Precious Stone Knob : Anthro Knock-off Week Day 4

With so many of my readers completing their own room make over projects, I thought today's contribution to Anthro Knock-off Week could be a really fun piece of hardware. Now, I know that there's already at least one DIY version of this floating around the web,  but my process is little bit different, and allows you to decide exactly what shape you want you knob to be. Read on to get crafty, and at the end of this post you can find links to the four other blogs participating today. 

You need:

• Plain Knobs – they can be any general shape or size, but the top surface must be flat. I found a great set at Wal-Mart for just a few dollars each. Want round knobs? Make round knobs! Want heart or diamond shaped knobs? You can make those too! It's literally up to you and what you can find at your local store.

• Pyrite/Quartz Rocks – Amazon sells bulk bags of pyrite, quartz, amethyst, etc. I chose Anthro’s pyrite version, but they do have two other colors (amethyst and celadon) that you can replicate. The process will be the same. I purchased a 1lb bag of pyrite on Amazon for $15, and I had more than enough to do quite a few knobs.

• Super Glue – I prefer Gorilla brand super glue (NOT the foamy stuff) because it’ll hold anything.  

Precrafting Prep: I recommend planting your knob in a container of rice, beans, sand, etc, so that it sits up right. This will make it much easier to attach gemstone pieces without them sliding off. I used reptile bedding in a mini flowerpot – don’t judge, it’s what I had on hand. And the tortoise doesn’t mind sharing a little.

  

If you are using pyrite, it will probably be pretty dusty and dirty. My entire package was covered in pyrite dust, so I gave the pieces a thorough rinsing before working with them. Also, a lot of my pieces looked kinda like plain grey maybe slightly sparkly rocks. I broke a few open with a hammer, and what do ya know, the insides were full of the super sparkly geometric formations we’re looking for. Depending on the quality, you may have to do a little smashing of your own. Tip: place them inside a folded over paper towel to prevent little pieces from flying everywhere when you hit them.

Step One

Assembly is fairly simple. Start by gluing on any big pieces. After they dry, you can fill in the gaps with smaller pieces. I wanted an organic but vaguely square shape, so I arranged my pyrite pieces in that manner. I don’t have a lot of time to sit and wait for things to dry, so I added a couple of pieces, went on about my life, came back and added a few, and so on. This process took a couple of days, but was a lot less annoying than sitting to watch the glue dry (which can surprisingly slow). Anthro's uses lots of smaller pieces, while my version uses bigger pieces. It's really up to you and what you like best, but the smaller pieces version will take a bit more time.

Step Two

If you use pyrite, I recommend sealing the whole thing with a light spritz of Mod Podge’s Clear Acrylic Spray. This will prevent any of that gross black dust from rubbing off on your hands, etc. This step can probably be skipped for amethyst or quartz, but I leave that to your discretion.

This post is part of Anthropologie Knock-off Week! I've joined up with four other bloggers to bring you 30 fun Anthro themed tutorials. To see what our other bloggers have shared today, take a look at the photos below.

 

 

  

Follow Confessions of a Secret Crafter's board Anthro Knock-off Week on Pinterest.