Using Dominoes to Make Pendants

Though I don't play dominoes, I love to create my Original Art pendants with them. I apply the artwork to the side with the pips (the "dots"), paint the rest, seal and varnish the whole thing, then add a bail and necklace cord.

An Original Art domino pendant                ©2014 Lynn Edwards

All of the dominoes I've obtained so far are vintage wooden ones. From what I can tell, newer dominoes seem to be mostly made of plastic. I definitely prefer the wooden versions; they have a nicer feel, in my opinion. Being a lover of history and artifacts from the past, I like the idea of using something that has a bit of "provenance" or "story" behind it, however humble or insignificant that may be.

Recently I was lucky enough to obtain a small lot of nine vintage dominoes with a truly beautiful scrolled pattern on the back. I don't think this pattern is all that common. Having looked at hundreds (maybe thousands) of dominoes for sale, it's the only time I've seen this particular pattern. I'd include a photo of it here, but being solid black, it would be pretty hard to see. I'm planning to bring out the design using something like gilder's paste or a metallic paint dry-brushed on. Being able to call attention to something so pretty yet so easily overlooked will be fun. Having an attractive motif on both sides of the domino will be very cool! I'm working on one now, and if this idea pans out, I'll be posting a photo of it here very soon.

Text and image ©2014 Lynn Edwards