Polymer Clay Leaf Necklace and Earrings

For some reason this year, I am once again enchanted with leaves. While cleaning out my craft supplies I came across sculpey clay. I was ready to toss it,after all this had to be at least 20 years old, but frugel me I checked it out. Amazing it became pliable...so much for cleaning. I played with leave shapes and ended up with these beautiful pieces of jewelry. Everyone at the craft show loved them, so I hope you do too. Easy and beautiful, my kind of craft. Enjoy!

Polymer Clay (I used Sculpey Brand)

Parchment Paper

Rolling pin (wood or acrylic)

Skewers

Sharp knife or clay tool

leaf (optional)

2 foil pans

jump rings, jewelry findings, chain, earring wires

paints acrylic craft paints

varnish (craft style)

Place a piece of parchment paper on your work surface. Take a golf ball size ball of clay knead it in your hands until it becomes pliable. Place the skewers (Chop sticks) paralell on the parchment paper with the clay in between. Use the rolling pin on the sticks. This helps to gives you a consistant thickness of clay. Of course if you have a pasta machine you use for clay you want to be between 1/4-1/8 thickness.

With a sharp knife or clay tool cut out the shape of a leaf to the size you would want your jewelry. I like to make the necklace a little larger than the earrings (personal preference) Make more shapes or return the excess to the box. If you dont bake it its still good. Now smooth the edges. Carefully rub to thin the edges (not too thin). Here you can use anything you choose to decorate your leaf. For this instructable I use 2 different options. 1.use a real leaf, vein side down and roll over the top and imprint your clay. 2. Take your skewer, knife or clay tool and draw a vein from top to bottom, draw diagonal veins up both sides. Carefully remove any clay that was pulled from the veins. Poke a hole in the top of each for jump rings. I use the skewer for this. Make sure it goes thru both sides and smooth the edges. The space from the top will depend on the size of your jump ring. You want it to fit so you have enough clay to hold your piece. I use 10-12mm rings. (personal preference)

Preheat your oven according to your clay directions. This original sculpey is 275f or 130c. Now line one of the foil pans with parchment. I use foil pie plates. Lay your pieces on the parchment, space them. If you want your leaves to have some shape now is the time to curl the edges. Mine have stayed pretty much as I've shaped them thru the baking. When you are happy with how they look put the second pie plate as a cover and place in the oven. This may be silly but there is chemical in the clay and it is my oven so it makes me feel better to cover. My clay says 15 minutes for 1/4 inch thickness so i check it at 8. You do not want to over bake it will start to color. Remove and cool.

Paint tip: shake your bottles well, unscrew the top and use that as your pallet...no waste! But watch that you dont get other colors mixed.

Be ceative! You can stick to nature or go rogue. If you are doing a set it is easier to do all three leaves at once for consistency. I'm having an ombre fase. I also love the metallics. This part is personal so I'll let you know how I achieved the look in my photos. I use a dark color first to define the veins, then wipe the surface with a damp cloth. Let it dry. Start adding your color. I'm going to do a green/gold set. Starting with gark green at the top, finishing with gold at the tip and on the edges.

Dark green metallic the top 1/3, start blending a medium green next. Dont clean your brush! Light green next. Play with the transition of colors until you get what you like, no right, no wrong. Now tip with gold and rub the edges in gold (I use my fingers) Make sure to do the same on the backs. Let it dry. Now i go back and gold the edges if I think they need a little extra. Dry! Apply 2 light coats of craft varnish drying in between coats...Keep those holes open.

Finally! Add jewelry findings.

Necklace: add your jump ring, be a little gentle and run a chain thru it.

Earrings: open your jump ring put it on you leaf, if your finding attaches put that thru and close the jump ring. There are some findings that just slide thru the closed jump ring.

Now you have a beautiful set to wear or share!

Enjoy!

My first tries were pendants and I used cord and embelishments. Those are the first picture a little thick but great learning tools.