How to Make Charms

Gather your materials. Working with clay can be very time sensitive. You don’t want your hard work to go to waste if the clay dries up or ages while you look for your eyepins. Before sitting down to get molding, gather up all required eyepins, jump rings, pliers and polymer clay. If you plan to texture or beautify your charm, make sure to grab your texturing tools such as a toothbrush, stamps or releasing agent you will need.

• A releasing agent will prevent the clay from sticking to the stamp as the stamp is pulled away.^[4]
• An eyepin is a small pin used to anchor into your charm. It is thin and long, with one pointy end and the other end molded into a small loop.^[5] The loop is the location where you can add a jump ring to connect it to your charm.
• A jump ring is another metal piece used to connect an eyepin to jewelry. Jump rings are small, circular rings of metal that can open and close to attach to a charm through the eyepin.^[6]
• You may want to also gather a baking-safe pan or bowl to place your charms into while they cure. Anything oven-safe is appropriate.

Condition enough clay for your charms. Conditioning is the preparation of clay.^[7] To condition, tear off a sufficient amount of clay from your brick. If you wish to mix two colors, now is the time to cut off both amounts. Work both colors in your hands to mix into the desired look. The warmth in your hands will warm the clay up. This will have it conditioned and ready to go for moulding.^[8]

• Try rolling the clay out in a long skinny line. You can also try rolling it up into a sphere, only to squish it down and reroll. Any method works as long as the clay is being worked.^[9]
• The clay will need to be conditioned for up to ten minutes. You’ll start to feel a change in the clay’s consistency once you become more experienced.^[10] The clay will be soft and workable when ready. It cannot be over-conditioned, so if you’re unsure, give it a few extra minutes.
• If your clay is difficult to shape or is crumbly, it’s likely too old for use.^[11] Throw it out and try again.

Shape the clay into the desired shape. When learning to mold, it is usually best to start small and simple. Either take a piece of clay and shape with your fingers, or roll it out to cut it.^[12] If you choose to try rolling it out, press it into an even thickness. Using either a cookie cutter or knife, cut out your desired shape.^[13]

• It is recommended to do all shaping on top of the pan you will use for baking the clay. If you’d prefer your charm to be matte instead of shiny, place parchment paper between the pan and the charm.^[14]

Add texture to the charm. Texturing can take a simple charm and turn it into one that has intricate detail. Get creative when choosing how to texture. Try gently brushing a clean toothbrush across the surface of your charm, or pushing a feather into the charm.^[15] Sandpaper can create another interesting texture. Try using a needle or toothpick to add small designs.^[16]

Insert an eyepin. An eyepin will allow you to thread the charm onto a necklace or add it into a charm bracelet.^[17] Look at your charm and determine which way you would like it to hang. Gently press the eyepin in until only the eyelet is visible. If you’re unhappy, you can remove it, reshape your charm, and try again.

• Eyepins can also be added after the clay has cured using a drill bit.^[18] However, attaching the pin before curing will allow you to experiment with placement.

Stamp the charm. If you wish to add a three dimensional stamp to your charm, do so before curing. Wood-mounted, traditional, metal and acrylic stamps can all be used safely with clay.^[19] Before stamping, check your alignment twice before applying pressure then gently push the stamp down onto your charm.

• If you have a limited supply of stamps, use things from around your home. For example, uncooked alphabet noodles or beads.^[20]
• Consider using a release agent before stamping. Before stamping, simply moisten the stamp with water. Alternatives to water include powders such as cornstarch and baby powder.^[21] Always make sure to clean the stamp afterwards.

Cure the charms. Whenever ready, prepare to cure your charms. While they can be air-dried, baking them provides a much more stable and hearty charm. Clay curing temperature and time will be dependent upon the manufacturer but is usually around 275 degrees Fahrenheit (130 degrees Celsius) for 25 minutes. If you’ve lost the packaging for your clay, Google the manufacturer for details. After cooling completely, the charms are ready to be added into your jewelry.

• If the charms are light in color, you may wish to decrease the oven temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) and double the cooking time. This prevents the clay from browning or changing color.
• When your clay is removed from the oven it will still be soft. Clay does not finish curing until cooled. Do not be tempted to touch the clay, or leave it in the oven longer than recommended.