Modern, abstract, red, white, blue and brown.

Mod red bird, blue world, crescent moon…dreamy.

This is a free tutorial about how to make Scrabble Tile Pendants. There are a number of other tutorials out there that are being sold, but I wanted to offer this one for free to help my fellow artists and crafters. If you find it useful, there is a virtual “tip jar” at the end of the tutorial.

By Jessi @ Albu Design

Revised October 1, 2011. I’ve been making jewelry using beadwork, wire work and occasionally silver work for many years. But I’m an illustrator/painter, too, and creating Scrabble tiles is a way to incorporate my illustration and painter
side into my jewelry.

Plus, Scrabble tile pendants are fun to collect for commemorating events, giving as gifts, and cool conversation pieces.

So I started reading and researching and buying them. As I did this research, I began to accumulate a massive amount of glues, coatings, and other materials. I set out wanting to go non-toxic. That meant, right from the start, resin was out of the question. This was a hard decision to make, as nothing looks as crisp, perfect and beautiful, in my opinion, as resin. Plus, it dries to a glass-solid finish that is never in danger of changing.

I went to visit my friend, Jeanne, who is a photographer and artist, while she was working with resin. Gloves, masks, and an open garage door still didn’t take the smell away. And this was in the fall. What about winter? I couldn’t afford to install an exhaust system in my little home studio, so I just set my mind to finding a non-toxic alternative. It had to be out there.

So after many months of trial and error, and a closet full of materials, here is the method I use for successfully making Scrabble tile pendants.

Next: Materials

MATERIALS

I first used maroon colored Scrabble tiles, just because I happen to like darker woods. However, I’ve transitioned to natural light wood tiles. Why? Because when you need to file the edge of your pendant, you won’t have the maroon stain coming off the tile if you use the natural wood color.

Scrabble tiles are available on eBay, Etsy.com and through scouring garage sales and other sources for old Scrabble games. Or, you can go directly to the source and order them, brand new, from Hasbro (go to Hasbro.com and look under “replacement parts”).

Next, you’ll need pendant bails. I initiallly wanted to work with sterling silver, but silver plated bails are more cost effective and look great. My favorite place to buy is eBay, from seller “lytray.”

And, your art work. You can use any printed material (that’s not copyrighted, of course), cut into an approximately 18mm x 20mm rectangle (that’s the size of the light wood tiles I’ve been buying).

Finally, your glues and coating:

• Mod Podge Gloss-Lustre: available at most craft stores.
• Diamond Glaze (JudiKins): I’ve only been able to buy this online, either through sellers on Etsy.com or eBay.
• E6000 adhesive: this is available at most craft stores.

Next: Design

I’ve been a graphic designer/artist for too long to remember, so I like to create my own artwork. My husband/partner is also an artist/designer, so he creates our artwork, too.

This usually starts with reading books, looking at pictures, and more research. Then, design on the computer.

I use a Canon printer and use matte photo paper to output my designs. They must be to size (17mm x 19mm) at 300 DPI. Any lower resolution and your images will look pixelated.

I let the print sit overnight for the inks to fully set.

ASSEMBLY

My first step is to coat the dried prints with Mod Podge-Gloss-Lustre. This is an archival, safe, clear material that will seal the image before you adhere it to the tile. I use a brush to apply it, and put a light coating on each image.

Note that the paper will curl a bit after you do this. Don’t worry, though. Let this sit for 12 hours and you’ll come back to find a nice, flat sheet. And the Mod Podge dries clear.

I used to use a straight edge and X-Acto knife to cut out the images, very carefully, very slowly. (Make sure your blade is changed often to keep the cuts sharp!) Now I use a scissor and to cut out very carefully. Use whichever method you are more comfortable with to produce good results.

Next, I apply a thin coat of Diamond Glaze (by Judikins) to the tile. I’ve found this to be an excellent glue for this purpose.

Immediately afterwards, I place and position the paper on the tile, pressing down. I flip it over and press it down on a sheet of plastic (ie. a plastic baggie) or wax paper. Smooth off any glue that has seeped out of the sides and place the pendant down to dry for a while (roughly six hours or so).

A note about which side of the tile to use.

It seems to make sense that one would want to cover up the letter side and attach the bail to the smooth side. However, I’ve tried that and ended up with the slightly visible debossed area of the letter showing through the artwork. Yuk! Now, the bails are always attached to the letter side. (Plus, the little nooks and crannies of the letter give the bail glue more places on which to adhere).

Next: Trimming

Next, the fun, gooey part. I pour on a glob of Judikins Diamond Glaze in the middle and use a brush to move it around the surface of the pendant. Ideally, you want slightly more glaze in the middle than on the sides, but it will even out slightly as it dries. Just slightly — if you put a big glob in the middle and don’t spread it out, you’ll have a big glob in your final product.

Patience is required next. The glaze must dry for at least 12 hours.

Now, you will apply a second coat. I make the decision of whether to apply one or two coats of Diamond Glaze based on the appearance of the pendant. It’s an organic process — sometimes you need a third coat, sometimes you don’t.

Drying time for this step is even longer. Three days seems to be the norm, but of course, depending on the climate where you are working, it could be longer or shorter. Here in the arid Southwest, three days is just perfect.

ATTACHING THE BAIL

I usually do this step outdoors, so I can avoid the fumes. The E-6000 glue has a very strong odor until it dries, but I chose this product because it had the best results with securely attaching the bail.

I apply a small glob of glue to the bail back and then adhere it to the tile back. I position it carefully so that it’s straight and centered.

The pendant should now be left undisturbed so that the glue can fully dry. Twelve hours should be more than adequate.

And voila! Your Scrabble tile pendant is complete.

If you found this tutorial useful, consider a small donation (any amount) — or buy one of our pendants to see a finished product. Thank you!