Easy Domed eyes...
The Tulip Fabric Paint thread veered into this.
Lots of us use these, and they can be expensive.
They aren't hard to make, though, if you want to expend the time.
Sequins are good base if you don't need adhesive backs.
Some other ways to do this than what was written already:
You can buy dressmakers pins with little black balls on them. Slide your sequin color of choice onto one of these, press the pin all the way through a piece of foam core board (or any stiff foam surface). You want the sequin tight against the board. Add a drop of epoxy (I use the 2-ton stuff-it doesn't yellow like the quick set). Let it cure.
Nice thing about these, you can cut the pins off flush with the back of the sequin and just glue them in place, or you can leave as much of the pin in place as you want so you can TIE them in if you need to. A bit of the pin is real helpful on spun deer hair....
For larger eyes, buy the larger sequins (10 or 12 mm) and use 5mm black (or red, etc.) for the pupil. Again, using a pin to hold them until the epoxy sets...if you don't want the ball on the pins, buy the little all silver ones and just dip them into some black paint or use a magic marker before you put them together.
You can do the epoxy in two layers (not neededd, but you can if you want to), adding gliter to the undercoat then finishing with a clear top coat. The Tulip fabric paint, with the glitter already in it, also works here, as does the pre-glittered acrylic stuff.
If you want a larger black pupil than the pins will give you, you can use small nails, brads, or such. I found some upholstery tacks that were a bit oblong in the heads, made cool eyes (and they were already black).
If you want 'sticky back' eyes, you can do that too.
The 'Scrapbooking' section at the craft store will have 8 1/2 X 11 sticky back sheets of metalic stuff in several colors and patterns. I use red, silver, and gold with a sort of scale pattern, and I just saw some peralescent that's next on the 'give it shot' table....
Buy a sheet in the color/pattern of your choice, then use a punch to push out the base for the eyes. I use a rotating leather punch for smaller eyes and regular paper hole punches for the larger ones.
Peel the backing from the eyes and stick them onto some wax paper. Use the back end of a drill bit in the proper size to put on a pupil and let it dry. You can use acrylic or fabric paint for this, whatever you have handy, the epoxy will encase whatever you use, so it doesn't have to be waterproof or anything.
It takes wome trail and error to figure out which size 'drop' of epoxy you'll need for each eye. I use a cheap set of drill bits, gives me graduated options so once I get the right one, it can be repeated. You want enough to cover the eye and a bit out onto the paper, but not too much (we don't have that convenient 'cup' on the sequin here). Place a drop of epoxy on each eye and let it cure.
The back on these is prety sticky, but just like the store bought ones, a coat of something, sally's, epoxy, etc., is always a good idea.
You can use the Tulip fabric paint to make unsticky eyes just by making some dots on the wax paper. Use a glitter back, black or red pupil and then cover with the clear. Softer than the epoxy, but they take a long time to cure. Pretty, though.
What makes these domed style eyes look so cool is the lensactic effect caused by the rounded clear top coat. Lots of ways to get there.
Good Luck!
Buddy
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Originally Posted by billknepp
