Project Time: 2 hours or less
DIY Level: Easy-Medium
Call me picky, but I have the hardest time finding decent rings. I always see rings I like on other people, but when I ask, “Hey, where did you get that?” the answer is always something impossible to replicate—“Oh, it’s an heirloom ring! It was my great aunt’s,” or, “I got it in a little thrift shop called Caroline’s,” or even, “I picked this up the last time I was in Italy.”
So I’ve been doing a little research into making my own rings. I’m not one for adjustable metal rings, so until I learn metal working, I’m going as far as I can with wood craft rings I bought off of Etsy. These ones I paired with two materials left over from previous projects: Sculpey left over from a project I’m still perfecting, and liquid gold gilding from this project over here. I’m pretty happy with how they came out!
One of the perks of working with Sculpey is that you always have plenty leftover. I got to make a couple dozen versions of these “jewels” so that I’d have a variety to choose from. They looked bigger as I was sculpting them than they looked on my fingers, so I recommend, if you’re looking for a real statement, to err on the big side as you sculpt!
What supplies are needed for this project?
- AdTech’s Mini HiTemp glue gun
- AdTech’s Mini-Size Multi-Temp Glue Sticks (see above for link to combo pack!)
- 2-3 colors of Sculpey—you can get a big variety pack like this one or small individual packs like the ones pictured below (I found that the individual packs seemed to be a higher quality)
- A rolling pin
- A butter knife or other object with a flat edge
- Cookie sheet
- Access to an oven
- Wooden rings (I used rings from this Etsy shop)
- RamPro furniture stain markers
- Liquid gilding in gold
- Paint brush
Step One:
Warm oven to 275 (or other temperature if you choose a different brand of clay—read package for instructions).
Step Two:
Warm clay in your hands to make it malleable. Roll out the clay using a rolling pin if you want flat pieces, or mould smaller pieces into rounds using your palms in order to create “jewels.”
I used a butter knife to flatten the sides of my rounds and produce a jewel effect. An X-Acto knife might create more crisp edges, but I wanted my edges to be soft. Simply press the flat side of the knife to the sides and the top of the round until you have the shape you desire.
Step Three:
Place the jewels on a cooking sheet and bake for 15 minutes (or follow the instructions on the package).
Step Four:
While the jewels are baking, stain your rings using the wood stain marker shade of your choice. (Keep in mind that these markers will stain your fingers, so go slowly and carefully!) Allow to dry completely.
Step Five:
Paint gold gilding in the design of your choosing on the wood. I liked the idea of the rings being gold on top and wood at the bottom.
Step Six:
Remove the jewels from the oven and allow them to cool completely (shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes). Warm up your glue gun.
Step Seven:
Test out the different jewels on the tops of your wooden rings to see which ones you like best before you commit. It was hard for me to choose, but I’d only ordered four rings, so until I ordered more, I chose four I knew would go with lots of outfits!
Step Eight:
Glue the wood ring with a thin layer of hot glue, then press the jewel to it in the direction you want it to be once it’s on your finger.
The HiTemp is a good choice for this project because it creates thinner glue than the LoTemp if you use these same glue sticks. That means there’s less of a gap between the back of the jewel and the top of the ring.
Step Nine:
Spray your rings with Aleene’s acrylic spray in gloss or matte if you plan to wear them outside. I discovered the hard way that the wood stain bleeds in wet environments!
Step Ten:
Look for any excuse to wear these bad boys out and about!
