Decoupaged Napkin Earrings

 

Don’t toss your dated plastic earrings, give them a decoupage update with an unexpected craft material: napkins!

 

It was fun to transform these earrings with a happy print napkin.  I got the package of napkins last summer at a fun shop in Manzanita, Oregon.

 

I scored at Goodwill yesterday and got these two containers jam packed full of goodies.

 

I secretly love to sort and I put everything in piles and then stuffed each pile in a sandwich bag to I can keep track of them.

 

This pile consists of pieces I can repurpose with napkins or scrapbook paper. So this post will be followed with some other inspiring ideas to decoupage with things you have laying around the house!

I have found out the hard way that it is important to have a white background when working with decoupaging napkins.

Step One:  cover the earring with white paint and let fully dry.

Step Two: Cut out the napkin to fit the earring.  Don’t worry about the center until it is secured to the earring with the decoupage medium.  (You can use Mod Podge, but I used Diamond Glaze because it is clear and I can keep track of the design easier.)

 

Step Three:  Be sure to seperate all the layers so you only use the top layer.

Step Four:  Apply a coat of collage medium to the front of the earring and carefully smooth the napkin to the front side.  After the medium is nearly dry, use a pencil to poke a hole in the center and smooth the edges to the back.  Use scissors to trim as close to the edge as you can then apply more collage medium to the edge and smooth flat to the back, making the edge as clean as you can.  I didn’t decoupage the back of the earring so the red contrast is cute and sassy plus there is a clean and neat edge.

Step Five:  Add your earring beads and findings!

Nowadays there are endless napkin possibilities.  If you don’t have any shops in your area that have varieties, Etsy and Ebay have hundreds of listings for individual napkins for decoupage at a reasonable price including shipping.