Tile Earrings

Modern materials make interesting and instructive ceramic art education projects easy and fun. Polymer clay is a new material, invented during World War II, which lends itself to many ceramic applications. Not a mineral clay at all, polymer clay is a form of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) with plasticizing agents to make it soft and workable until it is baked at low temperatures, such as those of an ordinary kitchen oven. As a rule of thumb, polymer clay objects should be baked at between 265° – 275° F (129° – 135° C) for fifteen minutes per quarter-inch (6 mm) thickness. Polymer clays are naturally translucent but can be made more opaque by the addition of white china clay or kaolin. Metallic or pearlescent type effects can be obtained by adding mica. Thus the basic material lends itself to many ceramic art education techniques.

At primary school levels hand shaped sculptures can be created easily and fired in an oven for permanence. Younger children also enjoy making buttons, beads, and other jewelry items such as earrings, pendants, and barrettes. Not only can basic ceramic working skills be taught with these simple projects, but the children derive much satisfaction creating gift items for family members and friends with their own skills and imaginations. In addition to the traditional polymer clay which remains pliant until baked at low temperature, there are also polymer air dry clays which don’t even require an oven to harden.

Middle and upper school students enjoy more advanced projects such as tile-making, and covering existing objects made of other materials, such as cardboard, metal, and glass. Polymer clay is easy to work with simple tools found around the house, such as knives, needles, rubber stamps, scissors; and the use of extruders makes it possible to create many interesting shapes. Some project ideas for making useful and gift items include vases, candy bowls, votive candle holders, cold drink holders, switch plates, jewelry boxes, knick-knack shelves, napkin holders, salt and pepper wells and shakers, chess and other game pieces, toy animals, picture frames, album covers, and many more. Small flat pieces of baked polymer clay can be used to make mosaics, collages, and basic reliefs as well as incorporated into paintings, since they can be decorated with paint, colored pencils, ink, chalk, glitter or foil, either applied either on the surface or as inclusion. Acrylic painting on the surface of polymer clay bonds with it upon baking. Polymer clay can pick up and preserve photographs and other images from magazine and newspaper pages. Pasta machines can be used in working with polymer clay to create unique color gradients in thin polymer clay sheets, which can be used in conjunction with slump, drape or hump molds to create serving platters, trays, bowls, and boxes.

For a great library of ceramic art education ideas, check out AMACO’s website. You’ll find lots of projects for all ages in working with polymer clay and other air dry clays, as well as a complete catalog of ceramic-making supplies.

What would you call this…?

I am going to try to make earrings out of scrabble tiles but I didn’t want to drill a hole into the tile. I found this picture: http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.113930468.jpg
what would you call this piece of hardware (the one that looks like an “8″) and where could I buy it? Ebay, probably.
Thanks!

LOL, I’ve always just thought of them as those figure-8 clasp parts, since I’ve bought them individually at bead stores. But guess they may actually just be one half of a “hook and eye clasp” though other shapes can also be the “eye” part.:

http://images.google.com/images?q=hook+and+eye+clasp

I saw one place that referred to them as “soldered rings” but that doesn’t seem to be a common designation.

You could also use various “bails” (glue on, or squeeze on) if you didn’t want to make any holes at all, or even glue on a coil or tube, etc, or you could make many of those things yourself from wire:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/wire.htm > Basic Wire Shapes, perhaps
…and some with bails: http://images.google.com/images?q=Scrabble+tile+pendant
(one of the glue-on types: http://www.pendantpixie.co.uk/scrabblebackview.jpg )

HTH

Designs By Annette Scrabble Tile Earrings…

SCRABBLE TILE MOVIE CLAPPER STUD EARRINGS (ST019d) $7.99

TAKE TIME TO LAUGH SCRABBLE TILE ART PENDANT EARRINGS CHARM CRAFTS PROJECTS $5.95

KITTY SCRABBLE TILE ART PENDANT EARRINGS CHARM CRAFTS PROJECTS HELLO KITTY CAT $5.95

Pair Stainless Steel Brown Tiles Post Stud Earrings 13Z $6.49

Simply Vera Wang Jet Tone Chain Mail Black Tile Earrings NEW! $14.40

Dragonfly Eiffel Tower Glass Tile Pendant Earring 606/7 $24.95

Vintage Necklace Bracelet Earrings Set Pretty Pastel Pink White Tiles $99.00

Blue Jay Glass Tile Pendant & Earrings Set Pierced or Clip on 133 $24.95

SCRABBLE TILE ALTERED ART SKULL DANGLE EARRINGS (ST004) $7.99

My Little Pony Friendship is Magic Applejack and Rainbow Scrabble Tile Earrings $4.50

Handmade Scrabble Tiles Earrings (any letter) $6.27

Black Widow Spider Glass Tile Halloween Earrings, Dangle $9.95

Vintage THB Porcelain Tile Queen of Hearts & Ace of Clubs Clip On Earrings $11.97

Mexican Folk Art Mini TALAVERA TILE Earrings WHITE Artisan Boho Cloisonne Enamel $12.49

EARRINGS VINTAGE GOLD TILES DANGLE WITH SCREW BACKS $59.99

Fine Art Vermeer Girl With a Pearl Earring Iron Trivet $12.95 We are certain that you will be completely delighted and satisfied with our product. Each trivet has 4 protective rubber feet for safe usage on the countertop. All purchased Items will arrive via USPS and a the tracking # will be sent to you. We also offer matching Drawer Knobs, Nightlights, Mousepads, Sponges, Wall Tiles, Outlet Covers, Double Size Switchplates, Triple Size Switchplates, Rocker G…

MK Diamond 158252 MK-145 1/2-Horsepower 4-1/2-Inch Wet Tile Saw $99.00 Mk Diamond 158252 MK-145 Benchtop Tile SawMk Diamond 158252 MK-145 Benchtop Tile Saw Features:; Saw is designed for small jobs, but delivers results a professional would expect ; Made specifically for the do-it-yourselfer; Lightweight compact saw has everything needed to cut kitchen, bath, and floor tile; Built-in miter table allows for the cutting of precision 22; and 45; miter corners; High torq…

2.0mm Diamond Drill Bit – 10 Pack (Made In USA) $17.50 Lasco’s diamond coated drills work great for cutting 2.0mm holes in stone, glass, wood, tile, metal, and more. They are great for making holes for jewelry, including beads, pendants, and earrings….