Halloween Aquabead Pin Badges

It tends to be Nanny’s job to “do Aquabeads” with Iris and Bertie …………

……….. no one else has the patience, but oh boy they are little blighters to work (the beads, not Iris and Bertie!), one false move and the design can become a sticky, unrecognisable mess ……….

……. and Nanny is called upon to try and rescue them, to make sure such a long period of intense concentration was not all for nothing …….aghhhhhhh!

These (above) are my own humble efforts, but what to do with them once they are complete?  Usually we draw a little background scene to put the designs on, which is then framed to create a lasting memory and recognises that I and B’s work is valued.  I also have far too many frames under my bed that really need using up ……. but as these have a seasonal theme  I needed to think of something else.

In the end I thought pin badges/brooches for my annual Halloween sleepover.  The beads on their own are not all that strong so I applied several thick layers of PVA to both sides, allowing each layer to dry thoroughly which made the shape far more robust. I then added a small pin fastening to the back using an epoxy resin glue again to make the badge/brooch more durable.

It wouldn’t take much to add a pendant finding to the shape to be worn as a necklace or hung from a Halloween twig tree….. I am also thinking they could also be used to embellishments Halloween crackers for the party table …….. hmmmmmm