Polymer clay pendants are really simple to make, look wonderful, can take on a million “styles” through simple surface treatments and can be used in a variety of ways. I have a pendant necklace that was given to me for my birthday and hands down it is the most complimented piece of jewelry I own. Today I’m going to show you how to make your own pendants using just a touch of polymer clay, an x-acto knife, a bit of craft paint, your favorite stamp, and a paper towel. Easy peasy and so useful!

Preparing your clay

Every time I make a project with polymer clay, I have all these little stray guys that are half mixed with other colors. I do not want to put them back into their correct spot because it will contaminate the rest of the color, so they all go into a lump. The orange and light blue are both products of this color mixing. I just mixed them more and they turned into beautiful unique shades! There are two ways to get this project started. If you have a polymer clay pasta machine, pull it out, put it on the thickest setting, and crank the clay through a few times until you have a nice even piece. If you don’t, an acrylic rod, a can of spray paint, or another other smooth cylindrical object works great. Roll it out to an even consistency - about 1/8 inch is great. 

Pull out your favorite stamp or cut block and press it into the clay. You can press it evenly, or you can go unevenly  - try both!

Cut away the excess clay. I cut it down to about 1 1/4″ by 3/4″. It can be determined by the pattern or by a size preference. If you are making it into a necklace, look at your favorite necklace and see how big the pendant is. 

Use your craft knife to cut a hole towards the top of your pendant. It is now official a pendant vs a small decorative tile!

Bake According to your polymer clay instructions. Once cool continue with the

Surface Treatment

On some aluminum foil, put down a little bit of craft paint. I like using white, black, and brown. These three colors give the clay the most “natural” look. 

Use your paper towel to apply a generous amount of paint to the pendant, make sure to fill in all the impression. Then simply wipe and then dab it off!

Let dry and you are all finished!

Check out the difference! Amazing! (brown paint on left, no treatment on center, white paint on right)

You can use pendants for a variety of projects – small ones for earrings, this size shown today for necklaces. If you leave off the whole, you could hot glue them to the front of a card as really nice decorative piece, or you can even attach them to gifts as a special accent for someone you Really like. 

Part II :: My favorite way to make a necklace clasp from some waxed linen thread and a bead! A fisherman’s daughter’s knot tying method and a few more ideas on pendant making!