Handmade Polymer Clay Tags/Charms

A while back, I read a tutorial on how to make clay charms.  I thought these would be a great way to personalize any gift you might give, or even as little charms on wedding favors (embossed with the bride & groom’s initials; wedding date, etc.)!  I personally can’t wait to use these to decorate a homemade dessert (in a jam jar!) using twine to tie it around

Although I can’t find that article anymore, I decided to buy some clay and make these bad boys, so bought some Fimo Polymer Clay and some clay cutter molds, and decided to play around.  There are definitely tons of clay-related products you can buy to help you make these charms a bit easier, but I tried to use items that most crafters probably already have around the house, to save a few bucks

I have to say… these are pretty easy to make!

What you’ll need:

• Polymer Clay
• alphabet/lettering stamp set; or other stamp you want to use (if you want to be real serious, you can purchase a metal stamping set at your local craft store or on etsy, like these)
• wire (I used floral wire– this is to create a small hole for your charm)
• clay roller (I used a thick hot gun glue stick; a pvc pipe or anything round will work too)
• clay cutter (or cookie cutter); you can also mold by hand
• acrylic paint
• oven

Take a piece of clay and roll it into a ball.

Using your roller, roll out the clay to your desired thickness.

Using your stamps, stamp your letter, phrase, or design onto the clay.  You can also try to freehand it using the wire.

Once done, take your clay cutter/mold, and punch out your shape.  (fyi: you can also cut the shape out first, then stamp the design).

Using the wire, punch a hole through the clay.

Transfer the charm onto a baking sheet.  (You may need to use a knife, or in my case, a flexible metal ruler, to help lift the clay off the surface).

Set the clay by baking it.  Different brands of clay have different baking temperatures; just follow the directions on the clay package. Once baked, allow it to completely cool off.

Once cooled off, paint the piece in whatever color you want the embossed letter/design to be in.

{sorry, switched out the charm! You’ll also note that I painted the charm  pink color, but the charm as pictured below is blue.  That’s because I changed my mind and just wiped off the paint).

Once the charm is painted, allow it to partially dry.  Take a cloth (dampen it if the paint is being stubborn) and rub off the paint.  You can leave as much or as little of the paint you want on the charm if you want to add some color.

Once the color is in, you can use a glaze to add some shine to the charm (if you like).  I used Sculpey Glaze.  The shine didn’t really show, but I think that’s because I used a silver clay.

Your charms are all done!  You can string them up and add them to your next gift.