There are ways to make these pendants without using glass, I will be making a different post for that soon :D
Okay, let's get started...Oh, and if this is too much to read..lol...I posted my video for this project at the bottom :D
How to Make a Glass Tile Pendant:
Glass tile pendants seem to be all the rage lately. There are a few reasons for this. They are easy to make, you can put almost any picture you want on them, and it is a craft that you can definitely make money with! If you go to www.etsy.com and type in the words glass tile pendants you will see all the different types of glass tile pendants there are. Vendor's at etsy.com also sell all the supplies you could ever need for this project! You can make them for yourself or make them as a gift, or even make them into a business! I love to take pictures and to make these pictures into something that I can wear is just too cool!Step 1- Take a clean glass tile (make sure there are no finger oils or other debris on it) and put a few drops of rock hard drying glaze (Diamond Glaze) on one side of the glass. (I like to do kind of a zig zag across the tile so I am sure to get all four corners sealed.
Step 2- Press the the glass tile (glaze side down) firmly onto a picture that you like. Let dry. Usually a day and a half or so for drying time. Be sure not to use too much glaze or it can leave bumps on the back of your pendant and usually will show up in your picture too. Also, press firmly but not too hard. Pressing your glass too hard tends to make it slip and then you have to start over.
Step 3- After glaze has dried, cut the picture edges around the the tile so that the picture is flush with the edges.
Step 4- Take a piece of crafting paper or card stock, and secure the paper to the back of the pendant, using a permanent glue stick. Let dry..
Step5- Cut the paper around the tile so that it too is flush with the edges.
Step 6- Put a small bead of glaze around the edge of your tile, slightly covering the edges of the paper. This will seal the edges of the paper to your tile. Let dry....again...lol
Step 7- Put a small drop of glaze onto the back of the tile and spread around using a paintbrush or you finger. This will seal the back side of your pendant. A thin coat of glaze on the back is plenty.
Step 8- Glue a medium size bail onto the back of your pendant with E-6000 glue. I like to use a glue on bail that has a larger opening so that I can change out the style of necklace chain easier. (It is good to have an opening that is large enough to fit a clasp of a chain through.) Let dry.....
Step 9- put an second coat of glaze onto your pendant to give it extra protection and let dry...
You're done! Now you have your own glass tile pendant. :D
Side Notes: If the piece of glass that you are using has a side that is foggy it is a good idea to put the glaze on that side.
Also, a lot of people advise that you should use actual photo paper to do this project. I have tried this and found that regular copy paper works just fine. Almost better in my opinion. Photo paper tends to be too thick and sometimes separates from the glass while you are trimming it.
If you can't find Diamond Glaze at your local craft store Try to find Triple Thick Glaze. It works really well. I am sure that there are other options too so ask a store clerk they might know of another product if you can't find either of these. So far I have only seen Diamond Glaze sold online...
If you do mess up, or have an air bubble in your pendant that's okay. These are NOT water proof! Simply soak your pendant in water for 30 minutes or so and you can reuse your glass. your picture will not survive though.
See you next time,
-Winney
