polymer clay charms?

Question

i want to start making charms i need to know if you put your hook charm or clasp in after or before you bake them and if after how do u apply it to your charm

Answer 1

There are actually various ways to make danglers and/or attachers for polymer clay "charms." You have your pick, but it would also depend on exactly how you wanted them to appear and if you wanted them "dangle" or not.

First though, it is *not* true that polymer clay must be baked *before* attaching string or metal to it. Because the heat needed to cure polymer clays is so low (230-300 F, depending on brand), any "natural" material would require a lot higher heat to burn or be adversely affected. Think how much heat it takes to melt metal, for example, and "string" is usually cotton and that will take a lot higher temp than we use. Of course, if the "string" or jewelry cording, etc., is actually made from plastic, some kinds of plastic can't take polymer curing temps (but some can).

So... there are two most common ways that clayers make what are called "charms" (which will dangle from a bracelet or pin or whatever... also small beads or other items that would dangle from earrings, etc.):

1. Twist a hole all the way through** the charm with a toothpick or a needle (cool the clay first in the frig or freezer or let it sit out overnight if your clay is really soft to keep it from deforming when making the hole) --make the hole so it goes from top to bottom of the charm, not side to side or front to back in this case. Bake.
After baking the clay, thread an eyepin or a headpin through the charm, from the bottom side, then trim the extending part of the pin to about 3/8" and form a loop with it (usually with round nose pliers)... if you use an eye pin instead of a head pin, you'll be able to dangle something from the *bottom* of the charm as well as dangling the charm itself.***

2. OR... cut off an eye pin (at the loop end) so that it has a shank only about 1/2"-3/4" long. Using small jewelry pliers if you have them, bend the bottom of the shank at least once, to one side... or even better, bend twice so the shank forms a sort of Z shape.
Then twist a small hole into the top part of the clay charm with the tip of a toothpick, and push in the bent end of the shank until there's only a little straight shank (and the loop) sticking out of the clay.
Then snug the clay gently back around the shank, and bake.

3. OR... you can also just do it with superglue and a straight shank, but it's not *quite* as secure as way #2.
Make a hole barely large enough for the straight shank of a shortened eye pin to fit into while the clay is raw... then bake the charm. Put a tiny dab of superglue (any brand) onto the tip of the shank then press the shank into the hole and hold it there firmly so the glue can set up.

Now... to attach either of those loops to something else so that the charm will dangle, just thread it onto that something else (like cording)... but probably what you want it to attach the loop that's now in the charm to another eye pin or a jump ring that's part of or attached to that something else (...be sure to open any loop or jump ring by twisting the two sides in opposite directions, not by pulling them "apart").

There's much more info on making loops like this (as well as other kinds of attachers, etc.) on these pages of my website, if you'd like to get more details or other ways:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/pendants_cording.htm
(... click on the sub-categorie called TOP LOOPS...)
http://glassattic.com/polymer/wire.htm
(... click on BASIC WIRE SHAPES if you want to more info and to learn how to make your own findings, etc. for charms, and jewelry)


HTH,

Diane B.

**you can actually enter the charm from both sides separately, then "drill" toward the middle, and the two holes will almost always meet (!)... that way both entry holes will be slightly pressed inward and look nice and neat

***there's more info on just "making holes" in polymer clay in general here:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/beads-holes.htm )




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Answer 2

Clay Polymer Charms

Answer 3

Using caps on the "answer" seems a bit rude. If you didn't mean it to be, please reconsider your format. Even a "please" would soften it somewhat. Anyway, be sure you buy only one brand of clay. They bake at different times and temperatures, so you don't want to mix them. To find the names of the gloss products, go down the clay aisle at the crafts supplies store and see what matches the brand of clay you're planning to buy. You may also want something called headpins to put your charms on. Make a hole through the charm before baking. Then, when it's cooled, put the headpin through the charm, and make a neat loop at the top. Snip off any excess with wire cutters. If you try to make small loops and put them into the top of the charms, they are unreliable. They come off far too easily. Running a headpin through the charm and making a loop at the top is the best bet. Please feel free to email me with specific questions if you have them. I have been using the polymer clay for awhile now and know a few other tricks with it.

Answer 4

Create your charms first, leaving a hole to string it. If you want them to be beads, use a toothpick and put a hole through the clay however you want it to lay. You must bake clay before attaching string or metal! After baking the clay, you can use jewelry glue (not super glue) to attach the hook. Or you can mold the clay in such a way that there is a "hook" at the top.

Answer 5

before you bake it, cut it to size, bend the end slightly, push it in and twist it then bake