project // polymer clay raindrop necklace

It is raining like crazy here today, almost as if the weather knew that I had this tutorial planned. It's perfect for a rainy day, or perhaps a couple rainy days, because you'll need to paint, wait, paint, wait, and so on. But it's fun, easy, and cute!

Perfect to wear during April showers, May flowers, or if you're feeling a little sad. (Think of it as a tear drop then!) Now, let's make a raindrop necklace!



You will need:

Polymer clay (Sculpey, Fimo, etc.)
Acrylic paint in light blue and black
1/8" wide ribbon
Rolling pin or smooth jar
Sharp knife
Toothpick
Baking pan and aluminum foil
Oven
Paint brush
Optional: Sculpey glaze or another sealant



Grab a little blob of clay and warm it up with your hands so it is smooth.



Shape the clay into a rough raindrop shape, then use your rolling pin or smooth jar to roll the clay out flat. It should be about 3/16" thick. 1/8" is too thin, but 1/4" is a little thick.



Use the knife to cut out a raindrop shape. It doesn't have to be perfect, and if you don't like how it came out, you can squish it together and start again.

Use the toothpick to make a hole at the top. It should be large enough for your ribbon to fit through. Smooth the edges a bit with your finger.



Now it's time to bake the pendant. Follow the instructions for the clay you're using. For mine, I'm using Sculpey and I baked this at 275 F for 10 minutes.

I recommend placing the clay on a piece of foil so you aren't putting the clay on your baking pans.



The painting is the part that takes the longest. And I somehow always forget this fact. You'll need a LOT of coats. Unless you started with a color of clay that is close to what your paint color is. Going from white to aqua took maybe 8 coats. And although the paint dries quickly, don't rush each coat.

And this should be obvious, but don't start with say, hot pink clay and then try to paint it aqua. Eventually you'll probably get there, but you'll go mad in the process.



After you're happy with the base color and it's good and dry, grab the toothpick and dip it into the black paint. Make two tiny dots for eyes...



...and add a tiny smile.



When the face is dry, you can add a coat of sealer so it's protected and shiny. Then, when everything is good and dry, cut a 30-inch piece of ribbon and loop it through the hole in the pendant. Knot the ends.




Wear your necklace right away, or save it for a rainy day!