Lock of Hair Display

Locks of hair from babies are an essential part of the baby book wouldn't you say? So here is yet another way to display the usual baby stuff in an unusual and creative way. You can see the other ideas here and here. The best is for last so don't forget to stop back in a day or two to see THE ULTIMATE BABY DISPLAY IDEA! Just kidding, well not really. It puts Happy Feet to shame!

This is going to be my longest post to date but if you stay with me, I think you'll like the end result! I love to create and  I am a maker. I make things. All sorts of things. I like all sorts of mediums.....I dabble in cake decorating, I sew/craft, and I do a little bit of stained glass among other things.  So I decided to display Jake's hair in a stained glass-like frame.

This post involves a few different techniques so just bear with me and I will give a complete list of tools as I go through the post. You can decide which you want to use based on which display you want to use.

I found some beveled glass at the stained glass store and sandwiched the lock of hair between that and a piece of glass I had already cut to match the size of the beveled glass. I will show you how to cut glass further down. If you are a stained glass master then you will foil both pieces of glass, clean the glass thoroughly, and then sandwich the lock of hair in between and foil everything together. Then you will solder it together and add two jump rings to the back.

To etch the initials onto the glass I used 1/4" vinyl letters.


See the "A"? Cut out around the "A" and leave the actual letter on the paper. See below.

Use a guide line to place your letters like above. I usually start with the middle letter and then place the ones on either side. Much better symmetry.

Now you will use etching acid cream to etch the initials onto the glass. You just need a very little cream on a fine tip paint brush.

You will paint the cream inside the letters. Carefully. Anywhere the acid touches, it will start to etch immediately. I should probably say something about safety but truthfully, I do not protect myself in anyway and I have never been "etched" so I am a very poor example for OSHA. Wait about 5 minutes and then wash everything off, letters and all. Dry the glass and add a ribbon!


And now you have a beveled glass Lock of Hair display!  Now what if you are NOT a stained glass aficionado?

Don't worry, I wouldn't leave you hangin!

You will need a picture frame and some glass. If you do not want to cut glass then buy two identical picture frames and use the glass from the second frame along with the first frame. Or go to your local hardware store, they usually can cut glass for you as well. Bring your measurements with you.


 If you DO want to learn to cut glass, read on!


You will need a straight edge, glass, cutting oil, glass cutter and glass nippers, the green plier looking things. I am not sure if nippers is the right name however. It has been a long time since I bought these tools and that is what I call them so nippers it is.



 A close up so you can see what these look like.

 

Use the existing piece of glass from the picture frame and outline it onto the larger piece of glass with a fine tip Sharpie.

 This is what it looks like after outlining it.

 

Dip your glass cutter in the cutting oil and let it drip off.

 Pick one of the lines you drew and line up your straight edge. You should place the straight edge just slightly inside the line to leave room for the glass cutter. Then with even pressure, pull the glass cutter towards you. You will here a scratchy sound. That is good. You only have one shot so make it count. Score the entire length of the glass.


 
Get your nippers and line up the white line on the nippers with your cut line on the glass.

Squeeze the handle until the glass breaks. Now do the same thing exact process for the other line that you drew and you will have a cut piece of glass the same size as you original!

Good job and now you have a new skill in your pink toolbelt of DIYing! What? do you honestly think mine wasn't pink?!?

Clean the glass well. You do not want fingerprints etc. on the inside of the glass. I held the glass using one hand and the edge of the paper towel and used my other hand to clean it.

Take your lock of hair and curl it into a curl and then hairspray it there.  Let it dry and cut any stray hairs.

Place one piece of  glass in the frame then the lock of hair, and then the other piece of glass. Check for fingerprints or dirt at this point and clean again if needed.

Because you are not using the back of the frame, the two pieces of glass may be loose. I just used two toothpicks on each side like a shim under the tabs.  Also, because you are going to see clear through, do not push the tabs all the way or you will see them when you turn the frame over.

This is how it should look from the front.

So with all of the scrapbook sticker choices out there, pick some alphabet stickers that you like. Here is one that I liked. 

This one I already had at home.

Decide where you want to place the stickers and draw your guidelines on a piece of paper or paper towel. Place frame over top.

I use an X-acto knife for placement because it only holds the edge of the sticker so less sticky stuff is removed and I can see better when I am placing the letter. Again, start with the middle initial and then add the outside letters.

Looks okay but I think the letters where a bit small for the frame.

Now these I like but the white not so much.

So I  painted them gold to match the frame.

It took about three coats to cover well and smoothly. Use the edge of the X-acto knife to cut away the extra paint. Do this before lifting them up from the plastic they were sitting on. 

 Much better!

Ta-Da! You have now created your own version of my Lock of Hair display! Well Done!

 I hope everyone had a wonderful day of feasting, family, and of looking back over the year and remembering all that we have to be Thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving, a day late.

Always being renewed,

Linking to these creative hostesses: