Polymer Clay Maple Leaf Earrings

This Instructable shows how to create these maple leaf inspired earrings out of polymer clay!

If you'd like to see this in video form, please click the video above.

Supplies You'll Need:

• Polymer clay (doesn't matter what color, we'll be painting it)
• Acrylic paint in gold, metallic red and black
• the pattern at this link: http://pugdemonium.blogspot.com/2016/10/polymer-c... or you can draw your own pattern
• Xacto knife
• Flat post earrings
• E6000 glue
• Paint brush
• Toothpick

Step 1: Prepare the Pattern & the Clay

1. After you've printed the pattern, carefully cut it out with an Xacto knife. You don't need to be super precise; the basic shape will work just fine.
2. Roll two small balls of clay.
3. Flatten them with a rolling pin, or place them on a piece of tin foil, fold the other half over them and flatten them until they are fairly even (the tin foil keeps finger prints off the clay).

Step 2: Create the Leaves

1. Place the leaf pattern onto the clay, and cut around it with the Xacto knife.
2. Pull away the excess clay around the leaf.
3. Repeat this on the other piece of clay.
4. Follow the baking instructions for the clay you're using - I baked mine at 275°F for about 8 minutes.
   

Step 3: Paint the Leaves

1. Once the clay is baked, you can (very carefully!) take the Xacto knife and scrape the sides of the leaf to remove any rough edges.
2. Apply a coat of gold acrylic paint to each leaf, and let dry for a few minutes.
3. Repeat this a few times until the leaves are completely covered.
4. Paint the edges of the leaves with the red paint, then add more gold paint to the center and try to blend the gold into the red a bit. Let dry.
5. Take a toothpick and paint on the veins of the leaf using the black paint.
6. If you'd like, go back and scrape off some of the black paint - I just liked the effect that this added. Let dry completely.

Step 4: Assemble the Earrings

1. Use the E6000 glue to attach a flat post earring to each leaf. Be sure to do this outside or in a well ventilated area!
2. Let dry for at least 24 hours before wearing.
3. That's it!

Thanks for viewing this Instructable!