Introduction and Materials
Introduction and Materials
Every year, I like to make a special piece of jewelry to donate to my local Humane Society for one of its fun raisers. Since learning how easy it is to work with metal clay, I decided to make some paw print charms for these earrings and then accent the top of the wire on each with crystal beads and hematite hearts. This design if perfect for anyone who is an animal lover and also goes well with my I Heart Animals Metal Clay Necklace project.
You will need the following tools and supplies:
10 grams of low-fire silver metal clay
Olive oil
6 playing cards
10x15mm oval cutter
Misc. metal clay hand tools such as a roller and work surface
Hot pot or butane torch
Jar of water
Metal tongs
Jeweler's files
Polishing paper
Polishing cloth
1 paw print rubber stamp
2 Sterling silver ear hooks
8 inches of 22-gauge sterling wire
Wire cutters
Chain-nosed pliers
Round-nosed pliers
Nylon-nosed pliers
Jeweler's file
Roll Out Clay
1. Stack 3 playing cards on either side of the clay piece before you start rolling to help ensure they are the same thickness.
2. Then use the oval cutter to cut out two oval clay shapes.
Stamp Metal Clay
3. Dab a small amount of olive oil on the paw print stamp, and press it firmly into the middle of each clay oval piece previous cut. Do not rock back and forth, but instead try to press down firmly and pull up straight so that you have a clean impression into the clay. If you goof up, it's not a big deal. Just roll the clay back up and repeat the previous steps until you get an impression in the clay that you like.
Cut Hole in Metal Clay
4. Use an awl or small straw to cut a hole at the top of each oval section.
Dry Clay
5. Set the clay pieces some place safe and allow them to dry before continuing.
Fire Metal Clay
6. Once the charms are dry, you should take this time to look again and see about doing any more clean up. Use fine sand paper or a fingernail file to clean up the edges.
7. Either use a hot pot or butane torch to fire the charms.
Clean and Polish Metal
8. Now take some time to clean and polish each charm. Use a jeweler's file to smooth the edges around the charms.
9. Then take some polishing paper and polish each charm. You can make the shine as high as you like. I started with 400-grit, and followed this with 600 and then 1200-grit. I followed this up with a good rub down with a polishing cloth.
Attach Wire to Charm
10. Take about four inches of 22-gauge sterling wire, and make a wrapped loop, but before wrapping the loop closed, slip one of the charms onto the loop.
Add Beads
11. Add one crystal bead, one heart bead, and another crystal bead to the wire.
Add Ear Hooks
12. Make another wrapped loop at the top of the wire.
13. Then repeat steps 10 to 12 for the other charm.
14. Finally, add ear hooks to the top wire loop on each charm to finish the earrings.
I chose to make these in silver, but you could also make them in copper, brass, or even mix metals. The paw print charm would also look nice on a chain. You would just need to add a jump ring to the hole.
Every year, I like to make a special piece of jewelry to donate to my local Humane Society for one of its fun raisers. Since learning how easy it is to work with metal clay, I decided to make some paw print charms for these earrings and then accent the top of the wire on each with crystal beads and hematite hearts. This design if perfect for anyone who is an animal lover and also goes well with my I Heart Animals Metal Clay Necklace project.
You will need the following tools and supplies:
10 grams of low-fire silver metal clay
Olive oil
6 playing cards
10x15mm oval cutter
Misc. metal clay hand tools such as a roller and work surface
Hot pot or butane torch
Jar of water
Metal tongs
Jeweler's files
Polishing paper
Polishing cloth
1 paw print rubber stamp
2 Sterling silver ear hooks
8 inches of 22-gauge sterling wire
Wire cutters
Chain-nosed pliers
Round-nosed pliers
Nylon-nosed pliers
Jeweler's file
Roll Out Clay
1. Stack 3 playing cards on either side of the clay piece before you start rolling to help ensure they are the same thickness.
2. Then use the oval cutter to cut out two oval clay shapes.
Stamp Metal Clay
3. Dab a small amount of olive oil on the paw print stamp, and press it firmly into the middle of each clay oval piece previous cut. Do not rock back and forth, but instead try to press down firmly and pull up straight so that you have a clean impression into the clay. If you goof up, it's not a big deal. Just roll the clay back up and repeat the previous steps until you get an impression in the clay that you like.
Cut Hole in Metal Clay
4. Use an awl or small straw to cut a hole at the top of each oval section.
Dry Clay
5. Set the clay pieces some place safe and allow them to dry before continuing.
Fire Metal Clay
6. Once the charms are dry, you should take this time to look again and see about doing any more clean up. Use fine sand paper or a fingernail file to clean up the edges.
7. Either use a hot pot or butane torch to fire the charms.
Clean and Polish Metal
8. Now take some time to clean and polish each charm. Use a jeweler's file to smooth the edges around the charms.
9. Then take some polishing paper and polish each charm. You can make the shine as high as you like. I started with 400-grit, and followed this with 600 and then 1200-grit. I followed this up with a good rub down with a polishing cloth.
Attach Wire to Charm
10. Take about four inches of 22-gauge sterling wire, and make a wrapped loop, but before wrapping the loop closed, slip one of the charms onto the loop.
Add Beads
11. Add one crystal bead, one heart bead, and another crystal bead to the wire.
Add Ear Hooks
12. Make another wrapped loop at the top of the wire.
13. Then repeat steps 10 to 12 for the other charm.
14. Finally, add ear hooks to the top wire loop on each charm to finish the earrings.
I chose to make these in silver, but you could also make them in copper, brass, or even mix metals. The paw print charm would also look nice on a chain. You would just need to add a jump ring to the hole.
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