How To Make Stunning Jewelry From… Potatoes?

Did you know you can make jewelry from potatoes? Yes, you read that right. If you have a potato or two in your pantry, a skewer, and some spray paint, you can have some stunning jewelry in a matter of hours!

Would you believe the beautiful necklaces pictured above were made out of potatoes? These pieces are selling for around $45 on Etsy. Amazing! You can make your very own potato jewelry in four easy steps. Keep reading to get the full tutorial!

The first step is to wash and peel the potato. Then, cut the potato into differently shaped chunks. You’ll want to make the pieces bigger than you think – as they will shrink by about 1/3 during the drying process. Once you have all of your beads cut, you’ll want to thread them on some bamboo skewers. This creates the holes that you’ll later use for stringing the beads and making them into jewelry.

The next step is the drying process. You can do this one of two ways. Traditionally, you let the potato skewers sit out for about two weeks, until the potatoes are hard as rocks. However, for those of us who are impatient and want our cool, new jewelry right now, you can speed the process along by sticking the skewers in the oven on low – about 200° – for 2-3 hours.

Once the beads are dried out, it’s time to paint!

Here’s where your creativity can really come into play. There are a few options for painting these beads. The first method is to paint each bead by hand with acrylic paint. You’ll want to paint two layers of acrylic paint on each bead and let each coat dry for at least 8 hours. Then, spray paint the beads with an acrylic sealer before slipping them off the skewer and using them to create your masterpieces. This hand painted method allows for you to do fun things like marbling or using multiple colors on each bead.

However, if you’re looking for a quicker way to finish up the beads, you can always spray paint them in batches. You’ll need to do several coats of spray paint, and finish it off with a clear gloss sealer.

However you choose to make these beads, one thing is clear – the results are nothing short of amazing! Just look at these lovely pieces. It’s hard to believe these are made from potatoes. You can always add other beads into the mix and get really creative with charms and multiple strands. The sky really is the limit when it comes to making your own jewelry, which is why we love these fun DIY projects!

Go ahead and get started with your potato jewelry adventure today, and don’t forget to share photos of your finished product with us in the comments below!