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How to Make Stunning Jewelry from Polymer Clay

Aarti R
Polymer clay is used to make inimitable and exceptional jewelry because of its ductile and malleable properties. Here are the basics of making polymer jewelry and the different designs which can be created out of it.
Polymer clay is made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and can be kneaded into various shapes and sizes. It can be painted using an array of colors, and is an ideal medium for making jewelry for hobbyists and beginners.
Making jewelry out of it is compliant due to the ease of baking the clay. It is available in vibrant colors that remains intact even after it is baked. The baking process is also called firing, which helps fuse the clay particles so that it becomes hard enough.

The Basics

The first step is to select the color of your jewelry, and get it from an arts and crafts store. Sometimes, if you are not able to find the perfect color, you can just blend two or more colors to form the color of your choice. Acrylic paints can be used to decorate the jewelry after baking.

Making Bracelets

Bracelets are usually made from polymer clay beads. These beads are made of various shapes and sizes like circles, rectangles, spirals, ovals, fruits, and flowers. The beads are poked with a needle so that they can be stringed to form a bracelet.
The beads are baked in a preheated oven for a specified time and at a particular temperature (as mentioned on the package or advised by the manufacturer). The beads in the bracelets can be painted with different colors.
Lastly, string the beads one after the other. While stringing the beads, you can add different shaped and colored beads as spacers between two similar beads. After completing the stringing, pull the string taut.

Making Pendants and Necklaces

Condition the clay as per the shape you desire for the pendant. It can be a circle, rectangle, triangle, or a teardrop in different colors. Cane-working can be a good option for the pendant. Cane is a cylinder of clay that has different clay designs at the cross-section. The designs on the cross sections can be faces, quilt patterns, flowers, and landscapes.

Steps to make a floral cane

  • Take a log of clay that is about 7 inches long and has a diameter of around half an inch.
  • Flatten a piece of light-colored clay sheet so that it can wrap the log. Cut the unwanted sheet of the light-colored clay.
  • Now, wrap the log with the polymer clay sheet, but this time with a dark-colored clay.
  • Repeat this process at least three to four times.
  • Now, cut the wrapped log into seven pieces. Form a flower using these seven pieces and compress these pieces lightly to form a new cane or log. Compress the pieces so that the seams between the flower petals disappear.
  • The last step is to cut this new cane into slices. The slices have a floral design on their cross-section.
The pendant is baked and stringed on a colored string. The necklace is made by stringing the beads together while keeping the pendant at the center of the string.
It is advised that you don't bake the clay in the oven in which you cook food. Polymer clay is versatile and it is possible to give a wooden or antique or an ivory look to the handcrafted and beaded jewelry. The basic procedure is the same for all the accessories.