How to Make a Vintage Postage Stamp Pendant

Glue two vintage postage stamps to glass to create this old-fashioned pendant necklace.

Filed under: Jewelry Making, How To, Crafts

Jewelry designer Cyndi Hall of Boise, Idaho, demonstrates how to create this chic vintage stamp pendant. No stamps? Substitute with a similar, smaller image.

Materials Needed:

thin, clear, single pane of glass
glass cutter
cutting oil
2 vintage postal stamps to fit the glass
1/4" wide silvered copper foil
adhesive roll
6mm silver jump ring
100-watt soldering iron
wet sponge

lead-free silver-stained glass solder
stained glass flux
small paintbrush
3rd Hand clip stand
solder heat block
burnishing tool
safety goggles
super-fine sandpaper or buffing tool
necklace chain

Steps:

1. Roll the glass cutter in cutting oil. Score two pieces of 1" x 1" thin clear glass. Break away the pieces along the scoring lines.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-

2. Apply adhesive to the backs of the two stamp images using an adhesive roll. Place the glued images between the two pieces of glass, setting them back-to-back so the fronts of the images are touching the glass pieces.

3. Apply silver foil around the edges of the two glass pieces to hold them together.

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-

4. Press out any creases or sharp edges in the foil with a burnishing tool.

5. Apply flux with a paintbrush to the silver foil to bond the solder.

6. Hold the foiled glass pieces with a 3rd Hand clip stand. Using a 100-watt soldering iron and silver lead-free solder, melt a thin layer of solder over each side of the pre-fluxed foil. Clean the soldering iron with a wet sponge frequently.