To achieve great results, it's essential to have the right tools. It is recommended to prepare:
Cutting Knife Set (with different shaped blades), rolling pin, and a set of shaping tools. I like to keep an old toothbrush in my toolbox for creating special texture effects. I suggest using a silicone work mat as it is non-stick and easy to clean, with a size of at least A3 for convenient handling.
Three commonly available types of clay in the market:
1. Low-Temperature Ceramic Clay: Requires baking for shaping, suitable for complex designs.
2. Air-Dry Clay: Hardens naturally and is suitable for flat designs.
3. Resin Clay: High transparency, suitable for imitation jewelry.
I recommend beginners start with Japanese brand PADICO, as it has more stable extensibility and color depth.
In addition to regular glitter and gold leaf, try these:
▸ Tea leaves for creating vintage textures.
▸ Coffee filter paper for embossing.
▸ Parts disassembled from old jewelry.
Key point: all additives must be heat-resistant, and avoid heating metal components in the oven!
Freshly opened clay needs to be kneaded thoroughly until it's as soft as an earlobe. Here's a tip: place the clay between baking paper and use a rolling pin to press it, which can quickly soften it without making your hands sticky. If the temperature is low, you can knead it using a warm water bag to speed up the softening process.
I recommend three special techniques:
1. Hollow Carving: Use a syringe to extrude fine strips.
2. Gradient Mixing: Spiral twist after stacking different colored clays.
3. Biomechanical Textures: Use mesh or lace fabric to imprint patterns.
Important Note: Keep the humidity of your workspace while shaping, and use a spray bottle with water to adjust the clay's condition at any time.
Install the ear pins before baking:
① Use a conical tool to puncture at a 45-degree angle.
② Insert copper wire and apply glue to secure it.
③ Wrap a thin layer of clay over it for finishing touches.
This treatment enhances the load-bearing capacity of the ear pins by three times, tested and proven effective!
Different brands have varying baking temperatures:▸ Sculpey III: 130℃/15 minutes
▸ Fimo Professional: 110℃/30 minutes
Remember: it’s better to use low temperature for an extended time than to risk increasing the temperature! From my experience: a 5℃ difference caused a batch of my works to deform.
Don't rush to process after baking:
1. Allow to cool naturally for 2 hours.
2. Sand the edges with 600-grit sandpaper.
3. Apply UV adhesive for reinforcement (cure in sunlight for 3 minutes).
After this treatment, the earrings can be washed with water without any issues.
Tips for taking beautiful Instagram-style photos:
▸ Use natural light by the window at 10 AM.
▸ Background can be a concrete board or coarse burlap.
▸ Match the nail polish color with the jewelry for reference.
Try shooting from a 45-degree angle; this angle best showcases the three-dimensional aspect.
Effective product description structure:
Pain Point + Solution + Usage Scenario
Example:
Do your earrings often snag on your hair?
Our streamlined design + food-grade coating.
Comfortable to wear all day on gym dates.
Recommended weekly posting rhythm:
Monday: Short video of the making process.
Wednesday: Photos of customers wearing the pieces.
Friday: Live Q&A interaction.
Key point: Post consistently from 8-9 PM to increase engagement by 70%!
Tip: Regularly wipe the surface of your work with petroleum jelly to maintain its shine as if new!