Make a Retro-Style Clay Pendant Necklace

Make a retro-style clay pendant necklace using polymer clay and suede lacing. I used what I had for this project, but if I had needed to buy the supplies, the cost would have been minimal. Except for the clay, most materials can be substituted with similar choices.

Things You Will Need:

Lightweight cardboard
Compass
Scissors
Wax paper
White polymer clay
Rolling pin
Ruler
Knife
Wooden skewer
Burlap
1-inch foam stamp
Oven
Light gray acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Silver acrylic paint
Paper towel
White suede lacing
18-gauge silver craft or jewelry wire
Wire cutters
Needle-nose pliers

Step 1
Draw a 2-inch circle on lightweight cardboard using a compass. Cut out the circle. This is the pendant pattern.

Step 2
Place a small piece of wax paper on your work surface. Soften a 1 1/2-inch chunk of white polymer clay by kneading it in your hands. Roll the clay into a ball and place it in the center of your wax paper.

Step 3
Using a rolling pin, roll the clay flat until it is 1/4 inch thick. Lay the cardboard pendant pattern on the clay. Cut the clay around the pattern using a sharp knife. Poke a hole 1/4 inch from the edge of the clay circle using a wooden skewer.

Step 4
Lay a scrap of burlap over the clay pendant. Roll over the burlap with the rolling pin. Remove the burlap to reveal the texture imprinted in the clay. Center a 1-inch foam stamp on the clay and press down firmly to embed the design. I used a 1-inch letter stamp with my initial.

Step 5
Preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Lay a piece of aluminum foil on a baking sheet and place the clay pendant on the foil. Bake the pendant in the oven for 15 minutes. Allow the pendant to cool.

Step 6
Paint both sides of the clay pendant using light gray acrylic paint. Allow the paint to dry.

Step 7
Paint the entire pendant with silver acrylic paint. Immediately blot off the silver paint using a paper towel. The silver paint will be removed from the raised areas, while settling into the crevices. Allow the paint to dry.

Step 8
Cut a 36-inch length of white suede lacing. This will allow the pendant to hang just below the breasts. Adjust the length if a different drape is desired. Note: The length will need to be long enough to fit over the head. Bring the ends of the lacing together and tie an overhand knot 1 inch from the end.

Step 9
Cut a 6-inch length of 18-gauge silver craft or jewelry wire using wire cutters. Hold the lacing loop by the knot. Place the opposite side of the loop on the edge of the pendant, above the hole. Insert the wire through the pendant hole. Wind the wire over the lacing and back through the hole in the pendant using needle-nose pliers. Continue until the entire length of the wire has been wound through the hole and around the lacing.

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