Butterfly Lacquer Necklace

Add a beautiful paper butterfly to any of your designs by using water-based Diamond Glaze adhesive to seal and stiffen the paper. These butterflies would also work on hair accessories or earrings. Click here to watch the accompanying tutorial video!

Finished length 17 inches
Designer Cynthia Deis

Ingredients

- 1 paper butterfly (we cut ours out from one of Cavalini’s butterfly papers)
- 14 inches of hand-looped glass bead chain
- 1 square jump ring, ½ inch
- 1 spring ring clasp, 9 mm
- 2 jump rings, 9 mm
- 2 eyelets, 1/16 inch x 1/8 inch
- 4 rivet accents
- Diamond Glaze or Decopatch Varnish (warning, do not shake Diamond Glaze before using!)

Tools

Crafted Findings piercing/setting tool with Eyelet Flaring Set attached
Optional-vise (to hold Piercing/Setting tool)
Chain nose pliers
Scissors
Paint brush
Sharpie or other fine-point permanent marker
Plastic bag or wrap for work surface

You may wish to watch the Crafted Findings Piercing/Settting Tool video before starting this project.

1.Trim butterfly neatly to size. Lay butterfly face down onto plastic-covered surface and apply a thin coat of glaze. Butterfly will curl upward, do not worry about this. Allow the glaze to harden to the tacky stage (about 10 minutes) but not longer or the curl may be permanent. Turn butterfly over and apply a coat of glaze to the top. The curl should flatten out a bit. Do not worry if the butterfly is not completely flat at this stage. Apply 3-5 coats of glaze to the top surface of the butterfly, allowing each one to dry 1-15 minutes before applying next coat. Allow the butterfly to dry overnight before moving on to the next step. If the butterfly is stuck to the plastic do not try to remove it until the next day. It will peel off the plastic easily when completely dry.

2.Trim any excess glaze from the edge of the butterfly. Select the points where you want to add the eyelets and mark them with the Sharpie. Note that butterfly wings may or may not be symmetrical, so chose points carefully.

3.Fit Piercing/Setting tool into vise. Fit butterfly into piercing/setting tool on the piercing side. Pierce the holes in the butterfly wings.

4.Fit a rivet accent onto an eyelet and place it into one of the holes on the butterfly wings. Place a rivet accent on top of the butterfly wing. There should be a rivet accent on each side of the hole in the wing. Using the Setting tool, flare the eyelet. Repeat on the other side of the butterfly.

5.Using your chain nose divide the beaded chain into 2-7 inch lengths. Using the 9mm jump rings attach a length to each side of the butterfly by feeding the jump ring through the eyelet and then through the loop on the beaded chain. Attach the square jump ring and the clasp to the back of the necklace.  

Click here for a printable version of this tutorial