Polymer Clay Nintendo Switch Earrings

Get friends talking about your favorite video games with this set of Nintendo Switch earrings made of polymer clay!

My family spends a lot of time together playing games on our Nintendo Switch. Animal Crossing and Mario Kart are my personal Switch favorites, but my entire family really gets into Super Smash Bros! I wanted to wear something extra special to a local Nintendo event, so I whipped up this adorable pair of earrings that look like the iconic red and blue Nintendo Switch controllers! Made of polymer clay, these earrings couldn't be easier to make, and would be a great item to gift or sell to other Nintendo fans. I hope you get inspired to give this project a try, and I'd love to hear what you think about these earrings in the comments.

To make your own Polymer Clay Nintendo Switch Earrings, you will need these supplies:

• Nintendo Switch Controller Clay Cutters
• Sculpey Premo polymer clay - red, blue
• Liquid Sculpey - black
• Polymer Clay Adhesive
• Baking Mat or Ceramic Tile
• Acrylic Clay Roller
• Thickness Roller Guides (or 2 Craft Sticks)
• Jewelry Eye Screw
• 2 Earring Hooks
• Jewelry Pliers

Take one section of red 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) to flatten the clay into a large oval or rectangle. Repeat this process with blue polymer clay.

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.

Place one of the Nintendo Switch controller cutters over the clay and gently press it straight down (cut blue with the left side cutter, and red with the right cutter). Pull the cutter straight up. If the clay stays down, leave it there. If it comes up with the cutter, be careful how you remove it. Poking through the top to push the clay out can leave dents or holes in your work. If necessary, you can re-roll the clay and start over. 

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, talcum powder, or even water before cutting.
• Your clay or workspace might be too warm. Put the clay in the fridge or freezer to cool it down before cutting. 

This step is totally optional, but I wanted to add some extra shimmer to the pieces. So, I took some pearlescent mica powders in both red and blue (you could also use make-up!) and gently rubbed it over the surface of the clay. Don't worry about getting it in any of the holes or crevices.

Next, use a small dotting tool to fill the openings in the clay with black Liquid Sculpey. Work slowly, and add small, small amounts at a time (you can always add more). Be careful not to overfill! You will also need to cover the sectioned edge on the right (left on the red clay) with more Liquid Sculpey.

You can use the end of a pointed cotton swab dipped in alcohol ink to gently wipe any messes away.

Carefully twist an eye screw into the top of each clay controller piece. Be careful to not put it in at an angle, otherwise the end of the screw could poke out the front of the clay.

Preheat your oven and bake the Nintendo Switch Controller earring pieces. 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.

After baking, carefully remove the eye screws from the earrings. Add a small drop of polymer clay adhesive to the end of the screw, and carefully twist it back into place. After the next step it will have a permanent hold!

To give the back of the earrings a finished look, coat the earrings with a thin layer of black Liquid Sculpey. You can pour it straight from the container, and then spread it out using the dotting tool. Be careful not to add too much, or it could drip over the edges.

Bake the clay one more time to cure this layer of Liquid Sculpey and to allow the clay adhesive to secure the eye screws.

Wait for the earrings to cool completely. Use a fine sandpaper to clean up the edges of the earring pieces. If you'd like to give the earrings a shiny finish, you can apply a coat of satin/gloss glaze or UV Resin to the surface with a toothpick and dry/cure.

Attach an earring hook to each eye screw by opening the bottom of the earring hook with jewelry pliers and then closing them again once they've been attached.

Make sure to pair each set of earrings with one red and one blue piece! This tutorial is actually really simple to make multiple sets of earrings all at once to gift or sell to every Nintendo Switch fan you know.

I can't say enough how much I love this pair of Polymer Clay Nintendo Switch Earrings! Whenever I wear them, I get so many compliments on them. They are such a fun gamer accessory, and an even better gift idea for fellow Nintendo fans! If you try making some of these earrings, I would love to see them! Leave me a comment, or tag a photo on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! #AFMcrafts

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