Create Helen Cant’s pretty botanical-themed découpage jewellery set

What you need...

• BEADS Pearls, cream: 8mm x 5; 10mm x 2, Glass, faceted, topaz: 8mm x 4; 10mm x 1, Glass, bicone, 6mm; topaz x 2, light pink x 5, Cabochons, flowers, flat backed x 3, Charm, leaf, antique copper x 1, Gems, flat back, topaz x 3
  
  FINDINGS Jump rings, antique copper, 6mm, 9mm; Chain, antique copper, medium links, 46cm; Earwires, antique copper x 2; Head pins, antique copper; Eye pins, antique copper; Cabochon bail, glue on, antique copper x 1; Lobster clasp, antique copper x 1; Extension chain, antique copper x 1; Bead caps, antique copper; Brooch back; Ring blank, filigree; Wood shapes, solid birch: standard heart (51mm) x 1; square (25mm) x 2, (38mm ) x 1; Box, papier mache, heartshaped; Paper, inkjet, matt coated; Sheet music, scraps; Pages of text, scraps; Ribbon, lace
  
  TOOLS Drill, hobby, Paint, acrylic: blue, yellow, white, Paintbrushes, Printer, inkjet, Pliers, round-nosed, Cutters, wire, Glue: PVA; strong, Varnish, diamond glaze, Craft knife, Scissors, Ruler, Tape measure, Tea bag
  

instructions

1. Preparing and Printing Images - 1. Visit http://www.thegraphics fairy.com and browse the free Clip Art categories selecting a variety of images to use. We chose ones from the Botanical, Birds & Eggs, and Bugs & Butterflies sections). Place the images into a blank A4 document in a program of your choice with ruler guides. Measure your wooden shapes and box and begin to plan the composition of the pieces, identifying the sections of the images you are going to use. Scale the images referring to the document ruler guides so that the identified sections fit the wooden shapes.
   
   2. If your program has an option which allows simple shapes to be drawn, try creating a to scale representation of the wooden shapes. Then use these as a reference to help you to size your images. Alternatively, create rough trial prints and experiment, cutting out sections of the images and fitting them to the wooden shapes.
   
   3. If necessary return to your document and make any required adjustments to the scaling. Once you are happy with the size of your images, load good quality matt coated paper into your printer and print them out. For optimum printing quality, ensure your printer is set to its’ highest quality level in the preferences menu.

2. Trinket Box - 1. Tear strips of plain paper from an old book or sheet music and adhere using PVA glue to the rim of a blank box lid, so it is fully covered. Cut and tear flower and butterfly motifs from the downloaded images. To fit a section of an image to the edge of the box lid, lay it over the top, then mark with a pencil by feeling the edge below before cutting with scissors.
   
   2. Tear vintage sheet music and pages from an old book into small pieces. Lay the butterfly and flower images on top of the lid in their desired positions. Mark the areas of the lid not covered by the images then adhere the pieces of torn sheet music and old book pages over them using PVA glue.
   
   3. Using more adhesive, stick the butterfly and flower images to the lid, in the spaces between the text. Ensure that you press down well to ensure no air bubbles are trapped beneath, then leave to fully dry. Tear some appropriate accent words from an old book and adhere to the lid using PVA glue before leaving to fully dry. Tear a further selection of pieces of sheet music and pages from an old book then adhere to the rest of the box, using PVA before leaving to fully dry.
   
   4. Use a soft brush to apply a coat of varnish to both the lid and box to seal the paper then leave to fully dry. Coat the edge of the lid with PVA then adhere a strip of lace ribbon all the way around before leaving to dry. To finish use strong glue to adhere three topaz flat back gems and a flat back flower cabochon to the lid.