DIY Turquoise Clay Necklace

I could no longer resist the lure of the polymer clay. Am I the last blogger to use this stuff? Probably. That’s pretty much my M.O.
But I saw this necklace (via Live and Enliven) and instantly loved it … but wanted it in turquoise.  It reminded me of some recent projects I’ve seen (like this one) so I went to Hobby Lobby with a screaming Henry that same day.

You will need:

• Oven bake clay in the color of your choice (there is an overwhelming array)
• Razor blade or sharp knife
• Jewelry chain – I went with silver. You could even do leather cord.
• Toothpick

Step 1: Roll the clay into small balls. You’ll need to stretch it and loosen it a bit to get it going.
Step 2: Cut edges with razor blade. You want some sharp edges and funkiness to the shape.
Step 3: Poke a hole through the center with a toothpick.
Step 4: Bake according to package directions.
Step 5: Thread the chain through the beads and cut the chain to desired length.

I also made a small pair of earrings. Same preparation (don’t poke a hole though) and then I glued an earring backing on with E6000 glue. I love how Wilma Flintstone-esque it is!

DIY Bracelet

Yikes! I think we can make our own for a wee bit less. Less than $5 in fact!

All you need is about 3 yards of ribbon and 2 dozen gold beads. I, of course, went with purple but any color would look great.

Cut the ribbon into 3 equal lengths. EDIT: Standard bracelet size is 7 inches so you’ll want it about 29 inches long in order to wrap 4 times.

Start by braiding about 6 inches of ribbon and then secure the end with a rubber band. Anchor the end with something heavy to hold in it place.
Start braiding in the beads by feeding the ball onto the middle strand and then tightly braiding the other two strands around it. Continue feeding beads onto the middle strand until you run out (I had about 25) or until there’s about 6 inches of ribbon left.

Finish with another 6 inches or so of braiding. Then clamp the ends with ribbon fasteners or just tie it in a knot.
It looks great as a bracelet or a necklace!