Polymer Clay Conversation Heart Tutorial

If you are anything like me, then you find conversation hearts adorable.  I felt it was time to create a Valentine's day projects inspired by these sweet little hearts.  So here it is, my conversation heart brooch tutorial.

Start by mixing some polymer clay to get the color you wanted. Then roll it out to get a flat sheet of clay.  I used a pasta machine for this (only do this if you have one specifically for clay) but you can also use anything round to roll it out.

Next, cut out your heart shapes.  I used a small heart cookie cutter.  Again, if you don't have the cookie cutter you could cut this out by hand with a craft knife, it just might take a bit more work.

Now is the fun part where you can pick your phrases and stamp them in.  To do this, I used some metal stamps I had, but rubber stamps work just as well.

Next, bake the clay as directed on the package.  Make sure you use a designated clay pan or cover your normal bake-ware with foil.

Once baked and cool, give the edges a light sanding.  Mine tended to get little rough edge pieces from when I cut them out.

Now, cover your letters with red acrylic paint.  Just blob it on.  Once all the letters are covered, quickly wipe off the excess with a paper towel.  Since the letters are indented, you should be able to wipe off the excess and leave the paint only in the letters.  This was a little tricky.  I had a hard time getting all the paint off between the letters.  But in the end I decided it looked more realistic if it was a bit imperfect; the real candy hearts always have imperfections.

Finally, spray your hearts with a clear acrylic sealer to protect the paint.  Once dry, glue a pin back on the back.  Now you are done!