I use a gloss decoupage glue

3) Using Mod Podge or any decoupage glue ( I used my Sun and Moon glaze) paint a medium layer onto the disc and place the paper on pressing out any air bubbles, I use an old mouse pad with waxed paper and press! Make sure you clean off the excess along the edges.  I let the paper dry about 15 minutes and then do the other side. I let these dry overnight, this makes trimming easier.

4) Trim the paper edges with small sharp scissors. I like to file the edges with a file or fingernail file for a nice clean edge.

5) With a good brush add a light to medium coat of the decoupage glue and repeat 2-3 times waiting 15 minutes or so between coats. If it is humid, you may want to wait longer.

6) Drill holes and hang from ear wires when dry! If you don't want to go through all of these steps just find these map earrings all ready to ship in my Etsy shop! They make great gifts!

map earrings

Here are some ideas on how to wear your map earrings:

 Be sure to follow my Pinterest board,  Maps Crafting and Decor  for more great ideas using maps!

Do you love maps?  Do you like these map earrings or do you have other fun ideas that use maps? Comments are welcomed below.