Let’s Pretend it’s Spring….. Saturday I bought our first little strawberry seedling. Full of promise. (Mmmm … strawberries!) Completely inspired, but can’t wait for it to bloom. So, we made these adorable strawberry earrings.
How to Make Fruit Shaped Beaded Earrings
- Self-drying clay
- Round-nosed pliers
- Acrylic or kids paint
- (gloss medium optional)
- Bead making pins
- Earring findings
- Needle or tooth pick
Materials Needed
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. take a bit of clay and shape it roughly into what might be a small strawberry shape … or pear shape, or apple shape, or banana shape… what ever fruit you fancy..
2. Stick in a jewelry pin with head in the center of each bead.
3. For strawberry earrings, berry pendant or bracelet charm, take a needle or tooth pick and, at an angle, dig little lob-sided holes into the clay. Go all around the bead. See picture for desired shape. This gives you a realistic texture so that it will look like a real strawberry, even if you paint it with just one color.
Painting Your Clay Beads
4. Mix a bit of red, white and a tiny tat of orange or yellow paint to get a happy strawberry color that’s not too bright and will match your sunny outfits. Holding onto the pin in each bead, paint all around. Let it dry on some plastic.
After a few minutes, pick it up. The side of your bead that touched your drying surface will look a bit like the clay bead on the left. Just paint that side of the strawberry again, so that the color of the whole bead is even.
Of course, lay it on the other, non-repainted side now, so that the whole bead will dry evenly. Alternatively, you could make a loop in each bead earlier and hang them up to dry….
5. Let the bead dry a bit.
6. For strawberry beads, add a dap of green paint to the top of each bead. Let it dry a bit more.
8. If you have a bit of acrylics gloss medium, I would add a layer of this for shine and strength. Alternatively use a bit of red glitter glue. You’ll need additional drying time. Slick on the image with the two fruit beads side by side to see the difference between a painted bead (on the left) and the added shimmer from the glitter glue on the right. Go for the latter for extra fun and whimsy.
Making Fruit Earrings
Optional: add one or more beads to the pin before closing it with a loop, using round nosed jewelry pliers. I did not do this.
10. Last, attach your new strawberry clay beads to earring findings by slightly opening your finding, sliding on the loop of the strawberry and closing it again, using jewelry pliers. See here, at this Tutorial for Crystal Angel Earrings.
Other Fruit Beads
Adjust colors of your paints and complementary beads to the fruit you are choosing.This is an easy craft that can be done with young children grade 1-5. Girls love making their own jewelry…. and of course, Barbie’s jewelry…. However, I suggest you & the kids choose making such tiny versions of these beads only after you’ve first made some that you/they can easily hold in your/their hands.
Jewelry Making Tip
These fruity beads also make great charms for friendship bracelets. If you make them a bit larger, they can be fun, handmade pendant for a necklace too.
