Hi friends! You may be seeing these super cute, trendy earrings popping up all over the place, (they are currently taking over my discover page on Instagram) and I’m here to tell you how to make them! This trend actually popped up for me during the beginning of the quarantine chaos when I legit thought I wouldn’t be able to leave my apartment so I STOCKED UP on clay, assuming this was going to be my new craft of choice while wedding calligraphy is on the back burner. (And I’m not sad that I was right because these earrings are SO easy & fun to make.)
Here is your tell all tutorial on how to make these cutie little statement pieces! (& bonus you can learn from the mistakes I’ve learned so far!!) Side note* Any purchases made through the below links directly support me and allow me to continue going what I love (at no extra cost to you). I have used all of these products and would never suggest anything I didn’t love myself!
- T O O L S -
-Oven bake polymer clay (I would start out with at least three different colors that pair nicely together.) Play around with different brands to see which works best for you. I like craftsmart the best so far because it’s so easy to work with and doesn’t kill my hands.
-Cutters: The cheapest thing I could find regarding cutters were actually mini cookie cutters! They work great and are way cheaper than some of the other molds I found online.
-Roller: Lowkey, I used a glue stick for a while. Want to get fancy? You can get a clay press and try out more difficult patterns and ombre techniques! I would definitely recommend this if you plan on making earrings to sell!
-Jump Rings: (I like the 10mm size the best.) You can choose between gold and silver!
-Embossing Stylus (or a push pin or something to poke a hole through the clay) More than likely you'll have something you can use for this laying around the house.
-Two pairs of long-nose pliers (yes, you need two!)
-Sand Paper
- S T E P S -
1. Time to dive right in! Open up your clay and get to playing! You’ll need to warm up the clay by rolling it around in your hands for a little bit. Here’s a tip: Wash your hands before you use white clay. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
2. Roll your clay so that it’s evenly flat on your tabletop. Use your cutters to get the specific shapes you want!
3. Once you have all of your shapes made, you’ll want to poke holes where the jump rings need to go to connect them together. I use an embossing stylus for this, but you can use a push pin or needle. Just make sure the hole isn’t too tiny! I find it helpful to arrange the shapes in the way I want my earrings to look, so I know exactly where the holes need to go.
4. Bake your clay! The clay should have baking instructions on the package. I’ve found that different brands have different baking times and temperatures.
5. Once cooled, now it’s time to assemble your earrings! Make sure to sand any rough edges for a more finished look.
6. Grab your pliers and attach your shapes together with the jump rings.
7. Add your earring backs! If you are gluing earrings posts, I highly recommend Gorilla Glue GEL. You can use hot glue, but I’ve found that it’s not the sturdiest option. Polymer clay is extremely hard to find glue or an adhesive that will stick to it. I’ve heard people play around with resin, but it can get super expensive and messy!
& that’s it! Feel free to comment with any questions and don’t forget to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
- T I P S -
~Lay wax paper or parchment paper down so your desk/table doesn’t get all gross from the clay.
~Want to add a speckled effect? Use pepper!
~Did you try to use the marble effect and don't like it? Just paint it after you bake the clay to get a new look.
~You can use the cutters to make more unique shapes. For example, I'll use my circle cutter and then use a square cutter to cut it in half and make a half-circle shape.
Good luck & happy crafting friends!
-Baylee