If you’re looking for a jewelry tutorial for beginners that’s creative, easy, and a little bit unexpected, this project is for you! In this step-by-step guide, I’ll show you how to turn simple packing tape and printed images into unique, wearable art. You don’t need any fancy tools or materials—just curiosity and a love for handmade design. Whether you’re new to jewelry making or simply want to try a new mixed media technique, this packing tape transfer jewelry project is a fun way to start.
Create a Packing Tape Transfer
The first step is to create a basic packing tape transfer. Check out my video below for the how-to:
Instructions:
- Place a piece of clear packing tape over an image and burnish it firmly.
- Soak the taped image in water until the paper softens, then rub the paper away.
- You’ll be left with a transparent image on the tape.
Let’s Make Earrings
Once your tape transfer had dried, grab some Tim Holtz Fragments.
ETA: Since I first published this post, Tim Holtz Fragments have been discontinued. But you can still buy clear acrylic blanks for making earrings or necklaces. Look around to find the exact shape and size you need. Nowadays you can even use an electronic cutter or laser cutter to cut your own unique shapes from acrylic!
In the photo above, the Fragments are on the left and the piece on the right is my tape transfer.
Apply Glossy Accents to the Fragments. Be sure not to add too much glue. I like Glossy Accents specifically, because it dries clear, glossy, quickly, and permanently.
Sometimes the tape transfer will stick to the fragment on its own, but just to be safe it’s good to use adhesive, especially for something wearable, like jewelry. If you were making a Christmas ornament or something like that, it would get less wear and tear and you might be able to get away without the adhesive.
Press the Fragments onto your tape transfer, as seen in the photo above. I love how you can perfectly place your Fragment to get exactly the image you want!
Once the glue is dry, cut around the fragment with scissors or a craft knife.
Use a sharp tool, such as this retractable paper piercer, to poke through the tape where it covers the hole.
Add a jump ring and an earring hook to each fragment…
…and you’ve got a fabulous pair of earrings!
Here’s a pair I made from some text from a Glamour Magazine:
Lots of cool possibilities, right?
How to Make a Pendant for a Necklace
This basic process can be used for lots of other projects, including making a pendant for a necklace! Repeat the same steps as before, but this time with a single large Fragment.
I decided to create a layered effect by gluing (still using Glossy Accents) the pendant onto a book page, as you can see below:
When using book pages, it’s good to think about the text the viewer will see. I specifically wanted to catch the word “fairy,” because I felt that it coordinated with the image.
Once the glue is dry, cut the Fragment out using scissors or a craft knife.
I like to cover the back of the book page (which will rest against your body) with some gel medium. Just something to seal it and prevent water/sweat damage.
Wrap foil tape around the edges of your pendant.
Once you’ve wrapped around the whole pendant, you’ll need to smooth down (flatten) the tape on the front and the back. Do your best to be neat and pay attention at the corners.
My corners are still a bit wrinkly, but I smoothed them as best as I could with my thumb. You could also use a bone folder to help burnish the tape.
As we did with the earrings, poke a hole through the tape and book page where the hole in the fragment is.
I added a jump ring and a rubber necklace and voila! A fabulous artsy necklace in about 15 minutes!
Final Thoughts
I hope you’re inspired to give this easy jewelry tutorial for beginners a try! Packing tape transfer jewelry is such a fun and forgiving project—perfect for experimenting with images, layering, and personal expression. Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can customize your designs with color, texture, or mixed media elements to make each piece uniquely yours. Don’t forget to share your creations—I’d love to see what you make! For more creative techniques and mixed media inspiration, be sure to explore my other tutorials here on the blog.
Thanks for stopping by!
How cute! Love the video…thanks, Julie!
Thanks for the one minute tut on tape transfer…looks easy peasey!
What a great idea. Love the collage you did on the last one. I’ll give it a try. Thanks!
Quick and easy, I know! LOVE your fast video tutorial!!! I myself like to make gel medium transfers, but that takes a (longer) while to dry. With tape, it only takes a few minutes and it is a lot easier, I’m sure many of your blogreaders will thank you for this!
I cant wait to try this.
found you via lori… awesome tutorials! putting you on my sidebar right now! 🙂
Sei una fonte inesauribile di idee :-))
fantastica !!!
kiusss mary
that necklace is awesome!
Ooooh! I like it!
I love it!!! Julie, you always know hoe to take it to the next level : )
Love the necklace! And look at that pretty face!
Great video Julie and I love the earrings and necklace!!
I love this technique!
Thanks so much for sharing this!!! Hope you make lots of 1 minute tutorials!!!
I’m so glad you added this to your favorite tutorials list! I somehow missed it the first time around. Can’t imagine how!! I’ll definitely be making some of these. Thanks again!
great idea, thanks for sharing!
What a great tutorial! Thank you, Julie!
for the (what i feel like is the) bajillionth time, YOU ARE A GENIUS. should the water be warm or cold or does it matter? gosh, i can’t WAIT to try this! WOOHOO!
Heather: Warm or cold will do the trick. You might find warm more pleasurable for your fingers. But chemically it doesnt matter.
LOOOOOOOOOVE!!! you inspired me 🙂
LOOOOOOOOOVE!!! you inspired me 🙂
Can you use this with pictures?And possible place on fabric?
You can place the tape transfers on fabric, but you have a piece of tape on fabric. If youre okay with that, then thats awesome! Ive done it and its more for wall art than anything else. As for photos, I dont know. Try it and see what happens!
Excellent tutorial Julie. Is packing tape what we call sellotape in the UK?
Im sorry to say I have no idea.
Thanks for replying Julie – I tried it with sellotape today and it worked perfectly!! Now to buy some foil tape. I’m going to love making presents with this technique.
Thanks for replying Julie – I tried it with sellotape today and it worked perfectly!! Now to buy some foil tape. I’m going to love making presents with this technique.
Awesome! Thank you very much!
THANK YOU!!! THIS IS AWESOME!!!
Love the video and the blog inspiration too!!
These are fantastic! Thanks for the tut!!
Hi Julie, what great technique. And so many possibilities, Thanks!!
This looks really good and easy! 😀
This is seriously awesome. And I love how you explained in 1 minute something which took others with similar tutorials almost 9!
Very COOL I highlighted your tutorial on my “Pinterest Monday” blog post. I gave you credit and a link back to your original tutorial. Thanks for sharing. http://ttedesigns.blogspot.com/
This has got to be one of my favorite tutorials!!!! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
What type of tape did you use to wrap the last image? Thank you so much!
great video! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Have you trued on glass, I am wondering if it would work as well.
Thank you for this mini lesson. Now I have some great things to think about making.
What a cute, fast idea, with stuff I have laying around the house. Thanks for the ideas!
Wow, I loved your tutorial, thanks for sharing!!!!
whaouu, j’adore!
Will this work with any other mediums aside from a magazine? Like a .color photocopy?
Thanks for your tutorial. Can’t wait to try this.
My daughter is totally enmeshed in this process, thanks for the tutorial. She wants to hit a craft fair with them, any ideas for pricing?
I had NO idea u could do this!!! Thank you for this tute!
I have a lot of these fragments and will use this for sure. Thanks for sharing.
great tutorial….had no idea this could be done!!
thanks for posting! btw what glue did you use to stick the transfer to the clear key ring/pendant??
June
Awesome idea. This is the first inspiration I’ve pinned on Pinterest. Guess what everyone’s getting for the holidays this year. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and for keeping it simple for newbies like me.
I absolutely love it!!!
Thanks so much for sharing.
Cannot wait to try!
What!? This looks so easy! (Of course, I will probably have to try it 10 times to get the hang of it… but that is better than 20!) Thanks for posting this fun idea!
Cool! This is one of the best pins I have seen! Great project plus when you go to open the pin it actually opens and gives you the whole tutorial!!! Bravo!
This clears up some mystery for me. Great photos and super cool and fun results. Thanks for sharing your talents with me! LOVE IT ALL!
Brilliant! # THANK YOU
I just wanted to say that I LOVE this idea! I have tried a few different transfer methods but haven’t ever heard of being able to do it with tape. I can’t wait to try this out! I am just starting to dabble in jewelry making. I do a lot of mixed media stuff and this will be GREAT. I can’t wait to give it a shot! You are a very talented artist and thank you for sharing!
Love the project…..love you
I can’t find transfers with holes anywhere! Any ideas on where to get them?
I freakin lovvvveee the one from Glamour mag !! I saw your image some place else but i can’t remember you ROCK !!
Will any glue work. Like modge podge. My 1st attempt I used clear nail polish as my adhesive. What about glue sticks?! Fun craft!! Thanks for sharing! Dana
Nice! Where do I get the silver tape?
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