For our first Bead Camp project we are creating pendants using wildflowers. The pendants were fashioned after Wedgwood pottery and cameos. We’ll cover ideas and techniques to incorporate your pendants into French-inspired assemblage jewelry.

  • Create molds from wildflowers

  • Composition and design for pendants

  • Painting and finishing to create faux ceramic pendants

  • Designing assemblage jewelry

  • Transform vintage components

  • Creative uses for buttons

  • Embellishing with cup chain

Vintage Jewelry Components: For our stash-busting project we are using vintage jewelry components. If you don’t have any pieces hidden way in your jewelry box or studio - ask your family & friends (you’d be surprised!), check out yard sales and resale shops for bargain bags of misc. jewelry parts.

Be on the look out for chunky chains, chain with decorative links, brooches, single earrings, buckles, buttons, components with rhinestones.

Supply List

Polymer Clay Wildflower Impressions Pendants:

  • 2 2oz blocks of Premo clay - white

  • 2 2oz blocks of Sculpey III clay - white

  • 2 2oz blocks for Premo clay (any color) OR scrap clay mixed into one color

  • Acrylic roller

  • Mini hand-held drill or pin vise with 1.5mm drill bit

  • Acrylic craft chalk paint 2oz bottles - Waverly (Walmart) or Folk Art (Michaels & Hobby Lobby) - white, cream, dark brown and 2-3 colors

  • Paint brushes for acrylic paint - This is a good set with large, medium flat and skinny liner brushes.

  • 400 grit sand paper

  • Matte sealer - recommended: Swellegant, Mod Podge or Liquitex

  • Oven, backing sheet (dedicated to clay), oven thermometer, piece of card stock

  • Optional: oval or rectangle bezels

Assemblage Jewelry:

Shop your stash! Look for vintage jewelry and components to upcycle.

Beads: Glass Pearls, Czech glass beads that have a vintage flair (dahlia, cathedral, drops)

Findings: 20 gauge wire, chain, eye pins, jump rings

Tools: jewelry pliers and wire cutters, flat jewelry file, metal hole punch

Optional: Cup chain and Apoxie clay - for frames around pendants and embellishing vintage components - current best deal at Michaels.com with 40% coupon