12 Polymer Clay Earring Mistakes and How to Fix Them
The mistakes behind brittle, lint-flecked, ragged, or lopsided polymer clay earrings, what each one looks like, and the fix for each.
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The 12 mistakes at a glance
| Mistake | What you see | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using a clay that is brittle when thin | Earrings snap in normal wear | Use a strong clay such as Premo, Souffle, Fimo, Kato, Cernit, or Pardo for anything thinner than 6 mm |
| Skipping conditioning | Cracks, bubbles, crumbly edges | Knead until the clay is smooth and pliable before you roll it |
| Working with clay that is too soft | Stretched shapes and fingerprints | Let it rest or chill it for a few minutes, and handle it with a light touch |
| A dusty workspace | Lint and specks baked into the surface | Wash hands and nails, wipe tools and the surface, and avoid touching clothing |
| Cutting on paper | Clay jams in the cutter and shapes distort | Cut on a glossy tile or glass |
| Leaving cutter edges rough | Ragged or flared edges | Peel the scrap away, then smooth the raw edge before baking |
| Poking holes in raw clay | Oval, torn, or off-center holes | Mark a dot and drill after baking with a small hand drill |
| Trusting the oven dial | Brown spots, or pieces that stay soft | Use an oven thermometer, the middle shelf, and a foil cover |
| Underbaking | Pieces that snap or mark under a fingernail | Bake at the package temperature for at least the full time |
| Baking on a glazed tile | Shiny patches or dents on the back | Bake on plain, unprinted paper |
| Gluing posts to a flat back | Posts that fall off | Embed the post in clay on the back, or use a gel superglue |
| Sanding to fix everything | Hours of sanding and a scratched face | Shape before baking, sand the edges only, and skip the sealer |
Clay and conditioning
Earrings are thin, and not every clay is strong when thin. A properly baked strong clay bends a little before it breaks. Softer beginner clays are often brittle at earring thickness, however well they are baked. Whatever you use, condition it fully, because poorly conditioned clay is prone to cracks and bubbles. If you see an air bubble in the rolled slab, open it with a fine needle or a blade and smooth it flat before you cut.
Cutting
Cut on a glossy tile so the clay grips the surface and not the cutter, and peel the scrap away from the shapes instead of lifting the shapes out. Then run a fingertip along each raw edge. That one pass replaces most sanding. How to use polymer clay cutters has the full sequence, and why clay sticks to cutters covers the release options.
Baking
Two baking mistakes account for most ruined batches: an oven that is not at the temperature on its dial, and pulling the pieces out too soon. An oven thermometer fixes the first. For the second, bake for at least the package time and test a cooled piece. How to bake polymer clay earrings lists temperatures and times by brand.
Finishing and findings
Posts glued to a flat back are the usual reason an earring comes apart. Embedding the post in the clay on the back before baking holds better than glue on a flat surface. If you do glue, use a gel superglue. Sand the edges only, and only as much as they need: how to sand and finish polymer clay earrings gives the grit order. Baked polymer clay does not need a sealer. Finally, look at the back of each piece before it leaves your table. Buyers do.
Before you bake: a quick check
- No lint, hairs, or fingerprints on the face.
- Edges smoothed while the clay is raw.
- Bubbles opened and flattened.
- Drill points marked, not poked through.
- Pieces on plain paper, not straight on a glazed tile.
- Oven thermometer in place and reading the package temperature.
- A foil cover ready to go over the pieces.
Make earring cutters in your sizes
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do my polymer clay earrings keep breaking?
- Almost always underbaking. Check the oven with a thermometer and bake for at least the package time. If they still snap, the clay itself may be a kind that is brittle when thin.
- How do I avoid fingerprints on polymer clay?
- Work with clay that is cool and firm, handle it with a light touch, and wear gloves if your hands run warm. Smooth any marks before baking.
- How do I keep lint out of polymer clay?
- Wash your hands and under your nails, wipe your tools and work surface, and avoid touching your clothes while you work. Sculpey also suggests waiting a couple of hours after vacuuming so the dust settles.
- Should I drill holes before or after baking?
- After. A small hand drill gives a round, clean hole in baked clay. Marking a dot in the raw clay gives you a guide.
- What polymer clay is strong enough for earrings?
- One that stays strong and slightly flexible when thin. Clay educators name Premo, Souffle, Fimo, Kato, Cernit, and Pardo.
- Do I need to seal polymer clay earrings?
- No. A sealer is only needed to protect a surface treatment such as glitter or chalk.
Planning sizes for a set? See the polymer clay earring size guide.
Sources: The Blue Bottle Tree, polymer clay earring mistakes and how flexible polymer clay should be. Sculpey, 6 things to avoid when baking polymer clay and how to prevent clay from sticking.