Cheap-o Pave Crystal Earrings

Another one of my "cheap-o" tutorials, now for earrings!

You don't have to spend big bucks to make a pair of those popular pave crystal earrings. Pave is a type of gemstone setting where the gems are uniformly placed, and placed close together. This technique is used in these earrings, to give maximum shine! However, we are not using diamonds or expensive gems......

We are using acrylic nail gems!

You still get shine, yet don't have to shell out a lot of cash. Along with a couple more ingredients, these earrings come together nicely and can be made in many different colors!

Let's get started!

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are acrylic nail gems (similar here), earring posts, polymer clay (I use Sculpey), a toothpick and E-6000 glue. DO NOT use superglue for this because it will leave a white dusty look on the clay.

Step 2: Make two uniform sized marbles of clay, flatten a little so that one side stays dome-like, while the other gets flat to lay against the ear. It helps to push down the sides of the marble gently against a flat surface. You have to pick a clay color that matches your gems, so the clay background won't stick out. I have red gems, so I have red clay here.

Step 3: Get all your gems ready. Bake the clay  (I do 15 minutes at 125 degrees in a toaster oven). Take your toothpick, pick up some glue, and attach the post to the flat side of the cooled clay.

Step 4: Stabilize your earring post (after it has dried) by pushing it onto a piece of scrap clay. This helps you while holding it, you don't have to try to hold onto a little post! Pick up a teeny tiny bit of glue on the toothpick, add it to the back of your gem, and press onto the clay. It helps to start at the very bottom, work a row around, and then make another row sitting on top of the last one. Continue in this pattern, until your whole clay is covered in the gems. Let all the glue dry.

Repeat with the other earring!

Finished! The amount of gems will vary depending on what size you use. I used 3mm gems.

You can make these in different colors, different sizes and shapes! 

Very cool!

Do not use my photos without crediting me, and if using this tutorial please link back!