What are polymer clay earrings and how to make them?
Polymer clay is a popular craft material. Anyone can learn how to make original jewelry from it. The main thing is to understand the principles of work.
Advantages and disadvantages
Polymer clay earrings have many benefits.
- Originality. This elastic material can be used to create many unique pieces of jewelry. If you make an accessory with your own hands, it will definitely be original.
- Availability. Both the clay itself and the materials made from it are inexpensive. Therefore, anyone can afford such earrings.
- The weight. Polymer clay accessories are very lightweight. Therefore, it is convenient to wear them. They do not pull your ears back or cause any other inconvenience.
- Strength. Clay products only seem fragile. In fact, they are very strong and durable. Therefore, there is no doubt that such an accessory will be able to serve its owner for a long time.
There is only one significant drawback of polymer clay accessories - after drying, the products turn pale. This must be taken into account when creating jewelry with your own hands.
Varieties
There are many interesting varieties of polymer clay earrings.
Animals. Many teenage girls love these cute animal-shaped earrings. The most popular are products depicting cats, dogs and various birds.
- Fruits. Bright lemons, juicy apples and orange oranges also inspire many interesting earrings. Such accessories are usually worn in the summer season, combined with sundresses and swimwear.
- Berries. Decorations made in the form of small berries also look nice. Polymer clay produces beautiful blueberries, cloudberries and cherries. Berry earrings can be small, made in the form of studs, and large.
- Flowers. Spectacular flower earrings attract many girls and women. Polymer clay produces beautiful lush peonies and roses, as well as exquisite daisies, orchids or lilies.
- Sweets. This is a great option for those with a sweet tooth. Lovers of simple accessories will love these candy-shaped crafts. A lot of people also love the bulky earrings made in the form of cakes or other more sophisticated desserts. Such decorations emphasize the playfulness of the girl.
More exotic accessories are also made from polymer clay. Earrings in the form of tentacles, a small dragon or an unusual planet will look original.
DIY creation
Seeing the variety of polymer clay earrings, many are interested in how you can learn how to make them with your own hands. In fact, creating such accessories is much easier than it seems.
Lilac
These spring earrings will perfectly fit into the image of a young girl. A master class on their creation is as follows.
- First you need to mix lilac clay with white. This will make the shade of the material lighter and more subtle. It is necessary to mix colors, focusing on your own preferences.
- You need to pinch off a few small pieces from the main part. Each must be crumpled, forming a small droplet.
- At the wide end of the workpiece, using nail scissors, you need to make cuts, dividing the bud into four equal parts.
- Then, with a stack, you need to push apart the parts of the future flower, forming thin petals. In the middle of each of them, you need to draw a line using a toothpick.
- For a pair of beautiful spring flowers, you will need about 20 such buds.
- In the center of each flower, you should place a ball on a metal rod, covered with yellow clay.
- Closed buds must be formed from the white material. They are made in the form of small droplets, which are also carefully cut. Rods with yellow balls are attached to them. These details are hidden with petals.
- The finished flowers and buds are sent to the oven for roasting. The baking time depends on the characteristics of the material. You can read the necessary information in the instructions for polymer clay.
- After firing, it is worth starting to form the earrings. The tips of the rods, which are located at the base of the buds, must be carefully bent. For this, pliers are used.
- In this form, the buds and flowers are fixed in the links of the chains.
The finished jewelry looks very delicate and sophisticated. Earrings that look like bunches of grapes are made according to a similar principle.
Watermelon wedges
Earrings made in the form of watermelon slices will look great against the background of a bright summer dress or sundress. Even a novice needlewoman can make them.
- A roller of a suitable size must be made of red polymer clay.
- Then it is wrapped in layers, first white, then green clay.
- Having smoothed all the joints, the workpiece is placed in the freezer. There she is left for half an hour.
- Next, a circle of suitable thickness is cut from the ball.
- The part is cut into two parts. The edges of each of them are rounded.
- At this stage, it remains to add the bones. They are made from brown polymer clay. The material is twisted into a thin flagellum. This part is cut into small pieces.
- Using a toothpick, the seeds are pressed into the red base of the slices.
- Then, with a pin at the base of each earring, holes are made for the hooks.
- After that, the watermelon slices are sent to the oven.
- When the clay parts are baked, they should be varnished. After that, hooks and fasteners must be attached to the base.
A similar decoration can be made with your little daughter. The baby will definitely like this accessory.
Yin and yang
Products made in black and white are versatile and can easily fit into the style of any girl. Such earrings are made very simply.
- First of all, you need to prepare black and white clay.
- The material must be rolled out. Two round parts of the same size must be cut out of black polymer clay.
- Next, place the bent pin on one circle.
- From above, the first part is covered with the second. Both mugs must be gently pressed together.
- The second earring is made according to the same principle.
- Next, you need to cut out templates for decorating jewelry out of paper. They are made in the form of small commas.
- Roll out white and black clay. Using templates, four small pieces need to be cut out of the material.
- Having connected in pairs blanks of black and white colors, the edges of the circles must be cut off, removing all unnecessary.
- The resulting details are attached to the base of the earrings.
- Finished accessories are decorated with small balls of white and black colors.
- After baking the figures, their edges must be sanded. After that, the earrings only need to be varnished and supplemented with fittings.
In a set for earrings, you can make a thematic pendant made in black and white.
Other
In addition to the proposed options, there are other easy earring schemes for beginners. One of the great jewelry options for any girl is rose earrings. The step-by-step process of making such accessories is as follows.
- First you need to mix several different colors of clay. This is necessary in order to get the perfect shade of future roses.
- Next, the workpieces must be rolled into thin flagella. Each of them needs to be flattened.
- These parts must be twisted to form buds.
- You can use different shades of pink to create a beautiful bouquet. To do this, add a little white polymer clay to the remaining mass.
- The edges must be gently bent to the side. This is done to make the bud more voluminous.
- Two volumetric balls must be formed from the remains of the clay. Each of them is decorated with roses. Flowers must be pressed tightly to the base of the ball. If desired, the composition can be supplemented with green leaves.
- In the finished craft, you need to make a place for fastening. For this, it is convenient to use a regular toothpick.
- Bulky rose buds must be sent to the oven, and then varnished. After drying the jewelry, you can attach rings to them.
These homemade earrings look spectacular and will perfectly fit into the image of any girl.
How to wear it correctly?
Polymer clay earrings are inexpensive. Therefore, anyone can collect their own collection of such accessories. When choosing earrings or planning to make them yourself, you need to take into account your preferences and style features. Ideas for images with polymer clay earrings can be peeped in advance.
It is recommended to wear polymer clay jewelry separately from other jewelry.
For everyday life, you should choose accessories with a laconic design. Bright jewelry is usually worn for the holidays or if they serve as the main accent in the image.
Handmade earrings must be removed before playing sports. In addition, you cannot shower or sleep in them. This is not only inconvenient, but also detrimental to the accessories.
Care rules
In order for polymer clay earrings to serve their owners as long as possible, it is important to take proper care of them.
- It is advisable to wash products made of polymer clay in warm water. You can use detergents or mild shampoos to cleanse them. They wash dirt off the clay without harming it.
- Do not use hard washcloths to clean the earrings. If there is a need to remove dust or dirt from the accessory, wipe it with a damp cloth or sponge. Do it with gentle movements.
- Polymer clay accessories are very durable. But you still need to handle them carefully.Earrings should not be scratched with sharp objects or dropped on the floor. Mechanical damage can impair the appearance of jewelry.
- If there are small children in the house, they should not be allowed to play with accessories that look like sweets, berries or fruits.
- Earrings made of polymer clay are put on after using cosmetics and perfumes. It will also help extend the lifespan of the crafts.
It is advisable to store jewelry on special racks. If they lie with other jewelry, the clay surface can be scratched. Alternatively, you can also buy a separate cloth bag for each piece of jewelry.
With proper care, polymer clay accessories can serve their owners for a long time.
You will learn how to make unique earrings from polymer clay by watching the following videos.