Faux Tin Type Bracelet and Earrings
When I received these faux tin type photographs from Susan Lenart Kazmer’s Industrial Chic Line I thought they were brilliant!
Industrial Chic by Susan Lenart Kazmer is available exclusively at Michaels Craft Stores.
You see, there is a facet of my life that a lot of people don’t know about me. I am an obsessive vintage collector. I have hundreds of jewelry pieces, closets full of wonderful old clothing, and boxes of antique photos. Almost none of which I’m willing to part with or upcycle.
This is the back side of the bracelet.
Presented with these photo pieces I immediately went into deep thought of how to make them wearable. I realize that making tin type photos into jewelry isn’t the most original idea on the planet. But unlike originals, that I can’t bear to cut into, these were made to manipulate and turn into something else. So many ideas came to mind! But I started with a bracelet and earring set. Who knows what I’ll make next!
Susan M. Walls
Materials:
2 SLK Industrial Chic faux tin type photos and beaded chains in pearl, red, and topaz, safety glasses, Dremel tool with small drill bit, metal shears, metal or strong nail files, pearl reamer, jewelry pliers, large dowel or other round item, miscellaneous jump rings, ribbons or fibers of your choice, miscellaneous jewelry findings
Instructions:
Gather all your ingredients and play with placement of beads and sizes of possible cuts to tin types.
Don your fashionable safety glasses to protect your eyes from any flying material.
Measure and cut your tin types with metal shears. Make sure to measure your wrist to estimate the correct length of your bracelet.
To easier round edges snip off small pieces of the corners then file all sides and any points until smooth.
Decide where jump rings will be placed then your holes drill holes. Tip: use a pointed nail or an awl to mark an indent where each hole is to be drilled. This way your drill won’t dance over the surface and mar your lovely photos.
Use your pearl reamer to smooth the interior of your holes. Round your pieces over the dowel, bending and shaping into a slight curve, to better fit your wrist. Place jump rings and adjust for sizing. Use your beaded chain in varying lengths from jump ring to jump ring as desired.
Lace your ribbon choices to provide a closure. Follow the same steps adding earring findings to make a gorgeous vintage looking jewelry set!
Ideas: Use alcohol inks to colorize the photos for a special one of a kind effect!
They look amazing! I wish Michaels had stores in the UK or sold their stuff online but I suppose I could find old photos and still have a go at this project. Could you Ice Resin the photos to make them durable enough instead of sticking them onto metal?
Im almost certain you can just make sure to set a piece of wire into the resin so that when it dries you make the wire into a link ~
Thank you for the advice Tara, much appreciated
)
I love these – very cool!
Very cool idea
Gorgeous Susan…love the colours you have used and both the bracelet and ear-rings are very pleasing to the eye. Man I wished we had Michael’s in Oz too!!!
just love the look of tintypes incorporated into wearable jewelry.
Susan Walls ~ how clever of you to turn these into jewelry! I love them both and never would have thought to do this. I love vintage items too and have a small collection. Perhaps it’s time to dig into them and make something beautiful inspired by your work! Thank you for sharing.
Love!!! <3 Trying to figure out how I can make my grandmother into jewelry now.
Just found your products at Michaels…New addiction. Love the braclet.
Thanks! Enjoy!