Silhouette Jewelry How-to...(Mom, You're Not Allowed to Read This)

Mom, I'm serious. If you're reading this, jump on over to Amy's blog or something. Or at least start practicing your surprised look when you open up your gift on Mother's Day.

I'm so excited about this project I just did that I decided to post about it right away for those of you who may still be stumped as to what to get your mom for her big day. After browsing the aisles of Hobby Lobby & finding out that their jewelry-making supplies are 50% off this week, I came up with this Silhouette Charm Necklace using pictures of my kids:

Do you love it? I'm totally ga-ga over my new necklace & I'm pretty sure my mom's going to love her gift as well.

The great news about this project is that it's relatively quick & also pretty easy. Trust me, you can do this!

So, here's what to do:

Head to Hobby Lobby or any place that sells these bezel pendants & a necklace chains.

You'll also need a small amount of scrapbook or other pretty paper & some Gloss Mod Podge.

Next, cut your pretty papers to fit your pendants & paint on a thin layer of the Mod Podge on the back of the paper to secure it inside the pendant.

Then, take pictures of your kids. The best idea is to take their side profile shot in front of a white wall or curtain. You want to be able to get a nice contrast. Also, I would recommend they wear a dark-colored shirt. Keep the lighting low & do not use a flash. Take several shots so you'll have plenty to choose from later. Here's the one I used of Lola:

Once you choose the picture you want to use, print the picture out on plain paper in black & white at the percentage you need to fit your pendant. It will take some trial & error to figure out the correct percentage. For me, the magic number was 2%. Yes, it will be tiny.

Then take some sharp scissors & very carefully cut around the silhouette. This is a little tricky, but it just takes a little patience & you'll find out it's no big deal.

Once it's cut out, you'll see that even though it's a photo, the details get lost because it's so tiny & it just becomes a little silhouette!

Then, use a little more Mod Podge to apply the silhouette to the paper. Once it's in place, use your paint brush to paint a thin layer of the Gloss Mod Podge over the entire background & silhouette...

Then, just let them dry (only takes about 15 minutes!) & add them onto your necklace. If you have a special doming medium you like to use for other jewelry, I'm sure that would work as well. But, for quick & easy--the Mod Podge works great.

Can you tell I really like this?

My mom's getting this cute bracelet with the silhouettes of all her grandkids...

I'm thinking she'll like it.

So, who's going to give this a try?

Sharing the fun at a few of these parties... Stop by & say "hi!"