Category Archives: Clay Crafts

Attach Earring Posts to Polymer Clay Studs

Hello weekend crafter! Today, I’m sharing with you some of my favorite ways of attaching earring posts to my earring studs.

One of my favorite ways of attaching earring posts is using super glue. In the States, a popular brand is Loctite. Another way that you can attach posts is by using liquid Sculpey.

So let’s start with using earring posts with an extended peg. This is actually my go-to post because the peg gives the earrings something extra to hold on to. The way that I attach this is that before I bake my stud, I already press down the earing post so that the peg leaves a hole on the back of the earrings. You can bake it with or without the post, but I prefer to bake it with the post in.

Some reminders though on using the extended peg. First, you can’t roll out your slab too thinly. The peg itself is about 2 mm, so you have to roll out your clay a little bit thicker. If I used a thinner slab, pushing the peg in will cause it to have an indent on the top of the earring.  So I recommend rolling out a slab that is about 3 mm in thickness.

Before I glue the post, I use my electric nail file and roughen out the surface of the post. Then, I also roughen out the surface of the back of my earrings. This helps to better adhere my post to the earrings. Then, I just put the glue around the post and make sure the hole lines up with the peg.

Another common way of attaching earring posts is with the use of liquid Sculpey. One way of doing it is by putting a bit of liquid Sculpey on the flat side of the earring post and then covering the entire backside of the earrings with liquid Sculpey. When this bakes, it will be more or less clear, and if the post is completely covered, it’s pretty hard to pull out.

Yet another way of attaching the post is by sandwiching it between clay. So, what I do first is to place the post on the stud. And then, roll out a thinner piece of clay and place a hole on its center. Then, I cover the post with liquid Sculpey and use the thinner piece to cover the entire back.

As you can see, the posts are then hidden, which looks really neat. But, the trade off is that you will end up with shorter posts. Comparing the covered posts with the exposed posts, I actually lost about 1-2 mm in length on the covered posts. This might be ok on some earlobes, but if your client’s earlobes are on the thick side, this might be a concern for them as the earrings might end up too tight.

Finally, for attaching the plastic posts, of course since this is plastic, I can’t attach it to unbaked clay. I simply sand off the top of the post with my electric nail file and attach it to the earrings with super glue. By the way, if you put too much super glue on the posts, the backs of your earrings might end up with a white residue around the post. To remove this, simply put some acetone on a cotton bud and go around the area gently.

So, my conclusion is that all of these methods work, some ways are just more convenient than others.   

I hope that you learned something from this tutorial. If you want to know what I’ve been up to during the week, do visit my IG, @ crafttime.ph.

Thanks for stopping by!

Conditioning Hard and Crumbly Polymer Clay

Have you ever sliced into a block of polymer clay only to have it crumble in your hands? This has happened to me many times already most likely because I’ve stumbled upon some very old clay. But I am not the sort of person to throw anything out, so I’ve had to come up with strategies on how to condition my hard and crumbly clay.

I’m sure other clay crafters will also have their own preferred way, but for today, I’m sharing my personal favorite ways of “reviving” my hard and crumbly clay.

The first is the classic way which is just to use my own fingers’ warmth and then pass the clay through the pasta roller. I normally set my roller into the thinnest setting just to really press the crumbs together. My test to see if the clay is already conditioned enough is to roll it into a ball or into a log.  The pro of doing this method is you’re not actually adding anything to your clay. The con is that it will take a bit of time as well as some effort.

The second way that I like to do is to add a bit of soft translucent clay. This will make it easier for the dry, crumbly clay to stick together. Run it through the pasta machine again until the clay doesn’t come apart. Note that there will be a very slight color difference when we add translucent clay. The pro of using this method is that it takes less time to condition the clay. The con is if you are very specific in color, you might not like the subtle change in color. Another con may be that the clay may turn too soft. If this is the case, simply put it into the fridge for a bit so that the clay can be easier to handle.

The third way, and my current favorite method of softening clay is by hitting it with a hammer or a mallet. I have a small craft hammer, and I use this whenever I work with super hard clay. I cut my clay up, put it inside a plastic bag to keep all the crumbs together and then I just pound on my clay until they stick together. The pro of using this method is that again it takes less time to condition your clay, which is ideal for someone like me who has wrist problems. The con is that you have to get a small hammer, and you also have to have a surface that you can hit repeatedly.

And the last way is to hit the clay with the hammer, but also to add a little bit of liquid Sculpey. As I hit the clay with the hammer, I fold in the clay with the liquid sculpey. This just speeds up the process of softening the clay. The con is that some of you may not have liquid Sculpey, so it’s another material that you need to have on hand. Another con is similar to adding translucent clay, you may find that there is a slight deviation in color. The pro is the time that it takes to condition the clay is cut down.

I hope that this inspires you to keep even your oldest clay. Happy crafting!

Stamping on Polymer Clay

Hi Weekend Crafter!

It’s Anj here and for this tutorial, I want to share with you how I’ve repurposed my stamps to use on polymer clay. During my scrapbook phase, I had acquired a lot of ink pads and clear stamps to use for my crafting. But when I started devoting more of my time to polymer clay, scrapbooking took a back seat and so did the tools. That is why I’m so happy I found another use for these stamps.

So today, let me show you how I made bag tags, bookmarks and plant markers.

For materials, you will need polymer clay, alphabet stamps and ink pads. I used both a chalk ink pad and a pigment ink pad and both worked pretty well. You will also need a tag stamp, a clear mini block, a rectangle corrugated cutter and a small circular cutter, a clay blade and a clay roller. FYI, I actually tried out a lot of different methods of putting color on the stamps. I used permanent markers and mica powder. But using the ink pads was actually the easiest way of putting color on the clay. Plus, once the items were completely baked, the colors become permanent.

First, bring out your polymer clay and roll it out into the number 3 setting. Then, choose your stamp and place that on the clear block. Ink the stamp by pressing it lightly on the ink pad and then gently stamp it on the clay, applying enough pressure for the stamp to get embedded on the clay. Neaten out the edges and bake the clay using the instructions on the packaging.

I hope that you enjoy making these very simple, but quite useful crafts. If you haven’t yet, do comment, like and subscribe to the Craft Time Studio. I love answering your questions, and helping you in your polymer clay journey. I’m also on IG @crafttime.ph. Have a crafty weekend!

Summer Clay Color Recipes

Since time flies by so fast, might as well get ready for summer. Sharing with you today 4 summer colors–pale pink, watermelon pink, mint chip and Niagra blue.

For pale pink, mix 3 parts white, 1 part Fimo flesh and a sliver of Premo Accents in peacock pink.

For watermelon pink, use the same pale pink recipe and add 1/8th part Premo Accents in peacock pink and 1/8th part Sculpey III in Red Hot Red.

For mint chip green, mix 7/8th white clay with 1/8th Fimo peppermint. Then add a sliver of Fimo Effects in glitter green. Finally, I add gray granite to give a textured look.

For Niagra blue, combine the white clay and Fimo peppermint clay in the same proportion as the mint chip green. Then, add about a fourth of Fimo Effects in sapphire blue.

Tip: Remember to condition the clay until the colors are fully blended before adding a new color. This has helped me make fewer errors in matching colors.

6 Basic Tools for Making Polymer Clay Earrings

It’s an exciting time for polymer clay. While many have just discovered this hobby, and are eager to splurge on what supplies they might need, I suggest checking out these 6 basic tools to start with when making clay earrings.

MAT

Being the owner of many craft-stained tables, I have come to realize the importance of using mats to protect my work surface.

While I myself now use a glass mat mounted on carboard, I began with just using a stiff plastic folder to roll my clay onto. Aside from glass mats, there are also silicon mats made specifically for clay. Whatever is available to you, know that the important thing is to prepare for a clean space where you can roll out your clay so that you don’t mix it with dirt, lint and other undesirables.

ROLLER

For a beginner, I wouldn’t necessarily suggest immediately buying a metal clay roller because good ones can cost a lot. When I started out, I used any plastic tube that I could find, and just made sure that I topped it with parchment paper. You can also use popsicle sticks to level the clay evenly.

BASIC CUTTERS

If you are jus starting, I recommend using basic metal cutters—they cut very cleanly and when combined, they can also make unique shapes.

DETAIL NEEDLE

Needles are a great way to add texture to your clay. I also use them to put holes on where my metal findings will go.

CLAY EXTRUDER

For this tool, I think there is no alternative, and you will need to buy one especially if you are still practicing making logs. While making snakes or logs can be done by hand evenly, it will take years of practice to actually master this.

PLIERS, CUTTERS, Etc.

And of course, if you are making earrings, you will need to attach your earring findings using pliers and cutters.

I hope that beginners will find something useful in this. Happy crafting!

Spring Clay Color Recipes!

Spring is upon us and as the flowers bloom, we get to experience the beauty of color.

Today, I’m sharing with you some of my own spring colors to use for your next polymer clay project. I am going to share with you how to make saffron, orange peel, denim blue and coral pink.

For saffron, you will need to mix: 1 part Sculpey white, 2 parts Fimo Sunflower and 1 part Fimo Soft Cognac.

For orange peel, you will need to mix: 1 part Sculpey white, 2 parts Fimo Sunflower, 1 part Fimo Soft Cognac and a sliver of Sculpey III Red Hot Red.

For denim blue, you will need to mix: 1 part Sculpey white, 2 parts Premo Turquoise and 1 part Sculpey III violet.

For coral pink, you will need to mix: 2 parts white, 2 parts Fimo Flesh and a sliver of Premo Effects Peacock Pearl.

I hope you have fun mixing your spring colors! For more polymer clay ideas, do check out my IG @crafttime.ph.

Happy crafting!

DIY Christmas Decor

It’s been a while since I last shared a craft tutorial. Well, since it’s Christmas and I know a lot of us are trying to get smarter with our money because of this pandemic, I thought that for this year, I would only being making my own decor. In this tutorial, I want to share some very easy DIY projects with you.

This first one is just something that you can put around the house, on shelves, on coffee tables, basically, anywhere that can use a touch of Christmas.

Christmas Tin Can

You will need the following: a used and washed can (this one is from a canned good), Christmas ribbon (recycled, preferably), twine, burlap holly, plastic figs (from an old wreath perhaps), glue gun and plier.

  1. The first thing that you need to do is to remove any label from the can. Then, bend the sides of the can so that the edges don’t cut you. I also glued some paper twine around the opening for extra protection.
  2. I got the ribbon and glued this around the can. I glued a second ribbon for contrast (note that you can switch up the colors to suit your overall Christmas theme).
  3. I then cut a small piece of burlap, about an inch, to hide where the ends of my ribbon were glued.
  4. Then, I tightly would up some paper twine to glue at the base of then can. This will hold my figs upright.
  5. I decorated my twigs with a bit of holly first before I stuck them to the bottom of the can.
  6. Optional: You can add some tulle, or green fruits bags and fashion them as leaves.
  7. Optional: You can use a white marker to put touches of white on the ends of the fig to make them look like they’ve been snowed on.

I hope that you learned something from this tutorial! For the full tutorial, do head on to the Craft Time Studio – https://youtu.be/0A3n9SoLlh0

Clay Slab Tutorial

I’ve been claying on weekends and so far have been really obsessed with making clay slabs. It’s a really simple way to make a lot of fun and funky earrings.

For this tutorial, I will teach you how to make a clay slab in bold colors.

For this slab, you will need:

polymer clay in glitter black, gray, turquoise, periwinkle and pink

mountain-shaped clay cutters

detail needles

clay blade

clay roller

What to do: 1. Flatten your main slab (black) into the number 3 setting on your clay roller.

2. Flatten your accent slab in the number 7 setting.

3. Get your clay cutters and punch out the shapes.

4. Arrange the shapes on the main slab and flatten using the number 2 setting.

5. Add texture by using a detail needle.

6. Cut into earrings, and then bake the clay following the instructions on the packaging.

I hope you enjoy making these super simple clay slabs!