DIY Enamel Dots Tutorial

HOME MADE ENAMEL DOTS 

So, I've seen people all over Pinterest making their own enamel dots, and I wanted to try it out. I don't know about you, but I certainly can't afford to buy enamel dots in ALL the colors I want them!!! 

So, I looked up several recipes and went to town making them, and guess what? It was super easy! So I wanted to provide you all with a little tutorial on how to make them, since I already did most of the trial and error for you!! (lol)

First you need a package of Pony beads, you can get these at Walmart over in the kids crafts section. They come in all kinds of varieties, mixed colors, translucent colors, single colors, etc. I got mine for $1.97 for a package of about 500 of them! Can't beat that with a stick!

Just what IS a Pony Bead? They are the little semi round beads your kids use to make necklaces in elementary. Here is a picture: 

These are what Pony Beads look like. 

So after you have those ready, you pre-heat your oven to 400*F, and while the oven is pre-heating you take your flattest and smoothest cookie sheets and line it with parchment paper (in a pinch, you CAN use aluminum foil, but like mine, they will have kind of a wrinkly bottom, but it does NOT affect it's usefulness.)  

Once you have the parchment paper laid out on your cookie sheet, you will lay out your beads. You want them to be flat, with the hole pointing up and about 1.5 inches apart. Like this:

Make sure the hole in the bead is facing UP !!

Once your oven is pre-heated to 400*F, place the cookie sheet in the oven on the center rack and set your timer for about 18 and a half minutes*. (***COOKING TIMES WILL VARY DEPENDING ON YOUR ALTITUDE*** I live in Salt Lake City at about 4,327 Feet)  For the first batch, I checked mine every 5 minutes, but found that it took a little longer, because I was letting the heat out. But you are better off starting with less time and having to add more time, than cooking them too long and having a burned mess on your hands. Remember, all you are wanting to do is MELT them!!

You'll know they are ready when the little hole in the center disappears completely and they look like this: 

The little hole should be gone and they should look like the Enamel Dots you pay so much $$ for!

When the timer goes off, pull them out of the oven and let them cool at least 5 minutes, maybe even 10. 

Here's a Tip: If you remove the paper (with your melted dots still on it) from the cookie sheet and set them on the counter, they will cool much faster, THEN simply take your hand underneath the paper and pop them off the paper!!

Then reload your cookie sheet with parchment paper and beads and put them in the oven for your next batch. 

Another tip: To make this process go faster, if you are wanting to make a lot of them or are just in a hurry, I recommend having 2 cookie sheets going. While one is in the oven, you can prepare the other one so that when cookie sheet A is done cooking, you can pull it out and put cookie sheet B right into the oven!

When you are all done, find a container to put them in! You can separate them however you want or just throw them all into one container like I did (I just think it looks prettier that way (; ) and then you should have something that looks like this: 

Your very own DIY Enamel Dots !!

Now all you will have to do to use them is apply your favorite adhesive (you can check out MY favorite adhesives HERE for some ideas.) to the back of the dot and apply it to your project !! 

Voila !!! You've just saved yourself TONS of money AND it was super EASY !! I don't think I will ever actually purchase enamel dots ever again!! And wait til you see what I have coming with my NEXT batch!! 

**** If you are concerned about there being a smell or have heard a rumor that it releases a toxic smell, I am here to debunk that theory. I have had several different people who have tried this using this tutorial, and not one person has reported there being a smell. If you are truly concerned, I recommend you turn on the oven/microwave exhaust fan, and cracking a window. But there should not be a smell if it is done correctly! :) *****

 Stay tuned.... !!