Tuesday, January 21, 2014

DIY: Polymer clay Valentine hearts

A nicely wrapped packaged is always so pleasant to give and to get. Here is a great idea on how to add some finishing touches to your gift.  Albina Manning (aroundbeads) made this tutorial to show how you can make red and white clay hearts for Valentines Day style tags. You can also use them for any other occasion.
There are 3 different type of tags here: solid color, striped and swirled. Make the one you like or try them all, they all look equally great!

What you need to make these:
Red and white polymer clay
Pasta machine or acrylic roller
A heart shaped cutter
Clay blade
Soda straw

Solid Red Heart:
Condition polymer clay until it’s soft and pliable. Roll it until it is about 3mm thick.  Place a cutter, press and twist slightly the cutter. Using a soda straw, make a hole in the heart.

Striped Heart:
Condition red and white polymer clay.Roll 1/8 block of black and white clay through the pasta machine, using the largest setting. Stack red sheet of clay on white and trim with a clay blade to make 1”x1” square.
 
Roll this sheet through the 3rd largest setting. Cut the sheet in half and stack these halves together, alternating colors.  Now, you have 4 stripes.

Cut this stack on two again, so you have 8 stripes: 4 red and 4 white. Roll 1/8 block of red clay through the 4th largest setting. Using the tissue blade, cut 1/8” (3mm) slices from the stack. Lay these slices, side –by-side, over the red clay sheet.  
Roll this sheet along the stripes. Using a cutter, cut the hearts. Make holes with a soda straw.

Swirl heart:
Use all the leftovers from the striped and red hearts and twist them together.  Roll and fold over and twist again. Keep doing this until you’re happy with the design.
 
Be careful not to do it too many times or it will all just turn into one color.
Roll the clay into the 1/8” (3mm) clay sheet. Place a cutter, press and twist slightly the cutter. Using a soda straw, make a hole in the heart.

Arrange your ready to bake tags on a baking sheet and bake them according to the polymer clay packaging instruction.
Add a nice ribbon to tie your gift with and you are done!

2 comments:

modern handmade jewelry said...

Nice addition to any gift!
Wonderful idea! But since not everyone is able to work with polymer clay, I think that the heart can be knitted or paper.
Thanks for the idea!

DemyBlackDesign said...

Great idea!

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