Candy Earrings Made of Polymer Clay

Candy, candy, candy... Is there anything more desirable than this delicious, sugary sweets? This time we're going to make them ourselves - they might not be edible, but for sure fun and quirky accessory to your daily life!

For this project you will need polymer clay or any other clay that hardens once exposed to heat. Usually they are easily accessible at craft stores in variety of colors. Feel free to choose whatever colors you like, as long as it represents your favorite candy, just keep in mind to use one type/brand of clay as different ones mixed together might not work together well.

This project takes no longer than one hour to do, and are kid-friendly.

You will need:

• different colors of polymer clay (mine was bee wax polymer clay);
• earring studs;
• candy sticks;
• colorful beads;
• ruler and exacto knife;
• jewellery or super glue;
• and oven and baking paper.

Pick any amount of your favorite colors of polymer clay and cut a small, equal piece of each of it (about half an inch thick). I chose 5 different pastel colors and made sure, to include some light and some darker colors for contrast. Start to heat them up in your hands as they can be quite hard at room temp. When clay starts to be more flexible, roll the piece in your hands like a snake about 1/8 inches thick.

Repeat the process with other colors and line them up next to each other.

Cut the ends off and stick all the colors together. When that's done, gently press the snake down and start rolling it with hands until it becomes a one smooth snake. Continue rolling it until it becomes 4 times thinner.

When rolling is done, cut the snake in two equal pieces!

Roll each snake into a beautiful candy roll. Gently press the end so that it won't open when baking. Make sure that the candy are similar in side in shape!

Place your clay candy on a baking sheet lined with baking paper and bake in preheated oven for supposed time and temperature written on your polymer clay package. Mine needed to bake at 110 C (230 F) for 30 minutes. Make sure not to over-bake it, as it tends to become yellowish.

If you tend to make earrings with hooks, this is time to pinch a small hole on the top part of the candy. Later, when candy is hardened, it will be nearly impossible to pinch a neat hole in it!

Grab a candy stick and measure it about 3 cm long and cut it with an exacto knife. Then - make another one!

When clay candy are cooled, glue candy sticks to the side of the candy and let dry completely. Attach colorful beads / sprinkles to the candy and let them dry as well. (Quick idea - you can make beads out of polymer clay as well).

Glue down the earring studs on the back of the candy and let them dry or attach earring hooks if you chose to do those. And enjoy! Your wonderful masterpiece is ready!

Hope you will enjoy this project as I did. I would be glad to see how yours turned out!