Teach Me: How to Craft with Cabochons

When I first starting shopping on Etsy several years ago, I drooled over the lovely vintage looking rings and pendants that had resin flowers on them.  At $30 and up, however, they were out of range for my tight budget.

As more deal-a-day sites like Pick Your Plum and The Plaid Barn started popping up, I was amazed to discover that I could make my own for literally pennies.  Now I make these items as gifts, and I want to show you how easy it is to do.

You’ll need three items:  cabochons, blanks, and glue.

Cabochons (“cabs”) are the cute little plastic-looking things you’ll use to decorate with.  I like flowers, but you can find almost any shape imaginable.  These items are usually made of resin and feature a flat back so you can easily glue them on.  If you go to Etsy and do a search for “cabochons” you’ll see how many options you have.

Blanks are the surface you glue your cabs to.  You can find ring, pendant, bookmark, bracelet, and hair pin blanks, just to name a few.  Again, go to Etsy and search for “blanks” to get an idea of your options.

Glue, obviously, holds your project together!  I like to use E-6000 because it dries clear and has a strong hold.

You can find these three items online (Etsy and Consumer Crafts are where I shop) or in your local craft store.

How to make gifts using cabochons:

Step one:  Decide on your design.  Place your cabs on the blanks to plan your placement.  You could just put one cab on, or arrange several to fill the blank.

Step two:  Place a drop of glue on the blank, and firmly press the cab into the glue.  Allow it to dry.

Step three (optional):  Layer your blanks.  For the ring, I glued a small pendant blank onto the ring blank.

You can also paint, distress, and embellish your cabs.  I added small rhinestones to some of  the flower centers, and you can see that tutorial here.