The Agate and Geode trend has been hot for a while and I don’t think it’s going anywhere anytime soon (at least I hope not- I love it!) ย Two years ago, when we were on The Nate Show for the first time, Jess and I both used Agate coasters as part of our room makeovers… so let’s just be honest and admit that we started the trend… (Ok, so Nate gave us the agate to use, but that’s a small detail. hehe) Check out this throwback clip from 2012. ย Look at second :12 to see our agate!
Man that seems like an eternity ago! ย Anyhow, we’re so thrilled to have ย such an amazing contributor that shares our love for all things Agate and today she’s sharing an awesome project you can tackle this week!!
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DIY Agate Slice Wall Hook
Hi East Coast Creative readers!
I’m back with my second contributor project and today I’m sharing how I made a set of agate slice wall hooks:
I started with 3 blue agate slices and 3 vintage school locker hooks:
I spray painted the hooks oil-rubbed bronze and let them dry:
While the hooks were drying, I started gold leafing the sides of my agate slices. I brushed a thin and even coat of gold leaf adhesive size (AKA glue) to the sides of each of my slices:
I set them aside and waited until the adhesive side had turned from milky white to clear:
I started applying the gold leaf sheets once the adhesive side was clear and tacky.
After the entire side of each slice was covered in gold leaf, I used some gold leaf scraps to touch up any spots where the gold leaf didn’t stick the first time:
After I was finished, I turned my attention back towards the hooks.
Because the agate slices are a little see through, I wanted to make sure that the hook would be as invisible as possible. When I held the oil-rubbed bronze hook up against the back of the agate slice, I could see a dark shadow so I decided to paint the front top part white to minimize the shadow effect.
After the paint was dry, I broke out some epoxy so I could attach the hook to the back of the agate slice:
I followed the instructions on the back of the packaging and started mixing equal epoxy parts together:
Epoxy hardens super quick so I had to move fast when I was applying the epoxy to each hook and therefore have no photos. Basically I applied a small amount to the white painted portion of the hooks and placed them onto the backs of the agate slices and then I used a hand clamp to hold everything together.
Note: I used a hand clamp instead of a spring clamp because I was worried that a spring clamp would apply too much pressure to the agate slice and end up breaking it. With the hand clamp, I could control how much pressure was added to the slice to ensure it wouldn’t break.
I kept each slice clamped for 6 hours even though the epoxy said it would cure in an hour. Better safe than sorry!
I waited until the next day to apply a D-ring to the back of each agate slice. I mixed up some more epoxy and added a small amount to the back of each D-ring.
I eyeballed their placement and let them set up for about 5 minutes:
I clamped them together for about 3 hours:
I was really worried that the epoxy was going to seep out the hole and cause the clamp to become bonded to the D-ring but thankfully that didn’t happen!
I know I’m biased but I love them!
I think they’d look great in a closet holding a few pieces of jewelry:
I don’t know how much weight the hooks can hold so I’d recommend only using them to hold lighter items like jewelry, scarves, keys, a tea towel in a kitchen, or maybe a hand towel in a bathroom.
You can’t see the gold leafed edges from the front so they’re a fun little surprise when you look at the hooks from the side:
Another one of Caitlin’s amazing projects! Love the agate slices. Such a pretty shade of blue
Thanks Julia! ๐
I love this project. Caitlin’s blog is one of my favorites.
Aww, that’s so sweet! Thanks for following her over here on East Coast Creative, we just love her!
I love the finishing touch of gold leaf on the edges… it’s just one of those things that takes it from 95% done to 100%. ๐
Thanks Stephanie! Someone is going to have to take me to a Gold Leafers Anonymous meeting soon because I can’t stop using the stuff haha
where do you find the agate slices? I love this project but not sure where to look for the supplies!
Hi Bethany! I got my slices at a local gem show but you can probably find some on Etsy or eBay. I’ll be listing a couple of hooks in my Etsy shop over the weekend if you’d like to check them out ๐
Thank you so much for having me contribute! I love this project and I’m so happy to hear that you and your readers do as well ๐
PS: Am I the only one that’s bummed Nate’s show isn’t on the air anymore?
Love this project! Such a beautiful and impactful DIY. That blue is just stunning!!
[…] Agate hooks are a fabulous project. Just glue agate slices onto hooks with gel epoxy or E-6000 glue. East Coast Creative […]
Hi! Where can I find the plain hooks?
Thanks!
Sofia
[…] scarves, hats, or jewelry a stylish place to hang with these DIY agate slice wall hooks. Follow this simple tutorial to see how you can make your […]
[…] scarves, hats, or jewelry a stylish place to hang with these DIY agate slice wall hooks. Follow this simple tutorial to see how you can make your […]
[…] Source: East Coast Creative […]
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Love your agate coasters, where did you get them?
looking for them for a long time thanks
Home Goods has a lot of agate coasters and book ends!