Your inner Death Eater will be proud to wear these handmade Harry Potter Dark Mark Earrings!
Making crafts inspired by Harry Potter is one of my favorite things - in fact, I love it so much that I wrote a Harry Potter craft book full of crafts and recipes! Usually my projects are dedicated to the heroes of the story, but today is all about the bad guys - Death Eaters.
If you aren't familiar with the Death Eater characters from the books, they are a group of evil wizards and witches who are followers of You-Know-Who (aka Lord Voldemort). Members of this group recognize each other by the "Dark Mark", a tattoo-like sigil branded on their left forearm. The Dark Mark takes the form of a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth in place of a tongue.
Needless to say, I really enjoyed creating this stunning pair of Dark Mark Earrings using my xTool M1 laser cutter. These earrings an incredible accessory for any dark wizard, and would definitely be a magical handmade gift for fellow Potterheads. Not only am I going to walk you through the process of making these earrings step-by-step, but I'm sharing the FREE laser cut file so that you can make a pair for yourself!
I have been having so much fun using my xTool M1 hybrid laser machine. There are so many things that you can create, and it's actually very easy to use! If you want to learn more about how this incredible machine works, be sure to check out my complete xTool review.
In the right menu bar, change the material in the dropdown menu to the type of wood that you will be using. Next, upload the Dark Mark earring design (personal use only) in xTool Creative Space. The earring design has two different parts: the outline and the Dark Mark symbol in the center. Select just the outline of the design, and change it to "Cut" in the menu bar on the right.
Next, select the Dark Mark part of the design, and make sure it is set to "Engrave" in the right menu bar.
Now all you have to do is press the big button on the front of the machine and watch the magic happen! Always make sure that you are working in a well-ventilated area, and use a smoke purifier accessory if you can to reduce the smoke and dust.
Next, use sandpaper to remove the paint from the top layer of the earrings. What's left behind is a darkened engraving of the Dark Mark. The paint has also absorbed into the wood, so it gives the earrings grunge-type look that matches the Death Eater aesthetic.
I wanted to give the earrings a grungy look, so I experimented with this technique and love how it turned out. Paint thin coats of watered down black acrylic paint over the front of the earrings. Let each coat dry before adding another. Allow the earrings to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Just for fun, I painted another set of earrings with green paint. You know, in case a Slytherin student maybe wanted to sport a pair of these earrings in support of You-Know-Who... I think they are so fun, and I love the pop of color!
To protect the wood, seal both sides of the earrings with a thin coat of clear sealant.
Use jewelry pliers to turn the loop on the earring hooks 90º. This will make it so that the earrings hang correctly when they're being worn. These can be kind of fragile, so work carefully.
Open the jump rings and hook them through the hole in the top of the earrings. Attach the earring hooks to the jump ring and make sure they are completely closed so that they don't come off!
I am so excited with how these earrings turned out, and I just know that I would be Voldemort's favorite Death Eater if I wore them to our evil outings! They are such a fun accessory to wear to show your Harry Potter fandom, and would make a great gift for a fellow Potterhead.
While I was making the wood earrings, I finally got my hands on a piece of black acrylic. The xTool M1 can cut a lot of opaque acrylics, so I have been dying to it a try. Because they are small, earrings are a great project to test out on different materials.
Cut the earrings out following the instructions above, but change the material to 3mm black acrylic before cutting. The machine cut through the acrylic beautifully, and I can't wait to make more projects with this material.
Fill the engraved Dark Mark with white acrylic paint. My engraving was a little deeper than it was in the wood, so I used a toothpick to fill it all in. It's okay if you make a mess on the border of the design. Let the paint dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Dip a cotton swab into 91% alcohol, and carefully wipe the paint away from the surface of the acrylic. Depending on how much paint you need to remove, you may need to use multiple cotton swabs. If you see any areas inside the engraving that need touch-ups, add a little more paint to the area with a toothpick and let it dry.
Use jewelry pliers open the jump rings and hook them through the hole in the top of the earrings. Attach the earring hooks to the jump rings. Make sure they are completely closed so that they don't come off!
I think the acrylic Dark Mark earrings look so chic, and the symbol definitely stands out. I am beyond thrilled with both sets of earrings, and would love to hear what you think. If you are looking to start a small business using the xTool M1 machine, these would also be a great product to sell. As always, if you make any of these projects for yourself, I'd love to see your creations! Tag me on Instagram and Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest!
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