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Easy Wine Glass Charms Polymer Clay Tutorial
Do you love to entertain and host dinner parties? Are you looking for a unique and useful hostess gift? Learn how to make wine glass charms to hand out to your party guests or to give as a gift.
Wine glass charms are very useful in helping your guests keep track of their drinks at large family gatherings and parties. No more mixed-up drinks or trying to remember where you put your drink down. Everyone just has to remember the color and shape of their charm.
Make Wine Glass Charms For A Party Or As A Gift
These pretty wine glass charms are so easy and fun to make, you will never want to buy them again! With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, now is the perfect time to make a set of heart wine glass charms for a romantic dinner party, a girl’s night out, or for the special ladies in your life.
I made these charms using oven-baked clay, a mini cookie cutter, and a few jewelry-making supplies. I like to use Sculpey polymer clay because I find it the easiest and softest to work with and it never dries out. You can buy either white clay and tint it yourself or buy a package of assorted pre-mixed colors. The clay I used for these charms was made by tinting white polymer clay with a variety of oil paints using a clay conditioning machine.
Whether you are making 5 or 100, these DIY wine glass charms are super easy and fun to make, even the most novice crafter can make them. I like to make a few sets at once to have on hand to give as gifts. Instead of just bringing a bottle of wine as a hostess gift to the next dinner party you are invited to, add a set of wine glass charms to make it more personal and special.
Supplies Needed For Making Wine Glass Charms
Gather all your supplies and decide how many charms you would like to make. You will need one color of clay and beads per charm. You will also need a few jewelry-making supplies including earring hoops, jump rings, and eye pins including a 3-in-1 jewelry tool to open and close the jump rings. You will need an acrylic roller and a clay mat for rolling out the clay. If you don’t have a mat, waxed paper works well. You will also need a mini-shaped cookie cutter and a texture stamp if you want an imprint on your charms.
I have included links to Amazon with the best prices available on all the materials and tools I used.
Materials:
- Polymer clay, assorted colors
- Earring hoops or wine charm rings
- Jump rings
- Eye pins
- Plastic or wooden beads
- Sculpey glaze
Tools:
- 3-in-1 jewelry tool
- Texture rubber stamp
- Mini heart cutter
- Paintbrush
- Acrylic roller
- Polymer clay mat
- Clay conditioning machine (optional)
How To Make Wine Glass Charms – Instructions
Follow along with our easy pictorial instructions and you will learn how to make wine charms in no time! Making wine charms is so much fun, and after you get the hang of it, you might like to try making different shapes for different themes.
1. Condition The Polymer Clay
Polymer clay needs to be conditioned well before you begin working with it. I use a clay conditioning machine, but you can also condition the clay by hand or even an old pasta machine. Condition the clay until it is soft, smooth, and pliable.
2. Roll Out The Clay To A 1/2″ Thickness
Roll out a small ball of clay to a 1/2″ thickness using an acrylic roller. If you don’t own an acrylic roller, using the side of a plastic container works just as well. I wouldn’t recommend using a wooden rolling pin because I find the clay tends to stick.
3. Press A Texture Stamp Into The Clay
Press a texture stamp into the clay. I used a floral stamp, but any design would work. To add a layer of color to your charms, press the stamp onto a complimenting color of ink before pressing into the clay.
4. Cut Out Shapes With A Mini Cookie Cutter
Cut one charm from each color of clay using a small heart cutter. Carefully remove the excess clay from the cut-out. To avoid distorting the heart charm, I lift my craft mat and slowly peel the hearts off.
5. Insert Eye Pins Into The Tops Of The Wine Glass Charms
Snip the eye pins to approximately 1/2″ and insert them into the tops of the hearts so that the bottom of the eye hole sits snug in the clay. Bake the clay hearts in an oven or toaster oven according to the instructions on the package of clay you are using. Since I used Sculpey clay, I baked these in a 275-degree oven for 15 minutes, but FIMO and other brands have different baking times and temperatures.
6. Apply A Layer Of Glaze To The Charms
Next, you will need to add a layer of protection to the charms with a finishing glaze. The glaze not only makes them pretty and shiny but makes them more durable and waterproof. If you don’t plan on using a whole bottle of polymer clay glaze, I would recommend you rummage through your household supplies for alternatives. You can use mod podge, floor wax, car wax, outdoor polyurethane sealer, or even clear nail polish instead.
7. Add A Jump Ring And Beads To An Earring Hoop
While you are waiting for the glaze to dry, choose one color of beads per wine charm to match your clay hearts. Place the beads and one jump ring on the earring hoop. I really love the bright and vibrant colors of the Melissa and Doug wooden beads that I found in my daughter’s bead collection. I paired them with a couple of black beads which makes the colors really pop out.
8. Hook The Eye Pin Onto The Jump Ring And Close
Using the jewelry tool, open the jump ring, attach the heart charm and close the jump ring back up. My 3-in-1 jewelry tool has a jump ring closer which makes this piddly job super easy.
Finish adding the heart charms to the rest of the earring hoops. Now, all that is left to do is to invite a few friends over to share good times and laughs over a bottle of wine. Put the charms on a little tray and allow your guests to pick out a charm to use on their wine glass for the duration of the night.
Why not make a set for yourself and a set for a friend? These make wonderful and thoughtful homemade gifts for wine lovers, especially when paired with a bottle of wine.
Quick Links To All The Materials And Tools I Use For Making Wine Glass Charms
Clay Rolling Machine
Craft Mat3 In 1 Jewelry PliersAcrylic Clay RollerSculpey Glossy GlazeSculpey III Oven Bake Polymer ClaySilver Plated Earring Hoops4mm Silver Plated Open Jump Rings2″ Silver-Plated Open Eye PinsGraduated Heart Cookie CuttersFlourish Texture Stamp KitMelissa & Doug Wooden Bead Set
If You Enjoyed This Tutorial, You May Also Enjoy Our How To Make Polymer Clay Heart Bookmarks Tutorial Too!!
Go To Tutorial
Did you find this tutorial on how to make wine glass charms helpful? Is this a project you would consider tackling? Would you like to receive a set of handmade wine glass charms as a gift?
