DIY Taillight Jewelry – #CraftChallenge 2015

It’s time for another Craft Challenge! This month’s theme was jewelry and right from the start I knew I had two options to make something that really was true to me.

Option One: Wire wrap something. Wire wrapping is such an elegant jewelry form and it is something I really want to learn more about. BUT it I have some other posts planned to cover wire wrapping. So I steered clear of this option.

Option Two: Do something kind of weird. Specifically, do a jewelry upcycle with an item most people wouldn’t equate with jewelry. Got it! Now what?

Well. I wanted something with lot’s of colour and texture. Something bold since I tend to dress pretty casually. And something people will ask about. With all that in mind I decided I wanted to create…

Taillight Jewelry!

That is right. Taillights as in the lights that come off of your car. Now, seeing as I don’t have a car (or drive at all), and my husband was not about to rip off his taillights, I had to find a way to GET some.

Well, lo-and-behold, one of the barter groups I am a part of pulled through. One gent had a bunch of car parts for barter and wanted one of my items so I asked if he had access to these lights. I didn’t care if they were broken (actually saves time if they are) and so long as the are a coloured light covers they would be PERFECT. Thankfully, he had two sets of truck taillight covers so we sealed the deal and I got to crafting.

Now, if you are interesting in making taillight jewelry too, keep in mind that the possibilities are ENDLESS. I have made both a bracelet and a necklace but since the premise is you are making “charms” or “stones” from these lights, you can adapt them into any other jewelry item. I personally plan on making a multi-piece statement necklace out of the taillights next. I may also try to make a cuff like bracelet with the curved bits of the lights. (And my husband wants me to try making a heart)!

Note, I use the term “charm” to signify the use of the taillight piece as an attachment to a necklace or charm bracelet. Essentially this requires making a small hole in the piece to attach jump rings to so it will connect to the main chain. The term “stone” is used to signify the use of the taillight piece as if it were a stone in jewelry. This means you plan to attach this piece to a blank or glue it onto another surface.

With that said, let me show you how you can make your own taillight jewelry.

Here is what you need:

• Taillight or brakelight covers (not the bulbs, just the coloured plastic covers)
• Gloves and possibly safety goggles (pieces do fly off some times)
• A tarp (to catch all the little shavings from sanding)
• Shaping tools (use whatever you have but I suggest pliers and wrenches)
• A hammer (just in case you have trouble breaking into the light, I did not need this)
• Sand paper (finer grit is best)
• Drill or Dremel (if making into a “charm”)
• E6000 or similar glue (if using as a “stone”)
• Jewelry supplies as needed (blanks, chains, jump rings, clasps, etc.)

Step One: Break off pieces of the taillight
Using gloves hands, a hammer, and whatever tools you need, break off a piece of the taillight. The size you need is relative to what you wish to make. Remember you can always break smaller bits off a large piece but you cannot enlarge a small one. It is better to pick a piece slightly bigger than what you want. Here are some sizes I broke off.

Step Two: Shape the piece
Make some marks or an outline (I used the tip of my pliers to carve the outline) on your taillight piece which shows the final shape and size you wish to achieve. Using your shaping tools, break off small pieces of the taillight to bring the edge as close to the outline as you can get. Be sure not to go too close or you may get a crack that shows up in your final piece. Chisels can help get a little extra edging done before the next step.

Step Three: Sand the piece
This is the most time consuming part and the amount of time you spend is relative to how much distance there is between your outline and the edge of the piece of taillight. Simply use sandpaper to shave that edge right to the outline. I also suggest sanding the top of the piece to remove any paint, grime, etc.

Step Four: “Polish” the piece
Now that the shape is right, it is time to make your piece SHINE! Simply paint a generous amount of clear nail polish on the top (where you just sanded) of the piece and let dry. This will hide all the sanding marks and really let the light reflect on the taillight jewelry. I put mine right in the sunlight here so you could hopefully see how much light comes through after being polished.

Step Five: Attach to your jewelry
*Note: NONE of the following are affiliate links, I just want to show you where to get things if you are making these yourself!

For my bracelet I bought a blank from Michael’s. There are similar ones on Amazon. To get the look I have, I used E6000 jewelry glue to attach the taillight “stone” to the blank. After letting it dry, I was ready to showcase my piece.

For my necklace, I got a starter kit with chain, clasps, and jump rings from Michael’s, however, I couldn’t find the kit online. I simply had to drill a tiny hole into the top of my taillight “charm,” feed a jump ring through it, and attach to the necklace chain. Once I attached the clasps, I was ready to put it on and share my creation.

Hope you all enjoyed this tutorial and if you want more jewelry inspiration check out the other #CraftChallenge bloggers:

*Note: Erika and Tinkerbell could not post this month. Erika specifically is unable to post due to illness, we wish her all the best!