Polymer Toggle Clasp

• 1oz Black polymer clay
• Roller, brayer, or pasta machine
• Acrylic paint: red and champagne (and small paint brush)
• Craft knife and template (or heart-shaped cutters 1¾" wide, and 1½" wide)
• Pencil or bamboo dowel
• Ceramic tile or baking pan
• Varnish
• Various items for making impressed designs (buttons, stamps, etc.)
• Sanding materials, 400 and 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper (See Sanding)
• Misc. items: Oven or toaster oven, piece of paper, wax paper

Materials for the Necklace

• Nylon coated bead stringing wire (.012" diameter)
• Assorted glass beads, 4-10mm shapes (made up largely of size °6 seeds)
• About 5grms of seed beads, matching color
• Toggle clasp from above
• 4 crimp beads
• Flat nosed pliers
• Wire cutters
• Measuring tape
• Good lighting

1. Make a paper template of the heart shape out of a folded piece of paper so that it will be symmetrical. Cut out the shape, and then cut the middle out leaving a 1/4" margin.
   
   
2. Make a template for the toggle part of the clasp. The bar part should be at least 1/4" wide and needs to be at least as long as the widest part of the clasp (1¾").
   
   
3. Condition the clay. Roll out into a sheet 1/8" thick and wide enough to fit your template. Use various items to impress designs into the clay.
   
   
4. Place the templates over the clay and cut out with a craft knife. Hold the blade sraight up so the edges will be straight. Smooth the edges a little, but don't worry about them edges being ragged, sanding will take care of that later.
   
   Step 3
   
   
   
5. Use a pencil to make a large hole in the end part.
   
   Step 5
   
   
   
6. Place the clay onto a piece of wax paper. Squeeze small amounts of the acrylic paint onto another piece of wax paper. With a small brush, dabble paint onto the clay letting the colors mix together. Don't worry about covering every area. Let the pieces dry for a minute and then turn them over and paint the other side. Let dry for 15 minutes.
   
   Step 6
   
   
   
7. Baking: Place the clasp pieces onto a ceramic tile or baking sheet. Place them into the oven and bake according to the package directions.
   
   
8. When the pieces are baked and cooled, sand them to smooth the edges and to remove paint from the raised designs. Use 400 and then 600 grit. Sand over a bowl of water, repeatedly wetting the paper rather than submersing the whole thing in water.
   
   
9. Finishing: Varnish to bring up the shine. The paint is baked into the clay and is pretty durable so varnishing isn't totally neccessary.
   
   **Use the left over clay to make a few matching beads.**

The necklace consists of four strands of beads. A short necklace length is best as the toggle can fall apart if there is too much ease in the strands.


1. Cut two 19" lengths of nylon beading wire. On one wire string enough seed beads to comfortably wrap around the toggle end. String a large bead, go through the hole in the toggle and come back through the large bead.
   
   Step 1
   
   
   
2. Continue by stringing large beads randomly in groups, separated by groups of seed beads. String for about 15".
   
   Step 2
   
   
   
3. When you get to the end string a crimp bead, string enough seed beads to comfortably wrap around the heart and bring the wire back through the crimp. String the end of the wire back through a few more beads. Pull the wire tight so that the beads are snug and no wire shows. Use crimping pliers or flat-nosed pliers to close the crimp.
   
   Repeat for the other end.
   
   Step 3
   
   
   
4. String the second wire through the end of the toggle as in step 2. Continue stringing, repeat steps 2-3 to finish.
   
   Step 4
   
   
   
5. When all four wire strands have been attached to the heart trim any wire ends flush to the beads.
   
   Step 5
   
   
   Alternative ways to wear the Necklace: You can also wear this necklace as shown in the picture below, with the toggle part of the clasp behind your neck. Also, you could add a bead dangle or two around the bottom of the heart part of the clasp to add more movement.