Sparkly Valentine

 

I made the 10 x 10 canvas collage with broken rhinestone jewelry that I gather at garage sales and folks give to me.  The jewelry is really easy to turn into a work of art and I am glad to make a tutorial in celebration of  Valentine’s Day.  The truth is that heart shaped art is popular anytime of the year.  When I go to estate sales I buy all the rhinestone pins, earrings and necklaces.  It makes me a little sad that the family didn’t save the jewelry to keep in the family.  This collage would be a nice way to keep a memory of “Grandma” using her brooches.

My tutorial for today is really easy and doesn’t require a lot of rhinestone pieces like the 10 x 10 in the photo above.  Here is today’s heart plaque:

Supply list:  board for base, washi tape or scrapbook paper, rhinestone pieces, hot glue, wire for hanger and Stickles Glitter Glue.

 

The base of the plaque is a cigar lid that I covered with some of my new washi tape.  The focal brooch was the large blue one which I cut into two pieces with my trusty wire cutters.  Most metal costume jewelry comes apart ridiculously easy with wire cutters.

 

Grab the pin back and hook enclosure with the wire cutter and cut while you are gripping the brooch firmly with your other hand.  They come off sooooo easy.

 

Press the wire cutters as close as you can get to sections and snip it into pieces.

 

I planned to use the pointed end for the bottom of the heart.   Discard the pin back and cut a piece of pretty paper for the heart shape.

 

After you make a pretty base for the plaque with washi tape or scrapbook paper or paint, start playing with the rhinestone pieces.  Lay them on the heart shaped piece of paper.

If you start at the bottom of the heart with a pointed corner, the heart comes together as you fit pieces.  If a rhinestone piece is too large to fit, use the pliers to cut some of it.  I use hot glue for most pieces because it sets up so fast.  Sometimes it works better to use E6000 if a piece needs to “slide” into place.

 

Sorry about this hazy photo, I wanted to show how much difference a bead of Stickles makes the edge look finished.

 

Wouldn’t it be cool to take Grandma’s rhinestone brooches and make little heart plaques for all the daughters or granddaughters.  If they are Christmas pins, you can use the wire cutters to make them unrecognizable.  The bottom point of this 10 x 10 heart collage was a Christmas Tree shaped brooch.

 

To make the wire hanger that is hot glued on the back, cut a piece of wire and fold in half turning a loop.  Then use a needle nose plier to make some loops.  Secure to the back of the plaque with some hot glue and a piece of paper covering the wire and glue.

Happy Valentine’s Day!  Hope you have fun making a rhinestone heart plaque!