Beginner Jewelry: Wooden Photo Earrings
Introduction: Beginner Jewelry: Wooden Photo Earrings
These are actually some of the first pieces I ever made when I started getting interested in making jewelry. I wanted some fan girl jewelry and couldn't afford to just go buy something, so I needed to make it myself. At the time I was in luck because I had a wooden necklace that had broken and was irreparable, but I had kept the wood pieces, and these became my base.
Since I was able to do it as a beginner, I think that these wooden photo earrings are definitely a project that the jewelry artist who is just starting out will benefit from. Even those of us who have been making jewelry for a while could get some joy out of earrings with photos of our choice on them.
I am using my own photos for this Instructable. You can use whatever you like, just please keep in mind that if you sell earrings like this your photos will need to be your own.
Supplies
1. Wood pieces: you can use scrap pieces you have or buy some premade. I'll talk more about this is the second step.
2. Electric drill
3. Small drill bit: mine is a #55 with a 118 degree point
4. Sandpaper, fine grit (you may decide you don't need this)
5. Photos or drawings (not pictured)
6. A computer or laptop with a word document program (not pictured)
7. A printer with colored ink (if your photo is colored). Mine is an inkjet. (not pictured)
8. Regular white copy paper
9. Scissors
10. Pen or pencil
11. Mod Podge or Polyurethane Varnish or some other sealer
12. Brush
13. 95
A pin (you don't have to have it)
14. Round-nose pliers
15. Jump Rings
16. Earring Hooks
Step 1: Wooden Pieces
The wooden pieces should have a flat or pretty much flat side to them. They can be whatever size you want, but you want them to be a size that you can wear comfortably.
As I said earlier, you can use scrap pieces of wood if you have any. You will probably have more work because you will need to sand your scrap pieces to make them smooth and to shape them.
If you don't have scrap pieces, or you don't want to mess with that, you can buy premade little wood circles, squares, and other shapes at craft stores. I bought mine at our local chain craft store. You can even find them at Walmart. You just want pieces that are pretty thin and the diameter you want.
Since I bought a variety pack, I have a couple sizes to pick from. I am going to use the largest circle size I have (you can see in the photo how big it is), but size is up to you.
Step 2: How to Remove and Add a Drill Bit
I put my #55 micro drill bit into the drill.
On my drill you hold the chuck (the piece were you put the drill bit) while you run the drill in reverse. This causes the end to open up so you can remove the drill bit that is in the drill.
(The reverse/forward button is a little push in button that you should find somewhere above the speed trigger. You push on it one way and the drill runs in reverse. Push it in the other way and the drill will run forwards.)
Then I place my #55 drill bit in the end and hold onto it with a few of my fingers so I can make sure it is straight. I turn the drill to run forwards. Slowly I run the drill until the end closes around the drill bit.
Now we are ready!
Step 3: Drill
Place your wood piece on a surface that you can safely drill on (not the kitchen table). Remember that your drill bit will be going all the way through the wood.
You may want to mark with a pen or pencil where you want the hole. You can carefully hold onto the wood piece with one hand while running the drill with the other. Just make sure your fingers are no where near the drill bit.
Holding the drill straight up from the wood piece, place the bit where you want the hole. Slowly run the drill forwards until it goes all the way through the wood.
*Alternatively, hold the piece in your fingers while you drill, but this is more dangerous! Be careful!
Turn the drill to reverse, and run the drill as you bring the drill bit out of the hole. This helps make the hole smooth.
Make sure to do this slowly because if you go too fast you may cause your piece to move or you might crack the wood.
Step 4: Sand (optional)
The hole might have little rough edges, so we will sandpaper that. 56