DIY Wood Earrings with a Cricut and Rust-Oleum Imagine Paint

Yes, you can make your own DIY wood earrings in minutes! Grab your Cricut machine and a variety of Rust-Oleum Imagine paints to make earrings for fall or any other occasion. I have several ideas below that you will love to make to match your outfits. The best part is that these are made with wood veneer that can be cut in either the Explore or Maker series with the deep point blade. Then you can personalize the look with Rust-Oleum Imagine paints and make a fall craft this is unique and gorgeous!

This post is sponsored by Rust-Oleum, however, all projects and opinions are my own.

DIY Wood Earrings

You can actually watch me make these wood veneer earrings in the video below. Just click play on the video to see the process as well as ideas for more earrings you can make with this same process.

Can’t watch the video or miss some of the steps? You can also follow along below!

Supplies needed:

• Variety of paints from Rust-Oleum Imagine including:
  • Color Shift (Get it at Menards or Joann or Do-It-Best)
  • Soft Gold Chrome (Get it at Menards)
  • Intense Glitter Paint (Get it at Menards or Farm & Fleet or Lowes)
  • Chalk Spray (Get it at Joann)
• Cricut machine
• Strong grip mat
• Painter’s tape
• Wood veneer
• Jewelry findings
• Jewelry pliers
• Wood glue
• Brayer
• Deep point blade
• Paintbrush
• Gnome SVG file
• Design Space Canvas

How to Cut Wood Veneer

First, you will need to cut the wood veneer with your Cricut machine. Upload your designs to Cricut Design Space. Then add the wood veneer sheets to a strong grip mat. Use a brayer to make sure it is on the mat well and add painter’s tape to all four edges. Trim away any excess tape and make sure it is not hanging over the edge of the mat.

Then use the deep point blade in an Explore or Maker series machine to cut your wood veneer. I used the wood veneer setting for my pieces. NOTE: I could not find the wood veneer setting when using mobile so you may have to use a computer for this project or pick another material setting.

Once your pieces are cut, remove them from the mat. Use caution as the wood veneer is very thin and delicate.

Layering the Wood Veneer

Wood veneer is extremely thin. In fact, you can bend it with just your hands when it is in a single layer. So, I recommend layering your wood veneer earring pieces to be more sturdy.

In my case, I cut two of the back pieces and layered those together with some glue before painting. I would not layer too many pieces together as you do not want to make your Cricut earrings too heavy.

Preparing Pieces for Spray Painting

Now the pieces are ready for spray paint. Since the wood pieces are so thin, they will also be really lightweight. For the best results from spray paint, you will want to hold them down in some manner. If you have an area you don’t want to be painted, you can tape the pieces down on heavyweight card stock. If you want the entire thing painted, just use double-sided tape or a loop of painter’s tape to hold the pieces on some cardstock.

Spray Painting Wood Veneer

Then you want to head outside or to another well-ventilated area for spray painting. With any spray paint project:

• Follow all directions on the can.
• Shake the can well (for at least 1 minute).
• Spray paint in light coats about 12 – 16 inches from the surface in a back-and-forth motion.
• Overlap your strokes as you move back and forth.
• Spray paint should be recoated within 1 hour or you should wait for 24 hours between coats. I tend to allow the paint to dry slightly then add additional coats quickly.
• For the color shift paint, you will want to spray on the black basecoat first then add the color shift paint. The more coats of color shift that you add, the more intense the effect will be.
• Once your spray painting is done, allow the pieces to dry completely before assembling.

Adding Glitter Paint

If you want to add even more fun to your earrings, you can apply the intense glitter paint right on top of the spray paint. I did this to all of my gnome bodies. I painted each one white then added one to two coats of glitter on top. The more coats of glitter that you add the more intense the effect will be. Allow these to dry before continuing.

Assembling the DIY Wood Earrings

Once you let your pieces dry, it is time to assemble your DIY wood earrings. First, you will want to glue the pieces together. Add the hat and the nose to the body with glue and allow it to dry.

Then you will need to add jewelry findings to the earrings. I used a large and small jump ring along with an earring hook and used jewelry pliers to assemble.

More DIY Wood Earring Ideas

What if you don’t like gnomes or want to make Cricut earrings for other occasions? Break out your wood veneer and Rust-Oleum Imagine paints for these other gorgeous earring ideas as well. From left to right, you can make the following:

• Leaves coated in color shift paint
• Leaves half painted with 3 coats of intense glitter paint
• Walnut wood veneer earrings with gold accents
• Teardrop earrings with intense glitter paint on the bottom

My Favorite Wood Veneer Earrings

Which are my favorite DIY wood earrings? Personally, I love the gnomes! I think I like the version with the unfinished walnut veneer hat the best.

However, a close second would definitely be the hat with the gold paint.

You can’t go wrong with the addition of the color shift paint, however. It is definitely a bolder look but it will really turn some heads!

So, which of these DIY wood earrings will you make this year? I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these project ideas. Grab your Cricut and some Rust-Oleum Imagine paint to make something amazing this fall. I know you will love the results!

I will just be searching for even more gnome earring SVG files. Frankly, I can see making a version of these for every holiday season. They are so adorable!

Love this project idea and want more? Try the links below as well!

Pumpkin Door Hanger

Make this easy fall door hanger to welcome guests this season!

Read More

DIY Lantern from Dollar Store Supplies

Make this cute lantern in minutes with inexpensive supplies then dress it up with Testors craft paint in gold!

Read More

How to Paint Pumpkins

Add texture to the surface of painting pumpkins using this technique of mixing baking soda with Testors craft paint.

Read More

Halloween Flower Pots

Grab your Testors craft paint and make some Halloween flower pots this fall!

Read More

You can also print the instructions using the card below!

Total Time 1 day day 3 hours hours

DIY Wood Earrings with a Cricut and Rust-Oleum Imagine Paints

Grab your Rust-Oleum Imagine paints and make some adorable gnome earrings with wood veneer and your Cricut machine.

Print Project Pin Project Rate Project

Equipment

• Cricut machine
• Jewelry pliers
• Brayer
• Deep point blade
• Paintbrush

Supplies

• Variety of paints from Rust-Oleum Imagine Color shift, Soft Gold Chrome, Intense Glitter Paint and Chalk Spray
• Strong grip mat
• Painter's tape
• Wood veneer
• Jewelry findings
• Wood glue
• Gnome SVG file

Instructions

How to Cut Wood Veneer

• First, you will need to cut the wood veneer with your Cricut machine. Upload your designs to Cricut Design Space. Then add the wood veneer sheets to a strong grip mat. Use a brayer to make sure it is on the mat well and add painter’s tape to all four edges. Trim away any excess tape and make sure it is not hanging over the edge of the mat.
• Then use the deep point blade in an Explore or Maker series machine to cut your wood veneer. I used the wood veneer setting for my pieces. NOTE: I could not find the wood veneer setting when using mobile so you may have to use a computer for this project or pick another material setting.
• Once your pieces are cut, remove them from the mat. Use caution as the wood veneer is very thin and delicate.

Layering the Wood Veneer

• Wood veneer is extremely thin. In fact, you can bend it with just your hands when it is in a single layer. So, I recommend layering your wood veneer earring pieces to be more sturdy.
• In my case, I cut two of the back pieces and layered those together with some glue before painting. I would not layer too many pieces together as you do not want to make your Cricut earrings too heavy.

Preparing Pieces for Spray Painting

• Now the pieces are ready for spray paint. Since the wood pieces are so thin, they will also be really lightweight. For the best results from spray paint, you will want to hold them down in some manner. If you have an area you don’t want to be painted, you can tape the pieces down on heavyweight card stock. If you want the entire thing painted, just use double-sided tape or a loop of painter’s tape to hold the pieces on some cardstock.

Spray Painting Wood Veneer

• Then you want to head outside or to another well-ventilated area for spray painting. With any spray paint project:
• Follow all directions on the can.Shake the can well (for at least 1 minute).Spray paint in light coats about 12 – 16 inches from the surface in a back-and-forth motion.Overlap your strokes as you move back and forth.Spray paint should be recoated within 1 hour or you should wait for 24 hours between coats. I tend to allow the paint to dry slightly then add additional coats quickly. For the color shift paint, you will want to spray on the black basecoat first then add the color shift paint. The more coats of color shift that you add, the more intense the effect will be.Once your spray painting is done, allow the pieces to dry completely before assembling.

Adding Glitter Paint

• If you want to add even more fun to your earrings, you can apply the intense glitter paint right on top of the spray paint. I did this to all of my gnome bodies. I painted each one white then added one to two coats of glitter on top. The more coats of glitter that you add the more intense the effect will be. Allow these to dry before continuing.

Assembling the DIY Wood Earrings

• Once you let your pieces dry, it is time to assemble your DIY wood earrings. First, you will want to glue the pieces together. Add the hat and the nose to the body with glue and allow it to dry.
• Then you will need to add jewelry findings to the earrings. I used a large and small jump ring along with an earring hook and used jewelry pliers to assemble.

Tried this project?tag us to show off your work!