Polymer Clay Book Stack Earrings

Put your love of reading on display with these adorable Polymer Clay Book Stack Earrings!

I've always been an avid reader, but now that I've focused on making more of an effort to include it for some "me time", it has become one of my favorite hobbies. To celebrate my love of reading, I used polymer clay to make some adorable book stack earrings - including a cute heart to go with them! These earrings are a simple project that can be customized to fit your personal style, and would be a fantastic gift idea for fellow book nerds.

*If you want to talk books and see what I've been reading, check out my book reviews on Instagram!

To make your own Polymer Clay Book Stack Earrings, you will need these supplies:

• Polymer Clay - white, blue, yellow, green, red
• Baking Mat or Ceramic Tile
• Acrylic Clay Roller
• Thickness Roller Guides or 2 Craft Sticks
• Book Shape Clay Cutters
• Heart Clay Cutter
• Clay Needle Tool
• Polymer Clay Adhesive
• Jewelry Eye Screw
• Gloss Glaze or UV Resin
• 10mm Jump Rings
• Earring Posts
• Jewelry Pliers

Take one section of white polymer clay and knead it well to get it into a smooth, pliable texture. Use a clay roller with 3mm thickness roller guides (or 2 craft sticks) parallel to each other with the clay in between to flatten the clay into a large oval or rectangle.

Tip: If you work directly on a baking mat or ceramic tile, you don't have to worry about transferring your project when it's time to bake the clay. This also helps reduce the chances of you accidentally ruining your project in the process.

Use the rectangle piece from the book clay cutters set and cut six pieces out of the clay.

Here's a few tricks & tips for cutting clay that have worked for me:

• Place a piece of plastic wrap over the clay first, and then cut the clay.
• Dip the cutter in corn starch or talcum powder before cutting.
• Your clay or workspace might be too warm. Put the clay in the fridge or freezer to cool it down before cutting. 

Peel away the excess clay. Slowly slide the clay slicing blade underneath the clay to separate it from the baking mat or ceramic tile. Set the pieces aside.

Next, roll out blue polymer clay and knead it well. Use a clay roller with 2mm thickness roller guides (or 2 craft sticks) parallel to each other with the clay in between to flatten the clay into a large oval or rectangle.

Use the cover piece from the book clay cutters set and cut two pieces out of the clay.

Slowly slide the slicing blade underneath the clay to separate it from the baking mat or ceramic tile. Make sure to handle the clay gently so that you don't dent or misshapen the clay. Turn the book cover piece face-down and then lightly place one of the white rectangles on top, near one of the edges.

Carefully bring the opposite end of the book cover around to create the book. Don't apply pressure to the clay yet. If you need to make adjustments to make the book cover fit better, this will be a lot easier when the clay has been lightly put together.

Once in place, lightly open the book cover on each side and add a small drop of clay adhesive and then "close" the book. 

Next, use the needle tool to lightly scratch the white clay to create the book pages. They don't have to be perfectly straight, unless you want them to be! Make sure to create "pages" on all three sides of the book.

Repeat the process to make three pairs of books in blue, yellow, green. Stack three books on top of each other, slightly alternating the angles. Once you are happy with the arrangement, carefully separate the books and add a small drop of clay adhesive in between and then stack them back together.

Carefully twist a small jewelry eye screw into the center of the top book in he stack. Then, carefully twist the screw back out and add a tiny drop of adhesive to the bottom of the screw. Twist the screw back into place and wipe away any adhesive residue. 

The adhesive will set while baking, so set the book stacks aside to create the top earring pieces.

Knead a small piece of red polymer clay and roll it to 3mm using thickness roller guides (or 2 craft sticks). Cut two hearts out of the clay with a heart clay cutter. Peel away the excess clay. Use a toothpick or a small circle cutter to make holes at the bottom end of the earring pieces to easily connect them together later.

Preheat your oven and bake both the hearts and book stacks. Most polymer clays are usually baked at 275º for 15 minutes per quarter inch thickness, but refer to your specific clay packaging directions to make sure. Once baked, let the pieces cool completely before handling.

Use a fine sandpaper to clean up the edges of the heart earring pieces. To give the earrings a shiny and professional-looking finish, apply a coat of gloss glaze or UV resin to the surface with a toothpick.

If using glaze, apply it to the clay in thin coats (30 minutes between each coat). Give the earrings 24 hours to dry completely.

If using UV resin, apply a thin coat over the earrings, and cure under a UV light according to package directions.

Turn the heart earring pieces over, and attach an earring post to the center using strong adhesive and cover with UV resin or gloss glaze (optional).

Use pliers to open a 10-12mm jump ring for each earring. Hook the rings through the hole in the heart pieces and then through the eye screws to connect the earrings together. Close the jump rings with the pliers.

To say I am in love with these Polymer Clay Book Stack Earrings would be an understatement! Making jewelry out of polymer clay is a lot of fun, and so easy, and always make great gifts! As always, I would love to see your polymer clay creations! Tag me on Instagram and Facebook, and leave a comment or photo on my project pin!

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