Bridesmaid Proposal: Photo Ring DIY

from my previous post, i already decided to do photo ring for my bridesmaid proposal, so here is the how. first step, is ensuring that u have all the tools and material needed. so after scouring the internet, and watching dozens of tutorial, i kinda get the idea of how and what to buy. so material needed (or at least the one i used was :-

1. Glossy Photo Paper

2. Ring Base

3. Glass Cabochon

4. Adhesive / Sealant

and that's about it. really its that simple. so where do i get all the stuff? easy! photo paper can be bought in most stores, mine was free gift for buying ink cartridge for my printer. As for ring base and glass cabochon, i bought it online. it has various size and shape. at first i wanna go with round ring, however this item was out of stock and i have to improvize, therefore:-

the setting that i originally wanted but out of stock; from: beading.my

the one i stumbled upon while venturing through the web saddened by the fact the ring base above was out of stock, RM1/piece, from: malaysiaclayart.com

oval glass cabochon; pack of 10 pcs : RM6.36; from: beading.my

next thing was adhesive/sealant, in most tutorial, dimensional magic mod podge is a common occurrence. however, it never occurs to me to try and search mod podge in malaysia, so i just go with diamond glaze also bought from beading.my at RM29.68. this adhesive is water soluble and so far i have got no problem using it, but i'm pretty sure, it doesn't make my ring waterproof though. you might want to do more research before deciding on the adhesive though.

so far, i've got all the material covered. next thing would be the design for the rings.

yup, i wasnt very good with any photo editing software, so i just use the easiest one, powerpoint.

#1: i serached the internet for the background and save it, since i would like a pastel themed, most of the background are pastel colours.

#2: next i play with the hashtag and i certainly want it to be in pastels as well. font : Fredericka The Great. downloaded from 1001fonts.com

#4: my workspace: i started with oval shape, with the height and width as per  specified for the ring base, and then i work on the backhround, name and all.

#3: final results.

i tried printing the final results and i kind of dislike the finishing. though it look good on computer, but it isnt that good on paper, thus i decided to change the background and it turns out like this:-

the font for name was Churli_Cute also downloaded from internet, but i forgot the site. google it if u want, and for the Le B'maid, font : Brotherhood script

well, it really is true that, the simpler the better. and i kind of in love with the new design. ngee~ 

design done! next is the ringgg~

all the needed material, not shown, scissor and jarum peniti, and ring base.

so first, clean the glass cabochon, then apply the glaze on the back of the cabochon. nest, put it on the design and swirl it slowly to remove the air bubble and adjust the alignment of the design with regard of the cabochon. Let it dry for about 40 minutes.

after it is dried, use scissor to cut the extra paper and u'll get the above look. as u may see, the surface was not smooth due to the extra adhesive dried on the surface, but worry not, we'll be able to clean it as the adhesive was water soluble after all and best left the cleaning towards the end.

this is an extra step, u can opt to not do it, but for more protection, i apply the glaze on the side of the glass cabochon and also the back of the photo paper. this is to give a thin film protection. this is an extra measure that i did though.

Let it dry for another 20 ~ 40 minutes.

Next, i apply the adhesive into the ring base, and i put a little extra on the circumference.

then i place the glass cabochon and squeeze it so that the remaining adhesive will ooze at the circumference, this is to ensure that extra adhesive will be there on the space between the side of the ring base and the glass cabochon and hopefully it will harden and fill in the space.

since i don't have any ring holder, i use a wooden clip to hold the rings upright while letting it dry for 60~90 minutes. When it dried, dab a cloth with water and clean the surface until u get a clear finish.

walla~ u have u're own personalized ring.

all the above steps are not the absolute way of doing these, u may customized steps accordingly. same goes with the time left to dry, u might want to wait longer and shorter, its up to you though, me myself did not exactly follow the time duration mentioned.

rings, DONE! 

next should be the packaging. i'll be heading to craft store tmrw to figure out that part. will definitely share it when its done. hope this tutorial has been beneficial.

till later!

love,

nia.