Bowie's Blackstar Brooch Lockets

I had a project about David Bowie that I never started. Unfortunately, time went by and when I found the right moment to make it, it had become a post-mortem tribute... Anyway, I think it's a good way to remember this chameleonic artist and to bring it everywhere I go. Naturally, you can adapt this instructable and dedicate it to anyone you want.

MATERIALS:

- Bottle caps (2 for locket)

- Black acrylic spray paint / Black Nail Polish

- David Bowie's pictures (small)

- Mod Podge 3D effect or Transparent glue or Resin

- Plastic (you can use packing plastic from anything you buy)

- Paper

- A piece of chain

- Jumping Rings

- Pinback

TOOLS:

- Scissors / Cutter

- Brush to apply Mod Podge

- Printer

- Gimlet

- Pliers

- Black sharpie

- Hot Glue Gun + Stick (if it's black better)

Take the prepared bottle caps and paint them with black paint. Spay paint works the best, but if you haven't any, you can use some nail polish (it always works). Let the caps dry.

Paint the other side (you don't need to paint the middle section of the inside side).

When it's dry, you can varnish the caps with some regular varnish or with mod podge.

* You will need two bottle caps for each charm. (I made three charms, I used six bottle caps).

If you need to prepare the bottle caps before starting, you can take a look at this Instructable:

https://www.instructables.com/id/Preparing-Bottle-C...

Before glueing the different parts, you need to make a hole (see pictures). I used a gimlet.

While the paint is drying, you can choose a few Bowie's pictures on internet. Once you've chosen them, open them in a image editing software. I used Pages on a Mac. It's easy to use and the result is perfect.

You need to convert the images into circles. To do it, I created a circle without a background. I adjusted it until it fit the caps' inside diametre (in my case, it was 2.5 cm). Then, I inserted Bowie's picture, I adjusted it (again, 2.5 cm) and I sent it to the background (behind the circle).

Once you have done this with all your images, print them and cut them.

Then I made a kind of locket. It consisted in a bottle cap with a picture and another one with a David Bowie's lyric. I wrote them by hand, but you can use a printer.

To do so, take one of the pictures you've printed and use it to trace a few circles on a paper. You can now write or draw whatever you want on them. Once you've chosen the ones you like the most, cut them (if necessary, erase the pencil). And glue them on a black bottle cap with some Mod Podge (which will also protect it).

Now choose the pictures you want to use. Then, glue them on the cap with some mod podge and let them dry. I glued the picture on the Star bottle cap.

Once it's all dry I added some glittered black paint (the only one I have) around the picture to leave a nice finish. But this is entirely optional.

Then, take a black bottle cap and glue the quote inside.

Time for the star. I wanted to do a tribute to David Bowie's last album: Blackstar. I really love the vinyl version: a black cover and a transparent plastic star in the middle (in fact, the plastic itself is the vinyl's inner folder). So I thought: how can I make it? I think I finally found out.

First, print a five-pointed star. Then take a piece of plastic (I can be from a wrapping, a box, etc). Take the star and put it on the plastic and trace it with a sharpie.

Once you've traced it, cut the star. Be very careful: don't cut too much here!

Take the 3D mod podge or transparent glue and cover the top side of the cap with it. Then, VERY CAREFULLY place the star you've cut on the top of it.

And here is when you need to wait a few hours to let it dry. Because of the plastic star on top of it, the glue underneath will dry very slowly. Be patient and don't touch it. Maybe you need to let them dry two or three days... yeah, that's too much I know... but the result will be so cool!

If you use Mod Podge Dimensional Magic, use the least amount to glue the star. If you use too much it will take soooooo long to dry. You can also use some resin. I am sure it will dry faster.

Now you need to do the Safety Pin bit. I decided to make a Blackstar to hide the Safety Pin.

I printed a Star, I cut it and I traced it with a pencil on the piece of leather from an old belt. And then I cut it. You can also use a bit of plastic if you wish. The cutting is the most difficult part here. Be patient. If the scissors don't work, use a cutter.

Make a hole on the star. I personally used a gimlet.

Attach a jumping ring and a piece of chain to the star.

With a hot glue gun, glue the safety pin behind the star. Make sure the safety pin is totally hidden by the star.

And the last step: attach all the pieces together!

1. Take the bottle cap with the picture and attach a jumping ring to it.

2. Take the bottle cap with the lyrics and put it on the ring (the picture and the quote need to be face to face).

3. Add the star and chain. Make sure the Blackstar of the cap and the leather star face the same direction.

And YESSSS... you're finished!!!!!

You can hang it now anywhere you want: a jacket, a rucksack, a guitar case cover, etc.

:)

If you like this project you can vote for it on the Jewelry Contest. Thanks!