Kellso Collage

Spoon Pendant How-to

Last month, I hosted a craft party at my house, and I promised a tutorial on how to make these spoon pendants.  I have seen these made with resin, which dries crystal clear and is very strong, but very smelly and takes 24 hours to dry.  However, I needed these done in less than an hour!  UTEE (Ultra-thick embossing enamel) to the rescue!  Here is the quick version of the directions:

1. Trim and bend spoons.  I bought the spoons already ‘halved’, and most of them were the right length.  If you were to buy antique spoons, trimming them would not be difficult.  I had to trim one spoon just a bit-I sawed it a few times with Matt’s hacksaw, then was able to bend the spoon with pliers and it snapped right off!  The best method I found for bending the spoons is to use 2 pliers, one at the center of the handle, one bending the end of the handle, moving closer and closer to the base.  Make sure it curves enough to keep a chain with in the loop, and WEAR GLOVES!!

2. On a flat top stove, lay a strip of tinfoil half on, half off of the burner.  Do not turn on…yet.2.  The materials-To decorate your spoon, you can use anything that is not heat sensitive.  I gave my guests options such as stained glass, glass beads, watch gears, glitter, and alphabet letters!  Many just added their choices randomly, my cousin Missy turned a watch hand and some stained glass into a flower-stunning!

3.   Once your spoon is decorated, scoop some UTEE to a slight ‘dome’ into the spoon.

4.  Place the spoon on the tinfoil above the burner.  Use metalic items, such as screws, to balance your spoon if necessary.  You want to be sure that the ‘butt’ of the spoon is touching the tinfoil, but you don’t want your UTEE to spill out the front of the spoon!   Sometimes, the spoon will begin to wobble once the heat is turned on-just us a kitchen tool to still it, and it will be fine!

5.  Turn on the burner to medium heat.  As the UTEE begins to melt, lower the heat.

6.  Once the UTEE is melted (goes from white to clear and smooth), slide the spoon off the burner using the far end of the tinfoil (the end of the strip of tinfoil that is NOT on the burner.)  Leave spoon for several minutes until set and cool.