Ever wondered what to do with a broken or heavily chipped vintage plate rather than throwing it away? Let me show you how to make a simple necklace that is not only unique, but also fun to make and will be the envy of your friends! Or why not invite them all over for an upcycled jewellery party and make a ceramic plate pendant each!
MATERIALS USED:
- A broken or chipped plate or saucer
- Silver electrical or duct tape with a smooth finish
- A small pendant jewellery bail
- A chain to match the bail
EQUIPMENT NEEDED:
- Heavy duty tile cutter
- Sandpaper
- Super glue or a glue gun
HOW TO MAKE THIS PROJECT
Step 1:
Choose a broken plate or saucer that cannot be used anymore. Using your tile cutters cut the plate into smaller pieces until you get a size or shape that would work for a pendant necklace. I wanted a triangle shape, a bit like a shark’s tooth but any shape works. Consider the length of the chain you will be using; larger pieces will work better on a longer length of chain.
Top Tip: For more information on how to cut plates with ease see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz2c_LcXRR0
Step 2:
When you are happy with your piece, gently sand the sides using sandpaper to smooth down any rough edges
Step 3:
Take your silver tape and cut it down to the width of the ceramic piece and long enough to cover all sides in one go. You can buy different widths of tape but the narrower versions tend to be more expensive so I chose to use a standard wide tape and to cut it down to size. Ensure you have chosen smooth tape not the ridged type. This is to give the effect of faux soldering.
Step 4:
Slowly peal of the backing and stick the tape to the edges of the pendant. If you have any overhang, don’t worry as you can gently smooth this down over the top of back but make sure that this is even. When this is all in place, use your fingers to smooth it down.
Step 5:
Position the jewellery bail behind the pendant and glue in place.
Step 6:
Thread a chain through the bail and your ceramic plate pendant is ready to wear!
This is my article for August’s Reloved magazine. Watch out for the current copy which has an upcycled tin desk tidy project.
Kate x
