Step-by-step Polymer Clay Earrings

What you will need:

For the clay slabs

• 2 x polymer clay colours (I used black and white)
• Liquid polymer clay
• Gold leaf flakes
• Acrylic clay roller
• Craft knife
• Blade
• Depth sticks (+- 2mm)
• Low grit sandpaper (I used 80grit)
• A smooth, clean surface to work on (I work on an acrylic board)

For earring assemble

• A hand-operated drill to drill holes (if you don’t have one, use a toothpick and create a small hole in polymer clay before putting it in the oven)
• Jump rings, earring posts and butterflies
• A dolphin-nosed plier (even better if you have 2)

Step 1:

• Chop half a block of polymer clay of each colour into small pieces (they can all be different shapes and sizes)
• Mix the pieces and add some liquid polymer clay to bind
• Add gold leaf flakes for some sparkle
• Squeeze together and form into a rectangular cane

Step 2:

• Slice cube into pieces roughly 3mm thick to reveal the pattern
• Place all the slices into a square/rectangular shape, filling all the gaps with offcuts
• Using the cray roller and depth guides, roll out the clay into a slab around 2mm thick
• Place sanding paper over the slab and press onto the slab with a clay roller to create an amazing texture

Step 3:

• Using shape cutters, cut the clay slab into earring pieces, making sure to fit in as many pieces as possible

Step 4:

• Carefully lift earring pieces with the blade and place them in a baking tray

Step 5:

• Roll out another piece of plain polymer clay into a 2mm slab

Step 6:

• Repeat the sandpaper step to create some texture
• Using clay cutters, cut slab into earring pieces

Step 7:

• Place earring pieces in an oven tray
• Bake for 30min in an oven that has been set to 120°C or follow the instruction on the clay product packaging

Step 8:

• Next, you will assemble the earrings. Using the hand drill, measure where the holes must be placed and carefully drill through the clay earring piece
• Bend open the jump ring and thread through holes to link up earring pieces
• Continue until all pieces are linked and add earring post and butterfly

And there you go!