DIY: 3 Simple, Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings — Even Kids Can Make These!

Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

polymer-clay-earrings 18 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

Homemade earrings that don’t look homemade at all! And so easy that your kids can get involved too. How does that sound?

polymer-clay-earrings 1 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

Amy Christie, who is the established queen of polymer clay, sent me this idea for 3 different polymer clay earrings and I loved it immediately. I’m perpetually on the hunt for sweet, pretty, usable, handcrafted projects. Ideas that are perfect for a rainy afternoon, or for a Ladies Crafting Night, or for a birthday party activity, or to make as a gift. And this project definitely fits the bill!

polymer-clay-earrings 20| Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

Before we jump into the instructions, I’d love to hear: have you ever made your own jewelry? In my experience it takes a particular patient frame of mind from me, because the elements are so small and can escape my fingers easily. Maybe that’s why kids take to this kind of project so well — they have smaller hands!

polymer-clay-earrings 19 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

Here’s what Amy says:

Earrings are my jewelry of choice. I rarely wear necklaces and bracelets because as a mom of toddlers, they are either a nuisance, in the way or irritating on my skin. Little hands like to pull on them as well which is no good. So earrings, I love them. As it is, polymer clay, another one of my loves, is a fantastic medium to make earrings from (as well as other jewelry pieces, if you are so inclined).

I put together steps for 3 easy polymer clay earrings. These are so simple, little hands can do them with a small amount of assistance from an adult.

polymer-clay-earrings 27 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

1) Polymer Clay Earrings – Circle Posts

A very simple circle earring post with little hatch marks for interest.

You need:
– polymer clay (we like Sculpey Premo)
– rolling pin, brayer or pasta machine
– small shape cutters or punches, optional
– dull edge (like a butter knife)
earring posts
– strong adhesive (a two-part epoxy or E6000 is best)

1. Roll the polymer clay. Thick is good. If using a pasta machine, use the 9 setting.

2. Cut out shapes with a cutting blade or clay punch.

3. Using a dull edge, make hatch marks radiating from the center.

polymer-clay-earrings 2 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

4. Bake according to the manufacturer’s directions.

polymer-clay-earrings 3 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

5. Allow to cool before attaching the earring posts with glue.

polymer-clay-earrings 26 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

2) Polymer Clay Earrings – Cut “Gems”

I love these post earrings because they are so easy, they look really fancy and they don’t have to be perfect!

You need:
– polymer clay (we like Sculpey Premo)
– cutting blade
gold pen
– earring posts
– strong adhesive (a two-part epoxy or E6000 is best)

1. Cut down the unconditioned block of polymer clay into a cube by removing the outer edges of the clay.

polymer-clay-earrings 8 |Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mompolymer-clay-earrings 9 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mompolymer-clay-earrings 10 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

2. Next, cut the cube into a “gem”. We gave ours 6 sides but the number is up to you.

polymer-clay-earrings 11 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

3. To make the facets, lay the gem on its side. Take the cutting edge and, setting it at a 45 degree angle, slice a facet. Repeat for each edge.

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4. Bake according to the manufacturer’s directions.

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5. Once cooled, use a gold pen to trace the edges.

polymer-clay-earrings 15 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

6. Allow to cool before attaching the earring posts with glue.

polymer-clay-earrings 28 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

3) Polymer Clay Earrings – Gold Crinkle Disks

A little shimmery shine.

You need:

– light colored polymer clay (white or pearl) — we like Sculpey Premo
– rolling pin, brayer or pasta machine
gold leaf
circle cutter
– spoon
earring posts
– strong adhesive (a two-part epoxy or E6000 is best)

1. Roll the polymer clay very thin. If using a pasta machine, use the 1 setting.

2. Add gold leaf to the polymer clay.

3. Use a circle cutter to make two circles.

polymer-clay-earrings 4 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

4. With the backside of a spoon, gently thin the edges even more. This makes the clay even more flexible.

polymer-clay-earrings 5 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

5. Using your fingers, gently pinch and squeeze the clay into a wavy, crinkled circle.

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6. Bake according to the manufacturer’s directions.

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7. Allow to cool before attaching the earring posts with glue.

polymer-clay-earrings 25 | Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings featured by popular lifestyle blogger, Gabrielle of Design Mom

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Aren’t those polymer clay earrings fantastic! Thank you, Amy. I think the faceted “jewels” are my favorite, but I really love the crinkled gold ones too. I can’t wait to make some!

P.S. — Find all our DIY posts here.

Credits: Images and project by Amy Christie.

6 thoughts on “DIY: 3 Simple, Beautiful Polymer Clay Earrings — Even Kids Can Make These!”

  1. Pingback: Quilt Blog

  2. Thanks for this amazing post. It is really easy to create these earrings. I will try to create one for my daughter. She is very fond of fashionable items and accessories.

  3. Such a lovely idea! Where did you find the earring posts and backs? I’m going to try ebay, but am curious as to where you found yours! xx

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