Polymer Clay Necklace Pendant Tutorial | Scrap Clay & Silkscreens

Learn one of my favorite scrap clay techniques and mix it up with a silk screen in this polymer clay necklace pendant tutorial.

I produce a lot of polymer clay scraps when I make canes. Finding ways to put those scraps to good use is fun and this scrap clay extruder technique is one of my favorites. This technique is not my original idea (to be honest, I don’t know who initially created the technique) but it’s one I use often. Silkscreens, on the other hand, aren’t something I use all that much but I do pull them out on occasion. And I’m very pleased with how the two paired together for this polymer clay necklace pendant tutorial!

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Although I’ve tried this scrap clay extruder technique with all kinds of different scrap combinations, I find I get the best results when I use scraps in the same color family. Too many contrasting colors can end up being a little muddy looking. Also, make sure there isn’t too much black in your scrap mix because it’ll end up taking over.

For the solid color parts of the pendant I’ve used one of the colors in the scrap mix but a complementary color would look great as well. Or black would give a good contrast if your scraps are bright. I love how bright colors pop off of black. Have fun and experiment with this polymer clay necklace pendant tutorial!

I like to use a thicker bodied acrylic paint when I’m using a silkscreen on polymer clay. The ones I’ve used for this tutorial are Artist’s Loft brand and I’m happy with the result. If you’re unsure about your acrylic paint be sure to try a test piece on some scrap clay beforehand.

Gather your supplies and let’s dive in to the polymer clay necklace pendant tutorial.

Tools & Materials | Polymer Clay Necklace Pendant Tutorial

• Non-porous work surface (I work on either glazed tile or glass)
• Pasta machine dedicated to polymer clay use (I use an Atlas 180 and will refer to the settings I use on my machine. If you don’t have a pasta machine an acrylic roller and some playing cards will do in a pinch, it’ll just take a little more work.)
• Polymer clay scraps
• Extra polymer clay in one of the shades found in your scraps
• Polymer clay blade(s)—I find a stiff blade works best for chopping clay & a sharp, flexible blade for shaving
• Polymer clay extruder
• 2” round shape cutter
• Silkscreen—I used this set
• Acrylic paint
• Parchment paper
• Burnishing tool—my favorites are either a stainless steel soap or an espresso tamper 
• Craft knife
• Acrylic rod
• Texture sponge
• Super glue
• Liquid clay
• 3 jump rings—1 x 12mm and 2 x 6mm
• Necklace cord of choice—I used 2mm buna cord
• Wet/dry sandpaper in 400, 600, 800, and 1200 grits, optional

Directions for Polymer Clay Necklace Pendant Tutorial

Gather up some clay scraps and chop them well using your stiffest blade. I find that scraps in the same color family work best for this technique as multiple different colors can sometimes get a bit muddy.

Gather up the chopped scrap clay and press it into a log. Make sure to squeeze the log tightly to press out all the air. Roll the clay into a smooth log that will fit into your clay extruder.

Load the extruder with the clay and extrude some noodles.

(If you use as much clay as I did you’ll have more noodles than you’ll need for this project. You can either simply use less clay to begin with or make something else with the noodles. This is one of my favorite scrap clay techniques and I often use it to make trinket dishes, for example.)

Begin by coiling one clay noodle on your work surface. Create some interest by folding the noodle back on itself a few times. Use a silicone tool to help press the clay into any corners you create.

If your noodle runs out before the piece is large enough for your cutter simply butt a new noodle up against the first one.

When your coiled piece is large enough burnish the noodles together using parchment paper and a burnishing tool. I’m using a stainless steel soap here, but I sometime use an espresso tamper, an acrylic rod, or simply a finger tip.

Using a sharp, flexible blade, shave off the top layer of clay. When you’re satisfied with the look burnish the piece again.

Cut out a circle using a 2” round cutter.

Silkscreen Printing on Polymer Clay

Condition a small piece of clay in one of the shades that went into the scraps. Sheet it to the same thickness as the scrap clay circle. In my case that was a no.3 thickness on my Atlas.

Keep the sheet of clay small, just a little larger than what you’ll need for the pendant. There’s no point in getting a bunch of paint on clay that you won’t use.

Before screen printing make sure to have a container of lukewarm water with a drop of dish soap close at hand. After you peel the screen off the clay you’ll want to immediately immerse it in the water. Dried paint will clog up the silkscreen and ruin it.

Place the part of the silkscreen design you want over the clay. Rub a finger tip over it to make sure it stays in place. Place a small blob of acrylic paint on the silkscreen and smear it with a plastic card or just use a finger tip. Peel off the silkscreen and place it in a container of water.

If you’re using more than one silkscreen, as I have, make sure the first layer of paint is dry before doing the second one. It dries fairly quickly so you don’t have to wait long.

When all the paint is dry trim away some of the clay using the silkscreened design as a guide. Placing the clay on a piece of parchment or other paper allows you to move the clay easily to guide the cut. Keep the discard piece! You’re going to need that in a moment.

(Alternatively, you could cut a straight line across the design if that would work better for your pattern.)

Building the Pendant and the First Bake

Place your scrap clay circle on a piece of parchment or other paper. Lay the silkscreened piece on the circle, making sure to keep the best part of the scrap pattern. Line the discard piece of silkscreened clay up to the good piece. Remove the good piece and use the discard piece as the pattern. Carefully cut along the line with a craft knife.

Tip: If you’re using a brand of clay that readily sticks to itself, lightly dust the circle of clay with cornstarch to prevent the layers of clay from sticking together.

Using the same color clay as the silkscreened piece, condition and sheet a piece on a thin setting (no.7). Lay the two pendant pieces together on the thin sheet of clay. Place a piece of parchment paper over top and lightly burnish everything together. Make sure the seam between the two pieces of clay is well adhered to each other before proceeding.

Cut the pendant out using the 2” round cutter.

Determine where the top of the pendant is. Using either a flexible blade or a large round cutter, cut off the top 3/8” or so.

Put the pendant on an index card or piece of copy paper and place on a baking tile. Tent the piece with foil and bake for 40 minutes at the recommended temperature for your brand of clay.

Backing Clay and the Second Bake

When the pendant has cooled smooth the edges with a quick sanding. I use an emery board for this type of quick sanding.

Put a small dot of liquid clay on the back of the pendent at the center top. Smoosh a small piece of clay into the liquid clay and press the 12mm jump ring into it. Make sure the split in the jump ring is in the clay so it gets covered! Check the front of the pendant for proper placement before proceeding with the backing clay.

Condition a piece of clay that’s the same color as the back of the pendant. Sheet it on a no.6 setting and texture using a texture sponge or a texture sheet, if you’d prefer.

Sponge or smear the back and sides of the pendant with liquid clay and place the backing clay. Make sure to press out and air pockets before wrapping the clay around the sides.

Use a craft knife to cut the clay to fit around the jump ring bail. I used a pointed silicone tool to press the clay around the jump ring and seal the cut lines.

Once the pendant it fully wrapped set it aside for about five minutes so the raw clay can begin bonding to the liquid clay. Use a craft knife to trim away the excess clay and touch up any spots that got smoothed out with the texture sponge.

Dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and remove any raw or liquid clay film from the face of the pendant.

Place the pendant back on your baking set up and tent with foil. Bake at the recommended temperature for your brand of clay for 30 minutes.

The Finishing Touches

When I use silkscreens I like to protect the paint with a thin layer of liquid clay. There are other options and some brands of paint don’t need this step but I like the extra protection.

Use a small piece of kitchen sponge to dab a thin layer of liquid clay over the silkscreened portion of the pendant. Clean up any liquid clay that’s spilled over onto the scrap clay portion with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol.

Bake again for 20 minutes, tented, and at the recommended temperature for your brand on clay.

Optional: Sand the scrap clay portion of the pendant with wet/dry sandpaper. This step isn’t necessary but I like the look of sanded and buffed polymer clay. And I like the textural difference between the smoothly sanded clay and the slightly rough liquid clay. After sanding I buffed the pendant on a clean cotton kitchen towel.

Add the two smaller jump rings to the larger jump ring bail and string the pendant on your desired stringing material. I used 2mm buna cord finished with stainless steel cord ends and extender chain.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this polymer clay necklace pendant tutorial. If you try it out please tag @bysandracallander on Instagram!

As always, if you have any questions or comments, I’m happy to hear from you.