Fabulous, Fantastic, and Frugal Friday - Gift No.1 - Monogrammed Clay Pendants

Our first gift is a very simple project. In fact, it's so simple that my 8 year old daughter's turned out as good as mine! You may have seen similar items at craft fairs and boutiques. So what is this project that sounds so simple? Clay necklace pendants. Simple... frugal... and very fabulous!

First, start with some clay. You can use air dry clay, clay fired in a kiln, or a polymer clay - such as Sculpey. I used an air dry clay because that's what I had on hand. This big lump was $6.99 in a local craft store.

Roll it out to the same thickness for a professional look. Easy enough, right? Well, here is a trick. Take two wood slats and put the clay in between them. Use a dowel to roll the clay, making sure the dowel sits on the slats. This will make the clay the same thickness as the wood slats.

After rolling out the clay, use your slats as a guide to cut perfect squares. Lay the slat one way and cut down the edge of the slat; then lay the slat the opposite way and cut down the side of the slat again.

You will end up with this.

Then use a rubber stamp or anything you have handy to make an impression. I used a set of small rubber stamps that had letters and shapes. After that, make a hole where you would like the pendant to hang from. Be sure to check the back of the pendant to make sure the opening is smooth and won't scratch. Run your finger across the back to smooth it out, if needed.

Dry your pendant as specified on your clay. Paint, lacquer, or apply any other finish that you would like. You will put the clay back into the kiln if you are glazing.

Then get your jump rings ready. Jump rings are just wire bent into circles. I bought the whole bag above at a craft store for $2. Feel free to make your own if you prefer. Open the jump rings with needle nose pliers and thread the ring onto the tile.

Now close the jump ring and cut a bit of string that is long enough to go around a neck and tie a bow. Put the ribbon through the jump ring and here is what you have.

You can even include a few different ribbons to change out the look.

Don't forget to present it like the fine piece of handmade jewelry that it is.

Happy Gift Giving!

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