Jewelry is practically a no-brainer Mother's Day gift, but what if the jewelry was handmade by you? Now that's something special! With a few tools and a few hours, you can make a gorgeous polymer clay necklace to give to the World's Best Mom--yours! To keep the pieces looking modern, choose contemporary colors and stick to graphic designs with geometric shapes.
Polymer Clay Jewelry
from MarthaStewart.com
What You Need
Polymer clay
Clay conditioning machine
*Alternatives: pasta machine NOT used for food, or a rolling pin NOT used for food
Parchment paper
Baking sheet
Transparent ruler
Pastry cutter
Fine-point tool
Jump rings
Round-nose pliers
Flat-nose pliers
24-inch thread-wrapped chain
How-To
1. Soften polymer clay to prevent cracking and breakage: Knead it in your hands, and then run it through a clay conditioning machine or pasta machine (this tool makes clay pliable, presses consistently flat sheets, and blends colors). Use the conditioning or pasta machine to roll a 1/16-inch-thick piece of clay onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Avoid touching clay to prevent fingerprints.
Note: If you do not have a clay conditioning machine or a pasta machine, you can hand-roll the clay using a rolling pin.
2. To make squares and rectangles, use a transparent ruler to mark a grid of 1 1/4-inch or 1-by-1 3/4-inch increments. Make 20 1 1/4-inch square and five 1-by-1 3/4-inch rectangle charms. Run pastry cutter along ruler's edge to connect markings. Leave pieces in place; they snap apart once baked. Pierce each piece with pointed tool. Bake clay on parchment for a matte finish; bake on metal to make clay shiny. Check clay packaging for baking time and temperature.
Note: Please follow all safety warnings and precautions on clay packaging.
3. Measure out a 9-inch section located at the center of a 24-inch chain. Lay out charms along section to determine final design and color placement. Using jump rings, attach 1 charm to each link of the chain. Hold one end of the ring with round-nose pliers while opening and closing ring with flat-nose pliers.
Bonus Gift Idea!
If your Mom is the crafty one in your family, why not buy her the ultimate craft companion? The OttLite Craft Caddy has an extra outlet for a glue gun, removable trays that can store everything from thread to beads to paint brushes, and it folds up nice and neat for easy portability. Best of all, it will give your crafty mama true colors, clear details, and reduced glare and eyestrain.
And Here's a Present for You: The OttLite Craft Caddy is on sale for just $39.99 at Michaels starting this Sunday, April 29!
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