DIY Waffle Necklace

Love waffles? Whip up one of these DIY Waffle Necklaces that looks both darling and delicious!

Waffles are one of my favorite comfort foods. It's one of those meals that you can have for any meal AND dessert (PS...have you tried my Chocolate Waffles? Delish.). Did you know there is an International Waffle Day on March 25th, and a National Waffle Day on August 24th? Yep, two random days to celebrate waffles. These random holidays sure are strange, but they can be a lot of fun. You can celebrate Waffle Day by making make your own DIY Waffle Necklace, or make one just to show off your love of waffles!

New to resin? Be sure to check out Resin 101: Getting Started with Resin!

I am joining with several other creative bloggers to bring you 15-minute crafts inspired by obscure holidays, like Waffle Day! Angie from The Country Chic Cottage and Carolina from 30 Minute Crafts are hosting another round of Craft Lightning, joined this month by guest host Lindsay from See Lindsay. Be sure to check out their sites to see all of the quick crafts!

To make your own DIY Waffle Necklace, you'll need these supplies:

• Miniature Waffle Silicone Mold
• Fast Cast Resin or Polymer Clay
• Acrylic Paint
• Detail Paint Brush
• Jewelry Eye Pin
• Super Glue
• Clear Sealant

*Save 10% on resin supplies when you shop ETI with code AFM

To make this project, you will need to start with a miniature waffle silicone mold. This specific mold set came with a heart-shaped waffle, plus a mold with berry and whipped cream toppings. The one I linked is the same one shown here, but there are a ton of different options out there if you'd like something different. If you happen to have a miniature waffle cabochon already, you could easily make your own silicone mold with silicone putty.

Next, you'll need something to put into the mold to make the waffle with. The last time I made food-related jewelry, I made a Donut Necklace using polymer clay. This time, I decided to try something new and used resin for the first time. Instead of traditional resin that needs to sit overnight to harden, I used Fast Cast Resin that definitely lives up to its name. Curing the resin only takes about 10 minutes! Overall, I definitely learned a lot through the resin process, and am excited to try some more projects with it in the near future!

Make sure to read the instructions well before starting. Once you combine the two components of the resin, you have to work quickly. So, it's best to know what to expect. Pour in equal amounts of part "A" and part "B" into a small measuring cup (I used an old medicine cup). Stir the resin mixture together well with a wooden craft stick. Carefully pour the resin into the molds. If you drip any resin on other parts of the mold or accidentally over-pour, don't panic. The resin is MUCH easier to remove once it has cured than when it's wet.

As the resin cures it starts to turn white. While it is still clear, place the eye pin into the resin with the "eye" sticking out of the top of the mold. You might have to hold the pin in place while the resin starts to set to keep it from sinking too far.

You'll know that the resin is ready when it turns completely opaque, and it pops right out of the mold. If it seems to be opaque, but is a little squishy or tacky when you pull the mold away, let it sit for a little longer.

After you remove the resin from the molds, use scissors to cut away any excess resin if you over-poured or dripped along any of the edges.

Now it's time to turn the resin pieces into a delicious waffle and toppings! You can use any acrylic paints on resin. I used Apple Barrel acrylic paints since I knew I would get paint on my hands, and this paint washes off easily.

Because everything is so tiny, I used my smaller detail paint brush to paint everything. For the waffle, I used a mixture of browns to get the color and detail I wanted. It won't take long, but be sure to let the paint dry completely before doing anything else.

To give everything a nice sheen and to protect the acrylic paint, I sprayed a coat of clear sealant over all of the pieces and let them dry. Use some super glue to attach the toppings to the top of the waffle. 

Hook a jump ring through the eye pin, and thread a chain through it to make it into a necklace. You could also make matching earrings by attaching earring hooks to the jump ring. Or skip the eye pin altogether and glue the waffle to a ring blank for another fun piece of jewelry!

What toppings do you put on your waffles?