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N e w Ti m e s
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Th e s u N
Scrabbling
the long-ago predicted apocalypse now near at hand, it’s time to take seriously your life goal of hand-making some holiday gifts. Chances are, your game cupboard is a treasure trove of craft potential. Thanks to Words With Friends, your dust-covered Scrabble game is probably destined for the yardsale pile. Turn those wooden letter tiles into stunning, custom jewelry and accessories with bits of paper, some glue, and a dab of glaze. Scrabble-tile jewelry has been available on Etsy.com, an online handmade marketplace, for several years. Finished pendants sell for $4 to $10 and up, but you can make them for a roughly $1 apiece, including the necklace chain. Many of the Scrabble-tile craft supplies are available locally, and there are a few one-stop shops at your fingertips. Before you begin, you will need:
present
Holiday guide 2011
BY ANDREA ROOKS
to the finish
Get in on a handmade trend
before the end of the world!! PHOTOS BY ANDREA ROOKS
JuST a TriM After the glue dries, trim the edges of the paper to the exact size of the Scrabble tile. It works best to turn the tile over and cut from the bottom of the tile.
Scrabble tiles: find your own at garage sales, thrift stores, or specialty vintage stores; under couch cushions; or online through Etsy.com (search under supplies for scrabble tiles—XOSupplies.etsy.com is one source). Bails, chain, magnets, and gift bags: online through Etsy.com at shops such as SunAndMoonCraftKits.etsy.com; Michaels also has the super strong, small magnets. Glue (for bails and magnets): E6000, available at Michaels and online through Etsy.com. Paper: any paper you want—from books, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, greeting cards, photocopies, etc. Small designs with lots of contrast work best. Glue (for paper): white glue, such as Aleene’s (available at Michaels and other craft stores). Glaze: Triple Thick from Michaels; Sun and Moon Glaze from SunAndMoonCraftKits.etsy.com; Judikins Diamond Glaze available at craft stores. Now that you’ve got what it takes for the Scrabble tiles, broaden your horizons—try Dominoes or other game pieces. Find small wood pieces in craft stores or wood shops, but note that if the wood pieces are thinner than Scrabble tiles, you’ll need a different kind of bail or a hole and a ring in the wood piece to make it a pendant. Scrabble tiles and similar pieces would also make interesting pushpins, paperclips, cufflinks, and other accessories. You can also draw, stamp, or print your own images or sayings. Vintage images are available for free at graphicsfairy.blogspot.com; download and shrink the images to fit a Scrabble tile (7/8-by7/8 inches leaves room to trim). Also, if you print or stamp your images, experiment with your glaze first—it might make inkjet and other inks bleed. One Scrabble game possesses 100 pieces; that’s 100 chances for you to get as creative as you’ve ever wanted before next December’s supposed end of the world as we know it. Freelancer Andrea Rooks can be reached at parker_pyne@hotmail.com. She can also be found at rookspaperscissors.etsy.com.
THe TranSForMaTion leT THe gaMe begin Using E6000, glue the metal bail (hook for a necklace) or magnet to the back of your Scrabble tile(s). Allow to dry for at least one hour. Pick your paper. Trim the paper to a little larger than the Scrabble tile or use a craft punch that is 7/8-by-7/8 inches.
With a brush, apply the glaze to the paper atop the Scrabble tile. Use a generous amount of glaze, watch for bubbles, and make sure the glaze is spread evenly. Glaze the wood sides of the tile, too, to seal the paper’s edges.
nearly FiniSHed Allow to dry for at least an hour before moving the tile. If a bail is attached, rest the tile on a toothpick to make sure it dries horizontally. Do not touch the glazed surface for at least three hours— otherwise you’ll leave your fingerprint in the tacky glaze.
Ta-da! STicK TogeTHer Spread a thin layer of white glue over the Scrabble tile, all the way to the edges. Glue the paper to the Scrabble tile. Use the bail as a handle while gluing and glazing. If making a magnet, stick it to a paperclip, which can be used as a handle.
Your finished product now looks like a shiny piece of art ready to hang around your neck or be given as a gift, one worth holding on to.