Make A Thing: Heartthrob Necklaces

Welcome to the million billionth installment of Make A Thing where people stop being polite and start getting real. I’m just kidding, this is the most polite column and we make handmade gifts for people! Or ourselves. Or our cats. Mostly our cats. 

Header by Rory Midhani

I don’t know if you heard, but A-Camp was last week. I had the privilege and honor of being cabin staff for the Heartthrobs cabin with Crystal, and we decided it’d be fun to make our campers a gift to symbolize the fact that they are Heartthrobs (spoiler alert: everyone in my cabin was a babe and so deserving of the title of heartthrob). We came up with the idea of making them necklaces with anatomical hearts, and voila, here they are!

These necklaces are actually so simple to make you’d never believe it. You just have to get the right supplies and then it takes about ten minutes, including mod podge drying time.

Heartthrob Necklaces

Supplies Needed:
+ Pendant Bezel
+ Glass cabochon the same size as your pendant bezel (or you can buy them together in a kit like this!)
+ Pencil
+ Scissors
+ Mod Podge
+ Super glue
+ Necklace or string

Level of Difficulty: Easier than getting this One Direction song out of my head, which I haven’t been able to do since A-Camp Prom.

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For some reason, the glass cabochons come in packs of eight and the bezels come in packs of two. WHY?! I used the 21mm size.

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1. Make a template for cutting out your design by tracing the glass cabochon. I did this and then tested the size in the bezel to make damn sure I wasn’t going to cut out 18 of these and have them be the wrong size, but even if you’re doing one, it’s better to be safe than really sad about your fucked up craft, you know?

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2. Use your template to trace your design. I tried sizing it down a few times until I found the right fit. We decided to use anatomical hearts to team with our theme, but you follow your heart and do anything you want. I also made one with a literary quotation for days I’m feeling extra nerdy and need Jane Eyre’s words around my neck.

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3. Mod podge the hell out of it. Make sure it’s coated alllllll over, including the sides. If not, you run the risk of the super glue leaking in and warping the paper and you’re going to have a bad time.

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4. Put a dab of super glue inside the bezel, then place your extremely well Mod Podged paper in there. Put another dab of super glue on the top of your extremely well Mod Podged paper, and put the glass cabochon on top, pushing down to evenly distribute the glue under the glass.

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5. Let your super glue dry (this doesn’t take long, as anyone who has gotten super glue on their fingers will tell you) and then you’re ready to put it on your necklace!

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String it onto your necklace or attach with a jump ring and you’re all set!

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Just so you know, these necklaces are the best accessory for your A-Camp hoodie.

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Hansen

Hansen is the former DIY & Food Editor of Autostraddle.com and likes to spend most days making and cooking and writing. She teaches creative writing at Colorado State University and is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in her free time.

Hansen has written 189 articles for us.

12 Comments

  1. I’ve always loved the look of necklaces like these but it never occurred to me that I could make them. I really appreciate the word “cabochon.”

  2. Maybe I’m just extra nerdy, but I feel like I would probably benefit from having Jane Eyre’s words around my neck EVERY day.

  3. Hansen, you brilliant human being you.
    I’m keeping mine forever (but might need to get a new string for it).

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