Here’s a fun tutorial that was used in a DIY project found in a past issue of Make: — the “EZ-Make Oven.” It featured an incandescent bulb, as a heat source, built into a paint can for baking plastisol creatures, aka Creepy Crawlers! Here is how you can make something else with the EZ-Make Oven: easy and colorful enameled jewelry and trinkets.
This faux enamel technique uses colored polymer powders that melt and fuse at low temperature to give a bright, shiny finish. They look like glass enamel or cloisonné, but you can bake them with just a light bulb.
The fusing powders can be found in crafts store or online. They’re sold as embossing powders for stamping and scrapbooking. This project only takes a couple hours and shouldn’t cost more than $5–$10 to recreate.
To start, I cut a small disc out of brass, deburred the edges, and cleaned it with vinegar and water to remove any finger oil so that the powders would adhere uniformly. Try to keep it clean by handling the trinket by the edges only.
Sprinkle on some low-temp powder and build up an even layer about 1/32″ thick. Then, carefully place the trinket on the warmed EZ-Make Oven. After a few minutes, when the powder melts and gets shiny, remove and let it cool.
You can add more powders in different colors to create a design. I made this “Jolly Hacker” medallion with hand-cut stencils of thin cardstock. You could also make super-intricate, laser-cut stencils!
When all your colors have been added, return the trinket to the oven for a 20-minute final bake for maximum hardness (about 300°F in a kitchen oven). Add a chain to finish your medallion or glue on a pin back to make a brooch or badge.
