Scrabble tile jewelry was very popular around 12 years ago if my memory serves me well, Scrabble tiles were being used for upcycling, people were using them as the base for pendants and charms. Scrabble tiles crafts became so popular that crafting companies started to manufacture fake scrabble tiles
for the sole purpose of crafting.
Now I am not going to tell you not to use the fake ones, they are great, they are perfect in fact, especially if you are after particular letters or want a nice flat surface for adding a photo or graphic to. BUT! The main purpose of using scrabble tiles was to upcycle, reuse those old board games pieces and turn them into something new. So if you have old ones to recycle please consider using those old scrabble tile and game pieces first.
The most common way to use a scrabble tile is by adding an image and attaching a flat back jewelry bail. I have made hundreds of these and the easiest product to use for a high gloss finish is Diamond glaze
. It is very similar to a resin finish without all the measuring. If you want to save some money use PVA glue and a simple clear varnish, You can even make your own Bails with wire.
If you have a box full of Scrabble tiles to upcycle check out these other crafty ways to use tiles that are not jewelry orientated.
DIY Scrabble Tile Coasters — CraftBits.com
Father’s Day Craft: Scrabble Tile Coaster — CraftBits.com
Father’s Day Craft: Scrabble Tile Picture Holder
From this point in the jewelry-making roundup, they are all jewelry, mostly pendants, and earrings, but take a moment to check them all out for ideas and inspiration.
Recycled Scrabble Tile Earrings
Recycled Scrabble Tile Magnets
Recycled Scrabble Tile Pendant
Cast a Scrabble Tile Necklace – 365 Days of Crafts
Washi Tape Scrabble Tile Pendant
Make a Bracelet from Scrabble® Tiles
DIY Scrabble Tile Pendant Tutorial Scrabble Tile Jewelry
Scrabble Tile Pendant Tutorial – Art by Debbie Saenz
Let’s Make Scrabble DIY Jewelry
How to make a gorgeous scrabble tile pendant with Annie Howes
Inside Out DIY Scrabble Tile Necklace Pendant
Howes-Personalized Collage Keepsakes
Simple Scrabble Tile Pendant Necklaces
Tutorial + How-to: Make Scrabble Tile Pendants • Crafting a Green World
There has been a genuine boom in the jewelry industry over the last couple of years and now no outfit is complete without that latest bit of bling tied around your wrist or neck. Yet, I found myself getting increasingly flustered at the amount you had to pay to get really stylish pieces. I found myself constantly staring at price tags in disbelief and thinking to myself “I can do better than that.” And that is exactly what I did…
I had never been the artistic type but I decided with my first piece of jewelry that I should do myself a sketch to get a feeling of what I wanted to achieve, otherwise, I may have just been a headless chicken running aimlessly around the bead store. I have to say that although I am a self-confessed straight-down-the-line kind of girl and even the sight of a paintbrush at school would cause me to hyperventilate, putting my jewelry ideas down on paper really encouraged me to think that I could create something really worthwhile and something that could look just as good as the items in most stores.
I have to say that I have never been as amazed as when I walked into a fantastic bead store. It was the proverbial Aladdin’s cave. Everything you could ever imagine to make my first piece of jewelry. I know this is the most boring part of the jewelry-making process but it is vital that you get the correct bits of equipment. This includes a wire cutter and jewelry pliers. But the fun can begin once you have got that boring bit out of the way.
I spent hours trailing around the shop looking at the rainbow of beads available and the different colored wires, more designs sprung into my head as I was wandering around. I managed to find exactly what I was looking for and for less than a good quality piece necklace would cost you in a shop. I was so excited when I got home and opened up the beautifully wrapped beads and wires I had purchased…talk about that Christmas morning effect!
I was eager to get my first design on the go. And believe me, it is time-consuming and at times frustrating but hey I can tell you that it is worth it. To fight and twist with every bit of wire and try and attach fidgety little charms to the necklace I had designed myself, really made me feel that I had accomplished something. I was really proud of myself.
Anyone can buy a necklace in a shop and yes it looks good but then again it costs as much. But the great excitement you feel when you design a piece of jewelry and then the buzz you get selecting from a rainbow of beads and little charms. Then when you first wear that jewelry and even better when you get a compliment on it, you know that it was you that did it and that pride is fantastic.
And That’s The Joy Of Making Your Own Jewelry!
