Crafty :: Map Pendant Necklace

I think I've said it before, but I'm not realllly a crafty person.  I have done some cool crafts in my day, but it's pretty rare because I usually just don't have the patience.  But last spring my best friends and I were on a girls-weekend shopping up in Blue Ridge, GA, when I saw an adorable necklace.

I loved it because it was a map!  I love, love, love maps and globes.  I love mapquest and google maps and bing - especially the "bird's-eye-view."  I'm just nerdy that way.  The cost of the necklace was way more than I was willing to spend on it - I thought "hey, I could make that!" and for a heck of a lot less...

Finally, a few weeks later I did a Google search and (after some good snooping) found what I was looking for.  An Etsy shop and website called Sun And Moon Craft Kits.  I ordered what i wanted from them and followed their directions and turned out three adorable necklaces, one for me and my two best friends.

I initially set up on kitchen table for making the pendant.  The website sells the glaze that you would use along with the chains, pendant trays, and clear domes.  You just have to decide what goes in them!  Really, the possibilities are endless.. pictures, fabric, playing cards, love letters, newspaper headlines, a four-leaf clover - anything that is flat and small enough to fit.  I used a map. (oh and apparently TV/Roku remotes are part of the process too...)

I identified the area of the map I wanted to use and just drew a circle around the dome to mark the spot.  I used the area of town where my friends and I live for our own personalized pendant.

Now, I won't go into all of the instructions - Sun And Moon gives really detailed instructions on their website.  The young lady who filled my order even talked with me via email on a couple of questions I had - she was super helpful.  One thing they did tell me that was very helpful, was to use packing tape over my image of the map.  Since the map paper is thin, the tape keeps the glaze from bleeding though the image.

And unfortunately I got SO INTO making them I did not take any pictures of actually making the pendant!!!  Although in my defense, both hands were pretty busy at all times and I was super worried I would mess it up.. but they came out pretty good!  After letting them set up and dry for a day, I moved on to adding them to the chains. 

I found some little antique-gold loops and a little bag of charms in just the right colors all on sale at Wal-Mart.  Working on a black tablecloth made this part much easier.  I used my small needle-nose pliers to open and close the loops.  I "fixed" the key and charms to one spot on the chain so they didn't get lost hanging behind the big pendant.

I really love how they turned out - and I always get asked about my necklace when I wear it!  That is so cool to me!  After I finished them I package them up and mailed them to my friends.  It was fun to send them a gift for no reason :) And now we have cute matching-yet-unique necklaces..  so. much. fun.

How about you?  Made any cool crafts lately?  This will probably be mine for the year..

(I was not compensated by Sun And Moon, I just bought the stuff from them and I liked them because they were helpful) 

Sharing over at That DIY Party!  

Love,

Kelli

Painting the Old Dining Room Table

Hello all!  I am excited to show you my latest project! When we blended households back in the summer of 2009 I threw a table cloth over this cheap table in the dining room and called it day.

I figured I would buy a new one in a few months and until then this guy was fine with the table cloth on it.  Well, you know the best laid plans...

We kept on using the ugly table....  But actually, it works really well!  It has two big leaves so it stretches to hold up to 12 people (albeit tightly) and it's sturdy.  Here it is last Thanksgiving all stretched out and gussied up!

I realized I probably couldn't replace it cheaply.  Too bad this one was just so ugly.  I mean, it's pressed board with some kind of plastic finish (??) and the edge is rubbery.. bleck!

I decided to go ahead and paint it.  I figured if it turned out awful then I was no worse off. I could still throw the table cloth over it, right?  And then save my pennies and buy a better one down the road.

My hubby took it apart and carried it to the garage. I started by just sanding the heck out of the top with my new Ryobi sander (he had to buy me one because his was at a job site.. oh well!) and that was pretty fun.  I used the sander the best I could on the base - it was a little bit tricky because of the tube-like design. The only real wood on this table is the very bottom of the base!

I wiped it off real well then started priming with Kilz.  I sprayed, let it dry for over an hour, then lightly sanded with a block sander.  Then I applied a second coat and repeated the drying/sanding.  I did this over one weekend.

The next weekend my hubby started painting with Rustoleum Heirloom White - the same color we used on the dining room chairs.  Well, some parts came out great, but others came out not so great.  I'm not sure if it was too hot or dry outside, but the top is very splotchy and uneven, and also very bumpy/grainy feeling.  We ran out of time and energy that weekend, then went to the lake with the whole entire family the next weekend.. and we haven't gone back to work on it.

We need to sand and put on a second coat.  He's thinking about getting a can of the Heirloom White and rolling the top?  Or maybe spraying it with his big sprayer like he did the dining room buffet.  Either way, it won't be getting done this weekend either... I'm having some dumb surgery on my left foot and won't be allowed to walk on it for three weeks. yay. -_-

So, here it sits.  Dining room's a mess.  Who knows... maybe I can just get him to finish it while I call out orders from the couch!  I can dream can't I??  hehe  Do you ever start a project and then just can't seem to finish it?  Do you walk by it every day and it drives you crazy?  **Heavy sighhhh**

UPDATE:  See the finished table here!

Sharing at That DIY Party - always a bunch of cool projects!

Love,
Kelli