Tie Dye Earrings in Polymer Clay
Introduction: Tie Dye Earrings in Polymer Clay
This is one of my favorite patterns. It's simple to make but creates beautiful patterns that are great for colorful jewelry.
Supplies
* 2 main colors of polymer clay. I used Fimo professional true red, and Fimo soft peppermint. An equal amount of white clay (I used Fimo professional white).
* A pasta machine for conditioning clay and making skinner blends.
* pliers (best to have 2)
* sharp blades (I have a pack of 3 Fimo brand blades, but I also used exacto knife blades).
* Wet sand paper (450, 800, 1500)
* Small hand drill
* Jump rings and findings for earrings
* A ceramic tile or glass plate make the best work and baking surface. I currently don't have any so I use a sturdy plastic sheet that can be wiped off for working, and an old baking tin for the oven (careful - some plastics react badly with clay)
* Alcohol wipes - for cleaning your hands and surfaces while you work.
* (oven for baking the clay)
Step 1: Skinner Blends
Make two skinner blends - White to Red and White to Peppermint. You can find great video tutorials online for making skinner blends!
1. Put the main color through the thickest setting of the pasta machine to get a rectangle.
2. Put the same amount of white through the thickest setting of the pasta machine to get a rectangle.
3. Cut each rectangle in half at an angle and stack - creating almost a triangle.
4. Fit the white and color triangle together. You should leave some section of color without white, and some section of white without color.
5. Run it through the pasta machine on the thickest setting. Make sure that its put through so that both colors are touching the machine every time.
6. Fold in half and run through the pasta machine again.
7. Repeat the process while getting thinner on the pasta machine. Make sure not to let the clay spread sideways too much.
8. When it is blended run it through the machine from white toward red on a low setting creating a long ribbon.
9. Roll each of the long ribbons into a log with the white inside.
Step 2: Making Triangle Units
1. 994
Stand the log up on the end and cut from the top down into quarters. Each one of these pieces now has to be shaped.
2. The unit needs to be a triangle. But rather than just pressing the colored part flat, you want to pull the white from the tip down to cover the sides.
3. The end result is a triangular unit with two faces mostly white, and one face color.
4. You should have 4 of each color.
Step 3: Assembling the Cane
1. I used 4 triangles from peppermint and 3 triangles from the red.
2. Place them alternating (like in the picture), and press them together lightly.
3. make a triangle log that is only red and add it on top.
4. You can also add a small peppermint sheet on the bottom.
5. Squeeze the cane to connect all the pieces. Make sure you are squeezing from all side so as not to distort the shape too much.
6. Some distortion will always happen at the ends of the cane, just trim the ends off.
Step 4: Slicing and Baking
1. When the can is pressed to the desired size and shape, use the thinnest blade to make even slices.
2. Burn the slices according to the manufacturers instructions.
Step 5: Finishing Up
1. Sand the baked slices - I use wet sand paper 450, 800 and 1500.
2. Mark the location of the holes. Place the pieces on a piece of wood and drill through with a hand drill.
3. Add jump rings and assemble the earings. 276