From Art to Functional

So, many of us crafty types also can draw.  Alright, I don't know if it is many or not, but at least some of us can.  I would say that ALL of us crafty types can trace, at a minimum.

Something I have really enjoyed doing is turning my own drawings or similar into wearables.  This necklace was made with caps that have a picture I drew, originally intending to use it for a laptop skin. 

Yea laptop skins for 17.3 inch laptops are a bit pricey, so I ended that idea really quick.

So, how do you turn your own drawings into something like this, you ask?  SIMPLE!  Follow these steps:

1. Draw something, I would advise not coloring it. The original of this was just pencil sketch on computer paper.  However, I did use photoshop to add the color into it, so take that into consideration.  Different base pictures will add different effects.

2.  Let's say you are using photoshop.  You will want to sketch out your picture, I would recommend outlining it in black after you are done.  Go over it with a pen or something.  Heck, draw it with a pen in the first place if you are comfortable with it.  Scan it in, and open it in photoshop.  Use the magic eraser tool, on all of my versions I have to right click the eraser and select magic eraser, yours may be different.  Click somewhere on the white, and it should take out all of the white and leave only your linework.  Go to layer and create a new one, and pull it down below your linework layer in the hierarchy list.  With your new layer active, go in and add color.  This will keep your bold black lines on top, even if you color on them.  Different layers really make life simple.

3.  Edit the photo.  You can do this in photoshop by adding different filters, or you can do it in word by going through some of the effects and corrections.  Mess with the color, the brightness and contrast, and the artistic effects until you get what you like.

4.  Bring the photo into word and resize it so that you can get a 1 inch circle out of it for caps.  I always make a 1 inch circle shape and use that as a guide to know what will show and what won't be included in the cap from my picture. 

5.  Print it, cut it, cap it.  I always seal mine with resin, but feel free to use epoxy stickers if you prefer.  I use resin for multiple things, so that is just my personal preference. I just use a nail and hammer to put a hole in it to hang it off a necklace.

6.  Your other option is to put it on a coaster.  Get a 4inch tile from Lowe's, they are a whopping 16 cents.  Resize the picture and crop it to a 3.5 inch square.  Print it, mod podge it, mod podge over it two more times (I like to alter the direction to give it a canvas like texture) and then put AT LEAST 4 coats of spray polyurethane on it.  I don't like just using mod podge for sealing honestly.  I prefer the hardcore stuff.  Some people use felt on the back, I find this goofy.  Use shelf liner.  It is way better.  E6000 it down.

7.  Use the same idea, 86 the spray poly, and put your art on a mini tile for a magnet.  Staples and other places sell business card backs that are magnetic, I almost always use those on the back of the tile.

Those are a few ways to make something completely unique that literally no one else will have. Happy crafting!