Glitter Glue Jewelry

Glitter glue is such a fun art supply to have on hand. These little pins were made simply by decorating small shapes, cut from cardboard, with glitter glue. When they dried I added pin backs with Tacky Glue. I was quite successful making these with a group of five year olds. But I don't think they should be just for kids. I'm going to wear mine on the pictured blouse today!

Washer Necklaces

Painting a washer with nail polish and turning it into a pendant is a relatively easy and gratifying project even for small fingers. The nail polish on metal creates the look of glossy enamel. Make sure you start with a covered work area since the bottles of polish are not entirely spill proof. I would recommend that the brush be overloaded with polish and allowed to drop onto the washer. If you try to brush it, the polish will not cover well and will tend to mix together resulting in muddy colors. Droplets of color can be added on top of each other. Work in a ventilated area. Thank goodness nail polish is no longer limited to shades of red, pink and orange! Finish off your project with a decorative cord and a bead.

Necklace

Polymer clay is so much fun to work with since it is available in such luscious colors. I generally like to mix two or three colors together until swirly patterns appear. When you first open a package it is necessary to knead the clay so that the warmth of your hands make it softer and easier to manipulate. I used three simple bead shapes in my necklace. For the round beads I just rolled the clay into balls and used a toothpick for the opening, the tube shaped beads I made by rolling the clay as if I were making a snake and with the little triangles I rolled out clay with a rolling pin and then cut out the shapes with a butter knife. After following the package directions for baking them in your oven they will still be soft to the touch for a few minutes. I strung the beads on the cord that is pictured below and the spacer beads and barrel clasp I picked up at a craft store.