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NEW Glass Tile Pendant Tutorial Using Trays | New Tips & Techniques

March 21, 2013 By Laura 28 Comments

It is not often that I ever do the same craft-like project, twice. But I’ve got a feeling that making glass tile pendant pieces are going to be something I’ll be doing again, and again. I am so fond of the high quality feel of the finished pieces, the variety of styles that can be made, the multitude of purposes they can be made to be used for, and the fact that I simply enjoy making them for myself and as gifts for others. By knowing how to do the general process of making glass tile pieces, you will then have the ability to make all kinds of wonderful and customized things, such as jewelry necklace (bracelet or ring) pendants, decorative magnets, key chains, drink coaster sets, vehicle rear-view mirror hangings, home decor embellishments, and so much more.

Recently, I did a whole lot of experimenting with making glass tile pieces, and in the process, learned quite a bit in my quest to perfect my techniques. Knowing what works well, or best, while crafting these, is information I wanted to have, considering I do plan on continuing to make them as I get the whim. In this post, I wanted to pass on all of those tips to you, if you are considering making some tiles yourself. I will also compare the different style of these that I made, with the first time I made some glass tile pieces.

The first post I did on some glass tile pendants I made, was a detailed step-by-step tutorial, and it has been very popular in traffic.
Here below is a photo of just a couple of the finished pieces.

Those pendants were made differently, and are ultimately different in style, than the ones I am sharing today.
But they were also made with different materials. Let me tell you about that first: The first time, I used some beautiful, 2-sided scrapbooking paper (different on opposite sides), which is an adequately heavy stock to work with, and is also acid-free and manufactured printed, is completely permanent and so does not run or change in any way. With the endless choices of beautiful scrapbooking papers available today, it’s definitely a wonderful option, when deciding on the designs of your pieces.

Briefly put, the way in which they are made is that the 2-sided papers you chose applies directly onto the back of the tile, sealed with the glaze used, and the bail adhered directly to the back. (All seen in photo above. You can see the complete tutorial here. I also made some lovely magnet sets at the same time. This method is just a bit more unfinished in the way that it is evident that they are hand-crafted. I would also say that they are a bit more work than the method I’m sharing in a moment, because the paper needs to be closely trimmed to size of the tile, and then the edges need some sanding down. Still, they are beautiful finished pieces in their own way, and most everyone has a certain appreciation for hand-crafted jewelry. If you would like to follow the tutorial for that style of glass tile pendants, please see that post.
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Now let’s move on to what I am sharing today. The glass tile pendant tutorial in this post is with using trays, which already have a bail. I am going to show you how these are made differently.

The bronze trays you see above (there are many sizes, shapes, finishes and styles available), designed to hold a graphic and glass tile, are shown in the above photos.
But first, I’d like to talk about the graphics. Meaning, the image/design that will show through the glass tile. If you would like to skip right to the successful method I used, you can jump to the SUCCESS paragraph.

If you’d like to learn through my own personal errors and just have the power of knowledge about what does not work well in relation to printing the graphics yourself, you can also read the FAIL paragraphs.

FAIL: My trials and challenges came with hoping that I could print any graphics I wanted to use, myself. I had heard though that when using printed graphics in a craft in which the paper would come in contact with any kind of wet medium, a laser printer needed to be used, or else (if using an ink-jet printer) the ink would likely bleed/discolor, or change in some undesirable manner. We do not have a laser printer; but in fact an ink-jet printer. Which from what I knew, as I just stated, was going to result in problems. However, I had found this stuff called Micro-Glaze, that in description of the consistency, is much like a shortening. It meant to be used to apply with a brush to the surface of the printed paper graphics, even if from an ink-jet printer, and supposedly protect the inks from the wet medium and any adverse effects. Well I can report that I tried again and again, following instructions and in various manners, without success. While the pieces always initially seemed fine, the following day the colors of the graphics became muddled beneath the glass (now permanently set), and soon it was a hot visual mess. Very frustrating in terms of a waste of time, as well as a waste of glass tile pendant supplies that are not meant to be so consumable and disposable.

FAIL: So, as seemed to be the recommendation for printing, I sent my graphics to be printed at the local copy center (Staples), that indeed only prints with laser printers. But again, I had the same sort of issues with the ink of the graphics getting blurry and muddled, and generally not looking like a clean graphic that kept it’s colors quality. I was sure it was an ink/printing issue, and not any other supply I was using, because I was generally using the same materials I used last time, with the addition of trays. The only thing different, was that I was either printing my graphics, or having them printed, as opposed to purchased, acid-free, 2-sided scrap booking paper. Finally, I found the solution to being able to use graphics I made myself or found somewhere, that needed to be printed somehow first.

SUCCESS: Lastly, I decided to have the graphics I wanted to use, printed as photos. (So, on photo paper.) I was quite confident this was going to be the method that finally worked for me. While ordering those photos, in a spur of the moment decision, I chose for the photos to me printed on metallic paper. I’m not sure if or where that may be an option for you. But as a professional photographer, I choose to have all of my photos printed by my lab for professional photographers only. (This is to ensure that my photos are printed to my specific editing settings.) I just thought maybe the metallic paper would throw a little more light back from the pendant graphic behind the glass, and I was right. But metallic paper is in no way necessary. Regular photo printing will be just as successful in the beauty of your piece.

Another product you’ll need for these kind of projects is Diamond Glaze.

This versatile product serves as an adhesive, as well as a crystal-clear sealer, and even a dimensional liquid you can apply that dries clear and as hard as glass!
I have tried a couple of other products that have claimed the same, but this one is the best quality stuff, in my opinion. The bottle sizes it comes in are small, but that is because it goes a long way.

For the highest quality of pieces, I also highly suggest using only the highest quality of glass tiles.
I will give you links to my supplier at the end of my post.

Here is how I make glass tile pendants in 4 easy steps:

1) With your graphics trimmed to size for your pendant (and checked for fitting), put just a drop or 2 of Diamond Glaze medium in the bottom of the pendant. Using a small flat brush, spread the glaze to cover the bottom of the pendant edge to edge. This will serve as an adhesive.

2) Lay your graphic over the just applied glaze. Only gently tap down all over. You don’t want to squish the adhesive underneath out and over the sides of your graphic.

3) On top of the graphic, in the middle areas, squeeze another drop or 2 of glaze. There is no need to spread it with this small pendant.

4) Gently place your glass tile on top of the glaze puddle. The weight of the tile will automatically squish-spread the glaze beneath the glass.
Immediately look for any air bubbles and gently press the glass tile in the appropriate places to force the air bubble out from under the edge of the tile.

You can now leave your piece to dry and harden. If you notice that the tile is sliding more to one side or the other, because there is just enough excess space to do so, just take a little folded piece of paper to hold the gap, and your tile in place, as shown in the above photo. (But try not to let the paper tip come in contact with the glaze in the bottom of the pendant.)

Here is a finished pendant on a matching bronze chain. I made this one for my sister, first.
She calls great Christian tunes “Jesus music”, and the crown made me think of Jesus (the Prince).
Then after I made it, I loved it so much, I made more: for me, my oldest daughter, and some friends. LOL

You can change it up, and wear your pendant on a little fancy, feminine ribbon.

Here’s another I made; a guitar pick shape.
The crown on a music sheet pattern, as well as this music note, are graphics I found online.

But this next one ( 2 shown on the sheet), I custom designed very specially, and there is a story that goes with it . . . .

Our 10 year old son Shane plays piano, and he has a wonderful piano teacher. When his first public performance was coming up, he found himself nervous about the upcoming occasion. So he told his teacher about his nerves, and asked her for any advice or tips she might have for him. She explained that being a little nervous was very normal, and how she herself has been very nervous with her own performances in the past. She recommended forgetting about all of the people there watching and listening, and then added:

“You know Shane, just play for God.”

Well, those were words that resonated with Shane. And in essence, changed him. From that moment on, because of this suggestion, and the new light he saw it in, his nerves disappeared. When performance day came, he walked up there as calm as could be, and gave a beautiful and flawless performance.

It’s amazing, how someone can say just the right thing, in just the right way, that really speaks to our heart. It was words that really meant something to Shane, and I literally watched the effect wash over him, and stick. So I decided I really wanted to design a meaningful pendant for his teacher, that expressed her powerful words. As a reminder that they truly meant something to someone, and helped them not only in the present time, but likely words that will be there for him to fall back on, for the rest of his life.

I purchased these silver-plated rectangle pendants on Etsy, with a shiny silver matching chain, and trimmed the quote-graphic to fit perfectly.

Here are the gorgeous rectangle glass tiles to fit.

Here is the finished pendant, which was a gift he gave to his piano teacher, while (verbally)sharing with her how much her words meant to him, and why he wanted her to have this.
She cried, and it clearly meant a lot to her. We’ve seen her wear it often, too.
I had to make myself one as well.

And I made Shane a dog tag with the same graphic, which he wears with his medical i.d. dog tag (for his severe peanut allergy.)

My best recommendation for jewelry supplies is to look around Etsy. I did have a great supply vendor there, but she seems to be out of business now. Still, there are many similar vendors on Etsy. I suggest first searching for ‘pure white glass tiles’, and then hopefully they will also carry the rest of what you’ll need. But the tiles, in my opinion, are the most important supply. I have found that the ‘pure white glass’ tiles are particularly superior in quality. So definitely make an effort to try to find those, whether you can find them on Etsy, or elsewhere.

I DO hope this tutorial has been helpful to you, and inspires you to make some beautiful glass tiles of your own!
Please leave any questions or comments you may have, in the comments section below, and I will respond best I can.
Thanks for hanging out with me.

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Glass Tile Pendants and Magnet Sets | Tutorial | Handmade Gifts

March 25, 2012 By Laura 27 Comments

Today we’re going to show you how we made these beautiful glass pendants and magnets. They make such beautiful gifts, for women, as necklaces or magnet sets. I’m sure you could use the same technique to make other jewelry as well, such as cuff bracelets or rings.
You can choose any cardstock print you love, and the necklace pendants can be worn on any necklace chain, ribbon or cord. So they can be very versatile in style, for you or your gift recipient’s liking.

This was the my first time doing this particular project. But in doing, so I learned lots of tips and tricks along the way, that I’ll be sharing with you throughout this tutorial. Also, at the end I will share with you the specifications of the supplies, and the resource where you can get them, as I did. So let’s get started:

Here are all of the supplies I used, but I’ll give more details and sources at the end, so you know exactly what to get, and where:

2-sided designer card stock
glass tile rectangles
glass tile squares
magnets, with adhesive
sterling silver plated bails
Diamond Glaze Dimensional Adhesive
an x-acto blade
a synthetic hair paint brush

002_glass-tiles-bails-magnets Here is a closer look, at the beautiful tiles, bails and magnets I started with.

005_making-glass-magnets All of the tiles, both pendants and magnets, are made by adhering beautiful card stock paper behind the tile, which is then magnified through the glass in such a pretty way.

So here’s a TIP to start: Before applying any adhesive, I put each tile on the paper I’d be using, and moved it around and looked at the design coming through, so I could decide ahead of time, exactly where I wanted to place each tile.

Once I decide that, I put a little Diamond Glaze on the center back (flat side) of a tile, and then spread it out with a little brush to the edges, pressing out any bubbles with my brush. I’d give it a moment to get a little tacky and less wet, and then I’d place and press down onto the paper where I wanted it.

TIP: Eventually I got tired of squeezing it out of the bottle, so I’d put a small puddle on a coated paper-plate, to work from with the brush. You can do that too, if you want to.

TIP: In pressing it down hard enough, to be sure there is no air bubbles, the adhesive smooshes out from underneath the sides of the tile little. You don’t want to leave it, because it hardens like glass! And you’ll be trimming the excess paper off. So, I used little pieces of twisted paper towels, to clean/wipe the sides, every time. If you leave it, you will not be able to trim the paper neatly.

Also, I often carefully picked up the paper with the tile on it, and rubbed the back down too, just to be sure it was smoothed out. Any of the tiles may need to be pressed down repeatedly, as air bubbles tend to sneak in. So just keep checking them until they are drier.

One by one, get all of your tiles adhered to the paper.

006_glass-tile-crafting Once they are all adhered and dried, it’s time to trim.

TIP: To know if they are dry enough, simply touch the back-side of the tiles where the paper is, and if it is at all cool to the touch or damp feeling, leave them longer to dry. I honestly do not have any time frames for you on drying time, because I made a LOT of tiles in a craft period spread over 2 days.

But once you know they are dry, trim the tiles out of the paper, very closely to the edge of the tiles. I always cut on my self-healing cutting mat. But you can use dense cardboard (not corrugated), if you need to.

Once all of the tiles are trimmed out, they look pretty done from the front! You’ll see how beautiful they are already, and you’ll be inspired to make them wearable, or be able to place on a refrigerator. So they need bails or magnets!

007_making-glass-pendant-necklaces Now I wanted to give the whole back-side of the tiles a coat of Diamond Glaze, as well, brushing just over the edges of the paper as well. The purpose of this is to protect the paper, seal the edges, and make the backs glass-like as well.

TIP: Whenever and where-ever you brush on this glaze, you want to use an adequate amount to let it settle to a glass-like surface. If you brush too thinly, just know it will leave a brush marks in those areas. Allow them to dry completely.

If you want to be sure they are thoroughly dry, leave them overnight before the next step.

From there, I lightly sanded any rough edges of paper I felt, with fine sand paper, just to make it feel smooth. I wiped off any fine dust from that.

Once all of the backs were dry, it was time to add the bails to the backs of the pendants. Basically, I just added a dab of glaze straight from the bottle, onto the center back top of the pendants.

TIP: Be sure to look at the front design, to check that you won’t be adding your bail to the wrong end, leaving you with an upside down pendant! ; ) (I was proud of me for remembering to check that, before I made that mistake.)

009making-glass-tile-pendants Once it has tacked up just a bit, I pressed my bails on just like shown, and then cleaned up what smooshed out, with my brush.

TIP: As you work throughout this whole process, you may want to clean your brush. The Diamond Glaze is washable, and so so is your brush! Just wash with warm water (maybe a bit of dish soap if need be), rinse well, and dry.

010_making-magnets
For the magnets, add a small dollop of glaze to the center of the back of the magnets. It will tack up a bit while you try to pry the magnets apart, and peel the adhesive backing off of one. Then just press the sticky part down onto the center of the magnet. Again, clean up any glaze that squished out, for a cleaner looking finished piece.

TIP: If you use too much glaze, the magnet will just slide off center. Just move it back in place. As the glaze tacks up, it’ll stay. I can see a couple of mine above slid a little, and I missed it.

Another Tip: After all of the pieces were dried, I went back one more time, and added a bit of glaze around the magnets, and around the bails (and underneath the loop), then smoothing with the brush, just for a little more re-enforcement. Whether they really needed that or not, I don’t know. But I just wanted to be sure the bail would not lift the paper if pressed on, or the magnets would not stay on the fridge and the tile be left in anyone’s hand without the magnet, when moving them! So I took the time for that extra step.

011_making-pendant-necklaces As I said before, they can be worn on a ball chain as a necklace. But they are so versatile for various outfit styles! Consider wearing them on box chains, suede string, leather cords, or a matching sheer or satin ribbon!

Closer peeks of pendants….

….and the magnets sets….

017_glass-tile-pendant-necklaces-craft The chained pendants, lying on the table.

I found the perfect boxes, to package these gifts in.

019_glass-tile-pendants-magnets I started, trying to fold the tissue paper. But ummm….honestly, there needs to be a youtube filmage someday, on me and tissue paper, trying to work together. I have NO = NONE = ZERO patience for it! It took me….seconds, to just crumble it up, and start stuffing it in the boxes! But you know, in the end, the look kind of worked, with the slick glass pieces!

I was SO excited to finish packaging them up, and get them to the post office!

020_glass-tile-magnets-pendants I was just thrilled, with how nice they all came out! Granted, every piece was not absolutely perfect, but they were made with absolute love! That’s what anything homemade, is all about!

In closing, I’d like to give the the specifications and resources, if you’d like to try making these yourself. Because really, it’s quite easy, quite fun, and you’ll be amazed at what beautiful pieces you made all-by-yourself! What a perfect gift for a special friend’s birthday, or as Mother’s Day or Christmas gifts! Someone, could be impressed with you. ; )

EXTRA TIPS:

CARD STOCK CHAT: You do really need to use heavy designer card stock for these, as opposed to regular scrap booking paper. The layer of glaze would make regular weight paper very soggy and ripply, very fast. You’d have a hot mess on your hands, quickly. The heavier stock holds up to the glaze much better. Also, I really loved using the 2 sided designer card stock, because the coordinating papers made really nice coordinating mixed sets of magnets! I had fun putting them together. The brand I used of the card stock were pads by K&Company.

MAGNETS: I got the 1/2″, ‘3 pounds of force’ Neodymium magnets for strength. Of course, I had no idea what that meant. I can tell you, they have some crazy force!! I had a few comical happenings! At times, they just kept pushing away from each other. Or, they would just pulling each other and piling up, with no sense of control! Chaos, I tell you! So maybe I got too strong? But it’s better than the frustration of weak magnets!

GLASS TILES: I got/used 7/8″ Square Pure White Glass Hand-Cut Tiles, and 1-7/8″ x 7/8″ Rectangle Pure White Glass Handcut Tiles

BAILS: Sterling Silver, Standard Small. (There are various styles.)

DIAMOND GLAZE: 2 Oz. Bottle. – This stuff can be used as a glaze, and also as an adhesive. As you know, I used it for both in this project! It dries beautifully clear, and glass-hard! So it can also be used dimensionally! For example, as raised glass dots on a piece, or to add pop to any design! I can’t wait to work with it some more.

SUPPLY SOURCE: Well, the card stock pad I got at Michael’s Arts & Crafts. But everything else….the tiles, bails, magnets and Diamond Glaze, I got on Etsy! I would start by searching look for a vendor who sells glass tiles, and in particular, search for ‘pure white glass’ tiles. They seem to be superior in quality, in my experience. I did have a specific vendor I could recommend, from whom I bought my supplies from, but she seems to be out of business now.

* That’s a wrap to this project! I hope you loved what you saw, and find yourself inspired! You can do this! Please feel free to ask any questions you may have in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them for you, or just leave some love, if you’d like. Thanks for coming by!

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