Regardless of whether you're looking to create stud earrings out of polymer clay or resin, you need to have some essential supplies to make them.
Preparing Earring Pieces
Whether you are just learning how to make earrings or you are an experienced jewelry artist, there are a few things you should know about preparing stud earrings pieces. These include choosing a material, gluing them together, and using an earring back.
Choosing the right material depends on your earring's design. If you are making a pair of studs, you should choose a material that will not wear out quickly. Similarly, if you are making an ear cuff, you should choose a material that will keep it from discoloring.
Depending on the material you are using, you can choose between pushing or screwing the earring backing onto the post. If you are planning on wearing your studs during a physical activity, you should use a secure lock-back. This type of earring backing is also considered to be safe.
Generally, push-backs are made of plastic or rubber, and have a cone-shaped opening on one side. They are easy to use.
However, you should be careful if you are using these types of backings on precious metals. Some of these glues are designed to hold jewelry for a long time while others are aimed at specific purposes.
Attaching Polymer Clay to Metal
Whether you're a jewelry pro or a newbie, you can make stud earrings out of polymer clay. It's a user-friendly medium, and you can experiment with different shapes, sizes and colors. However, there's a little preparation involved before you can start.
You need to pick a suitable earring back to use. The backs can be made from translucent clay, another coloured clay, or a contrasting material. You can also use epoxy resin or super glues to secure the earring backs to the polymer clay stud.
You should choose a stud back that is long enough to fit through the earlobe. You should also choose a colour that complements the stud. You can get creative by experimenting with contrasting materials, but you'll want to stick with the primaries.
You'll need a bit of prep work before you can put together your polymer clay stud earrings. You'll need a few supplies and tools to get started. You'll also want to have a clean work surface. You'll also want to avoid debris and dust when handling your clay.
Making Resin Stud Earrings
Whether you're making resin stud earrings for yourself or for a friend, you can create some unique pieces. The trick is to make sure you mix your resin correctly. You need to be careful to add the right amounts of resin and hardener to get the best results.
A small drill bit is ideal for drilling the hole in the resin ornament. You can also use a stir stick to mix the resin. You should always wear gloves when mixing resin.
The same goes for adding glitter. There's a reason the glitter is mixed in with the resin. It's an important step, but if you do it wrong, you'll end up with something that's not quite as cool as you intended.
When making resin stud earrings, you can use UV resin to speed up the process. This is a good choice if you're making a small project. However, you can't rely on it if you're making a large batch. This resin is expensive.
Storing Polymer Clay Earrings
Keeping your polymer clay earrings in perfect condition is easy when you know how to store them properly. The key to storing your clay is to wrap it up and keep it away from sunlight, heat, and dust. The more well-protected your polymer clay is, the longer it will last.
When you first buy your polymer clay, it comes in small packs. Each pack contains about a quarter of a pound of the material. If you've just bought polymer clay, you're probably wondering how to store it.
You can store your clay in plastic containers. There are several kinds of plastic that work well with polymer clay. The best type is polypropylene, which has the recycle symbol #5 on the bottom. However, there are some plastics that will not bond with your clay.
Another good option is to wrap your clay in wax paper. The plasticizer in the polymer clay does not react with the waxed paper. This means your clay can be stored for years without getting damaged.