Terracotta jewellery is known for its earthy vibes and a kind of charm that is rustic. Although it is rooted in traditions, now it is renewed as a trend which is sustainable. It is a combination of creativity, cultural living and tradition. The word terracotta means earth that is baked. It has a lightweight feel about it and has a lot of cultural and artisanal importance. The basic material of terracotta jewelry is clay. DIY Terracotta Jewelry Making with Natural Clays is ecologically friendly and is very commonly turned into different types of accessories like earrings, pendants, bangles, statement pieces for ethnic or bohemian outfits etc.
Materials Required
You do not need expensive equipment to get started. All you need is terracotta clay which is available in most art supply stores or online. You need a bottle or a rolling pin. You also need certain sculpting tools or a craft knife. Some clay modelling tools would be beneficial. You also need to make holes with a toothpick or needle tool. Moreover, you would also have to shape and design your piece of accessory with cookie cutters or shape templates. If you want to imprint something like your name, you require a stamp or a fabric with texture. Your jewellery should be smooth so you need sandpaper, oven, acrylic paints, varnish and paintbrushes.
The Process
Make sure that the surface you are working on is clean or flat. Knead the terracotta clay for ten to fifteen minutes so that it softens up completely. Use a rolling pin to roll the clay to three to five milimetres of thickness. Then you can use cookie cutters to create shapes like circles or ovals or teardrops etc. You can use stamps to imprint designs like any kind of flower or abstract shape or tribal patterns. If you wish, you can carve fine lines by yourself and you can attach small pieces of clay like dots or spirals or beads. Your pendant style designs should have a layering of textures.
At the end, you have to air-dry the clay for a day or two. Then you have to fire the clay at home before you can use it. Preheat the oven to two hundred to two hundred and fifty Celsius. Place your dry clay pieces which is lined with foil. You need it to bake it for at least forty minutes. Then turn the oven off and allow the pieces to cool down. Then you may use sandpaper to smooth the edges.
Additional Tips
DIY Terracotta Jewelry Making with Natural Clays will look better if you work fast as clay dries up very quickly. Keep it covered when you are not using it. Please remember that your first few pieces will not be perfect but you are going to improve with time. Terracotta jewellery will be porous even after sealing so keep it away from water. You can try to combine terracotta with wood, fabric or resin whenever you are trying it out the next time. You can create a marbled effect using a contrast of bright clay colors.
In conclusion, diy terracotta jewelry making with natural clays with allow you to personalize your jewelry into any kind of shape or texture that you want and it can be painted in a number of ways. Its rustic appearance makes it look unique from regular plastic or metal jewelry. It is a marriage of nature and creativity. No matter what kind of piece you create, it will tell a story. All it will require is a slight bit of patience, a bit of innovation and some minimal tools.
Author
Shreeja Mukherjee