All women love jewelry. Coco Chanel also said that jewelry was created for those who do not have a sense of style. Those who are versed in fashion, choose jewelry. But how difficult it is to choose the right jewelry for an outfit in a store. But there is a way out of this situation - to make it with your own hands, especially since there are a lot of materials and techniques now.
In recent years, polymer clay jewelry has been especially popular. It is sold at fairs and in hand-made stores. In the same article, we will learn how to do it with our own hands.
Fancy stuff
Polymer clay is a plastic mass from which you can sculpt different things. For its polymerization, heat treatment is used. In order for the material to harden, a temperature of 100-130 ° C is needed. After that, the product becomes hard.
From polymer clay make different models and products for decor. This is due to the fact that the material does not lend itself to the influence of high and low temperatures, is resistant to moisture, and its colors do not fade in the sun.
One of the applications of this material is the creation of polymer clay jewelry. Doing it yourself is not at all difficult, because it is molded like plasticine.
Flowers as the basis of jewelry
A large number of jewelry is created on the basis of floral motifs. Blind them is not so difficult if you try a little. For example, a luxurious bracelet, as in the photo above, can be done in a couple of hours. To do this, you will need:
- pink and green polymer clay;
- rolling pin;
- Toothpicks
- a small round shape for cutting (you can take a cap from glue-pencil, for example);
- thick round pencil;
- bijouterie accessories: hugs for beads, rings, pins, chain, lock;
- additional decor: beads and stones;
- wire cutters and pliers.
How is this polymer clay jewelry made? We will walk through the step-by-step master class. So, to implement the project, you need to follow these stages of work:
- Knead and roll pink polymer clay, cut circles out of it.
- On them you need to draw streaks with a toothpick.
- We take a pencil and at the blunt end we begin to collect the flower. To do this, lay out the pink petals, as in the photo: one central and two on the sides.
- Fingers and a toothpick form folds on them.
- Carefully remove the flower and pierce a hole in it on top for further installation.
- We roll green polymer clay and cut leaves out of it. We draw veins on them and pierce holes.
- All preparations are sent to the oven to be baked for 5-10 minutes (see the manufacturer's instructions).
After that, you can begin to assemble the product. The sample in the photo will help you with this. Polymer clay jewelry is not limited to just a bracelet. Earrings and necklaces can be made of the same colors.
We make small flowers
The following image details how the smallest flowers can be made with a toothpick.
This master class is taken from floristics from cold porcelain, but most of the techniques from this type of creativity can be applied on polymer clay.
So, we take a small ball of material and form an oval from it. Then we cut one of its sides with scissors. These notches must be carefully flattened with a toothpick. So we get the petals of our flower.
After that, the lower part of the product must be carefully trimmed, and the flower itself should be transferred to a larger product or punctured, so that later some kind of decoration can be made from it.
An example of using small flowers
Polymer clay jewelry is a multifaceted work. Even today, the craftswomen come up with new technologies for its creation. Floral motifs prevail in it. So how do you create jewelry from polymer clay with your own hands? The photo below shows that there is nothing complicated.
For this decoration you need to roll out a layer of material for the base and cut it out. Then we take small flowers made earlier and close the whole background with them. In the example in the photo, the elements are made in a slightly different technique, but the flowers previously considered are also perfect here.
To add realism to them, after you glue them, insert a core into each flower.
Jewelry in hair
Do not limit yourself to creating only standard necklaces and pendants, bracelets and earrings. Make also beautiful hairpins or a headband. After all, it is very simple. For example, take circles, as in the first master class, and dazzle roses out of them. At the last stage, stick a hairpin or invisibility to them and give the whole structure a heat treatment.
That's all, an unpretentious, but exquisite hair ornament is ready. Now you already know a lot from how to make polymer clay jewelry. But there are several more ways for those who are just starting to master this material.
We master natural materials
Want a piece of jewelry, as if nature itself made it? Here is a simple solution. Roll out polymer clay with a uniform layer, take ordinary leaves and roll them into this layer. When you remove them, then clear polymer streaks will remain on the polymer clay.
Now you just have to cut the workpieces, bake them and make yourself a pendant and earrings. To make the drawings clearer, go over the leaves with acrylic paint, which you immediately erase. In the hollows, it will remain, which will draw the relief of the product.
As natural stamps, you can use anything you like - grass, twigs, dry inflorescences. The main thing is that they have a texture and sufficient strength in order to leave a mark on polymer clay.
Massive earrings
This method is suitable for those who have forms for working with mastic at home. They can be purchased at most cookware stores. You will need tools to create daisies of different diameters.
You should get just the smartest polymer clay jewelry. For beginners, the process may seem complicated, but we will analyze it in detail.
We start by rolling out the material. When it is ready, we take forms for cutting daisies and make blanks of different diameters. Toothpick need to go through each petal, drawing a natural vein.
After that, we begin to stack one-on-one blanks of different diameters from larger to smaller, slightly shifting the petals relative to each other. When the last element is laid, we make a dent in the very center with a finger or a pencil. From this, the petals rise slightly.
Then we cut out a thin strip of polymer clay of the same color and make teeth on one of its sides. We wrap the yellow clay hemisphere with this strip to form a crown of small petals around the core. We put all this in the center of the workpiece from the petals and carefully crush with a toothpick. In parallel with this, you need to lay out beautifully the very last row of petals. That's all! Now you can stick the fasteners and bake the product.
Summer hooliganism
Watermelons are a symbol of summer, warmth and joy. So why not make yourself such jewelry so that this mood has been with you all year. Costume jewelry made of polymer clay in the form of watermelons is elementary. Simple beads are rolled from green material, holes are made in them, after which they are baked. The characteristic strips are applied later with acrylic paints before the varnishing process.
To make a notched watermelon, you need to try a little more. First you need to roll a red ball. Then they are covered with a thin layer of white or light green tint, and they are completed with green. When the perfect ball is ready, it is cut so that it is visible what is inside. Stripes and seeds are drawn after baking.
Conclusion
Using the examples described above, you realized that polymer clay jewelry is not only not difficult, but also exciting. You can create your own set with your own hands in a couple of hours, but you get a few positive points: a set that is ideally suited to your outfit, the realization of your creative inclinations, and a great time for an exciting pastime.