Bright Oven-Baked Clay Earrings

Cut half of one section from each clay brick color.

Step 2 Condition each color of clay in your hands by rolling it until it is soft enough to roll into a snake.

TIP: You can also condition with the Craft Clay Machine! Just run each color through, separately, about 20 times.

Step 3 To marble the clay:

• Roll each color into a snake shape and then line the colors in a row.
• Twist the snake shapes together and then roll into another snake shape twice the length of the original. 
• Bend the clay snake in half and twist together again and then roll out into a long snake with your hands. 
• Roll the clay into a ball and continue working the clay to marble with colors a little bit more. 

Step 4 Use the roller (from the modeling tool kit) to roll the clay out onto your work ‘n bake mat until it is even and a little less than ¼" thick.

Step 5 Cut out circles using the largest circle cutter in the set.

Step 6 Create a hole at the top with a toothpick.

Step 7 Place your mat with your clay circles on a cookie sheet (or metal pan).

Step 8 Preheat the oven to 275° and place the cookie sheet inside for 15 minutes; then, remove from the oven and let cool.

Step 9 To make the two bead links:

• Slide one bead onto an eye pin.
• With jewelry pliers, grasp the wire just above the bead. Now bend the wire to a 90° angle.
• Switch to your round nose pliers and grasp the wire about ¼" from the bend. Turn your wrist towards yourself so that the pliers roll over toward you as well. This will bend the wire up and over into a loop. Keep rotating the pliers, readjusting your hand if you need to, but stop before you complete the loop.
• TIP: Not cutting the wire at this point ensures you have enough wire to make your loop, as where you grasp it along the round nose pliers will determine how much wire is needed to make the loop. To get consistent wire loops, use a permanent marker to mark a line along your round nose pliers. Always grasp your wire at that point and you’ll make the same size loop every time.
• Slide a fishhook ear wire onto the loop; then, trim excess wire and shape loop, if needed.

Step 10 Open a jump ring, slide on the loop at the bottom of your bead link (opposite the fishhook ear wire) and one of your clay circles. Close the jump ring to complete your earring.

TIP: To open and close a jump ring, simply grasp the jump ring on both sides with chain nose pliers and twist the ring open, from side-to-side. Never pull the jump ring which can cause distortion.

Step 11 Repeat Step 10 to assemble your second earring.

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