St. Patrick's Day: Pot 'O Gold Earring Tutorial

Top 'o the morning!

In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I have created an easy earring tutorial!

These Pot 'O Gold Earrings feature metallic microbeads and gems for sparkle. Microbeads are tiny little hole-less beads that are used for scrapbooking and nail art, but why not use them in jewelry? I actually found these at the dollar store, but you can also find them at craft stores or online even. Martha Stewart Crafts also makes them.

This color scheme is especially for St. Patty's Day, but you can change up the colors to fit any outfit you need. 

Let's get started on the tutorial!

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are earring posts, Sculpey Polymer Clay , heavy-duty glue like E-6000, Triple Thick Gloss Glaze, Glass Microbeads, and acrylic nail gems (like 3-4mm).

Step 2: Get your clay and make two small marbles. Flatten both marbles down so they have a flat front/back but still have some height, see picture above.

Step 3: take a pen cap or a tool (here I used the end of an X-acto knife) and press an indentation in the middle, making sure not to totally distort your disc shape. Repeat with the other marble.

Bake these two discs; I use a toaster oven for about 15 minutes at like 125 degrees.

The time may vary depending on the brand of clay you use and the oven. I use Sculpey.

Now, once your clay is baked and cooled, put a small dollop of your glue in the indentation; pour your microbeads over to cover the glue, press in gently.

Step 4: Repeat with the other disc. Brush off excess microbeads, to keep them confined just to the indentation you made. While the glue is still somewhat tacky, glue down 3 more crystal flatbacks over the microbeads and press in gently. 

Step 5: Once your front of the earrings are dry, then use the glue and glue earring posts in the middle of the backs. Wait 'till fully dry. 

Now, paint the outside rim of the earrings and the backs with clear glaze (I here used a coat of sheer green glitter nail polish as well as clear glaze to give more sparkle. Feel free to do that with whatever color you have, just make sure the nail polish color is close to your base clay color for consistency.)

DO NOT paint over your microbeads and gems because this will make the gems lose sparkle and make them appear glassy, not what we want here. 

Let them dry.

Cute and clever.

These are very original! Your friends will definitely want you to make them a pair!

All images and text copyright Allison Beth Cooling for Quiet Lion Creations.

Please link back to this tutorial if posting it elsewhere!