Double Foil Earrings in Polymer Clay, a tutorial

This quick video shows how to make these pretty but easy earrings using Polymer Clay and metal foil. I show you all you need to know so you can have some fun and make your own. All the links are listed here.

The music from the video is English Country Garden by Aaron Kenny and is available from the YouTube Free Audio Library.

If you like my work, then please do have a look at my website, http://www.fionaabel-smith.co.uk/ and follow me on Facebook   / fiona.abelsmith   and Instagram.   / fionaabelsmith.artist  

I also have a number of Polymer Clay PDF Tutorials to buy in my Etsy shop, PolyOriginals - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PolyOrig... and as a video tutorial here - http://polyoriginals.thinkific.com/co...

Here is the link to my conditioning Polymer Clay video -    • Conditioning Polymer Clay Quickly - s...  

Here are some useful links – other online stores will sell these items, this is just for reference only. Metallic Foil - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B... - Stencils - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B... - Open bezels - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...

Polymer Clay is oven baked, always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the brand of clay you are using. I used about ¾ oz (42g) of scrap polymer clay – as in left over pieces from other projects that I mixed together to get a dark grey colour.

I used a Pasta Machine dedicated to Polymer Clay use to condition the clay and create a thick slab. The slab was setting 2 on my pasta machine (on my machine 0 is thick, 9 is thin) and is approximately 6 playing cards (2mm ) thick.

I used UV Resin from BekBek Makes - https://bekbek.co.uk Let’s Resin is another brand I use - https://letsresin.co.uk Both are low odour and relatively bubble free. NB: Please always wear a mask/protective googles when using resin, even low odour ones. The chemicals in all resins can be harmful if breathed in.

I added a thin coat of the UV resin, gently pushed to the edges of the bezel using a small paintbrush. I removed air bubbles by carefully wafting a small flame from a candle fire lighter over the top of the resin. 5 minutes under a UV lamp and the resin was cured. I repeated this process for both sides to give the high shine to the finished pieces. There are thousands of videos on social media showing this process if you need to know more.

As an alternative, Polymer Clay varnish will give a good shine and seal the foil. Or add a thin layer of liquid polymer clay - one side at a time (and then re-bake the clay as before).

Equipment, other than that mentioned above :
Small roller, Craft Knife.
A small sheet of Baking Parchment/wax paper/tracing paper/parchment paper or something similar.
Clear sticky tape.
A small tile to bake on, and aluminium foil to tent the tile to protect the clay should the oven spike during the baking process – bake according to the manufacturer’s instructions for the brand of clay you are using.
Biodegradable wet wipes, or wet cloths to clean your hands as you work.
I work on a large white tile, but any non-porous flat worksurface will do.
I finished the earrings using 20 gauge wire and threading on glass and metal spacer beads. The earring findings are simple fishhook ones, these and the beads are available widely from bead and craft shops.
I used a Polymer Clay Blade to help clean my worksurface, but this is not essential (please keep fingers away from sharp edges).

If the foil sticks to your stencils it can be removed with warm soapy water and a sponge, or, if the stencils are sticky from the tape, use acetone, such as in Nail Varnish remover (always follow the instructions on the bottle).

Hopefully that gives you everything you need to know to make some double foil earrings of your own. Have fun.

Thank you so much for watching, and a special thank you to those of you who subscribe, I really appreciate it.