We all have those odds and ends. Broken bits of costume jewelry that you can't seem to toss for whatever reason. They aren't worth the cost of fixing them, but you can't just throw away something that might be salvageable. (Or maybe it's just me, and my hoarder jr tendencies?) Well, here is one way to fix them up and make them new again.
Just add nail polish. What did you think I would use?
Supplies Needed:
Old bit of cheap jewelry
Toothbrush, soap, and water
Paper towels
Superglue, toothpicks, and tweezers
Opaque Nail Polish
Clear Coat
Step One: Cleanse Well and Let Dry
I scrubbed this old pin my mom found at a flea market with a soft toothbrush and soap. I think she had already soaked it in ammonia, but I don't think its needed. A good brushing with a gentle toothbrush is all you really need. You want to get all the loose dirt and flaking paint off, so you have a good base to paint.
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| all scrubbed up. |
Step Two: Make Any Needed Repairs
The combo of brushing and soaking in ammonia loosened a few of the rhinestones. No big deal. Save them on a piece of tape while your pin is drying. Then, once everything is dry, glue them back in place. Since my piece was missing gems to start with, I just filled in any gaps with more super glue. Once it's painted, you wont really notice so much.
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| repaired. keep in mind how much work it'll need when picking your piece out. |
Step Three: Let Your Glue Dry!
Once you've glued everything in place and repaired everything you can...leave it alone. It'll take an hour or so to dry, depending on the weather.
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| The note reads:"Wet Glue! Caution" |
Step Four: Paint!
Because I chose to use nail polish, I didn't bother priming the pin. You totally could, though, if you were planning on using a more sheer polish or even acrylic paint. I wasn't willing to wait for the extra step to dry, so I just chose the most opaque polish I could find: Kleancolor Metallic Pink.
Paint a coat, let it dry for about 30 minutes, then add another. I needed one and a half for complete cover.
Step Five (optional): Clear Coat
If you want, you can add a clear coat at this point. You can use a spray-on acrylic paint, or use a shiny polish topcoat. You can probably guess what I used...yup, good old Seche Vite. It just gave it a glossier, more enamel-ish look.
All done! I might, at some point, add a bead or something to the center. It looks like it used to have something there in the middle, but it's long gone now. I dunno. Maybe a little onyx bead would be cool?
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That's a great idea!
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