This DIY jewelry idea came straight from my crafty Mama. Remember how she sends the twins a craft each month like a subscription box (see more kids craft ideas)? Well this is one of those! My girls ended up needing help with parts of it, so I deemed this more of an ‘older child craft’, or a straight-up adult craft that would be perfect for a mom’s night out or girlfriends crafternoon!

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Layered Paper DIY Jewelry Craft Supplies

• Construction Paper (various colors)
• Glue
• Craft paint brush
• Belt Sander
• Clear Nail Polish
• 7.7mm Jump Rings
• Necklaces

Start out by cutting a TON of 2″x2″ squares of construction paper in alllll different colors.

Glue it

Squeeze a big glob of glue out onto a paper plate for easy access, and start brushing on a nice thick coat of paint onto your first square. Using too much glue is better than using too little! Press another square firmly onto it, and repeat… about 30 times! Or to the thickness desired for the look you’re going for.

Give it a good squeeze, and set it somewhere to dry where you won’t forget about it. Because there are so many layers of glue, it will take 4-5 days to fully dry and be ready for the next step. This is not an instant gratification DIY jewelry project!

Slice it

This part is optional. I used the band saw to cut down my hunk o’paper into fourths to make smaller pieces of jewelry so I could experiment with different shapes. You can do this, or leave it the larger 2″ square for a chunky necklace or big dangly earrings.

Just look at those layers!

Sand

It’s time to give these babies some shape and rounded edges to really bring out the beauty of the colorful layers. The easiest way to do this is on a belt sander.

This part is SO FUN! You can make it any shape you want! Play around with different angles on the sander, and you’ll see those layers come to life!

The beauty of using a belt sander is that you don’t have to scrub it with sandpaper… you literally just turn on the belt sander hold it stationary on the belt while it does all the work for you!

I played around with several different shapes. It’s SO FUN!

Before we seal these, do you see how the top layer(s) of paper are a little fuzzy from the sanding process? I used a little corner of 220 grit sand paper and hand-sanded these real quick to cut down the fuzziness factor so they would be ready for their glossy coat of sealant.

Seal

Brushing on that clear nail polish / top coat really brings out the colors! And at first it won’t be as smooth as you want it. But we will lightly sand between coats until it’s so smooth and glossy!

I recommend sealing the back sides first, and letting it dry completely before starting the front side. That way if it gets any scratches or dents, it’s just the back side. Try to put on as smooth a coat as possible. Then let dry for 10 minutes, lightly sand, and repeat. I probably put about 10 coats on mine to get the ultimate glossy smooth finish.

Using a drill press and a 3/16 drill bit, we drilled tiny holes.

Throw in a couple that the kiddos made, and we have a whole pile of ‘precious stones’ and agate!

 

I picked up some 7.7mm jump rings (you can also order them here) and used a needle nose pliers to bend them enough to slide in!

Look at all this fun stuff! I could totally open an Etsy shop! (but I’m not)

So fun, right? And there are so many different ways that you could spin this or customize to make your own DIY jewelry! If you decide to make these (or any version inspired by them!), please tag us on social media in your photos! We’re @RealityDaydream on both Facebook and Instagram. And if you don’t already follow us there, what are you waiting for?!

~Bethany