10 Things You Can Make with Polymer Clay Cutters That Aren’t Earrings

Are you a polymer clay artist that specializes in handmade earrings that wants to branch out? Maybe you’re just starting to work with polymer clay but don’t want to make earrings. Whatever the case may be, this blog is designed to give you ideas to polymer clay alternatives to earrings that you can make yourself.

Polymer clay earrings are beautiful but they might not be for everyone.

I am going to preface the list by stating that these ideas are all ideas that can be utilized with polymer clay cutters and will not be sculpture ideas. While there are probably millions of things you could sculpt out of clay, this blog is going to focus on the things that can be made with cutters because that is just how I prefer to use clay. That way I can make sure each piece is the same size and are uniform across the board and since I sell so many pairs of earrings and make everything by hand, it needs to be efficient.

Now, let’s get into the good stuff.

Trinket dishes

Trinket dishes were one of the very first things I ever made out of clay. I used the bottom of a bowl to mark the shape I needed, I’d cut the circle out with an X-acto knife, and then mold the circle onto the bottom of an upside-down muffin tin. The edges would be wavy and flared which created a really unique look. Now there are lots of larger polymer clay cutters that work perfectly for trinket dishes.

Hair clips

One of my first clay trinket dishes. I cut a circle out of clay and baked it on an upside down muffin tray to create the bowl shape. Very easy and cost effective with no cutters or extras needed.

Polymer clay hair clips are becoming super so cutters have been pretty easy to find. There are many shapes, sizes, and designs to choose from. We recently started making cute floral hair clips and they always add such a cute vibe to my booth. I find that many little girls want some of my earrings but don’t have their ears pierced so hair clips are a much better option for them.

Toppers for Stanley cups

I have personally never made Stanley cup toppers because I don’t use a Stanley cup, but I have seen so many creators make these look super fun. It’s such a unique way to make your cup stand out from the others.

Small decor

I haven’t gotten into making decor yet but I have seen creators make a lot of different kinds of decor like polymer clay mirrors, wall hangings and signs, and more. I’d love to get larger cutters to make mirrors out of polymer clay. I am picturing a simple flower shape cut out of clay and then a round mirror glued to the center of the flower. Or something similar to that with a simple shape and getting letter stamps to add a quote or message to the clay to hang as wall decor.

Magnets

Magnets are really easy because you can use pretty much any clay cutter size and it will be perfect. I typically make magnets from the same cutters I make my earrings out of so people who can’t or don’t wear earrings can still walk away with something cute AND functional.

Bookmarks

Polymer clay bookmarks are getting super popular right now. I have never made any because I’m concerned about damaging books so I haven’t gotten any cutters yet. I do plan on trying to make thin bookmarks with pretty patterns and testing them to offer hopefully this summer. Who doesn’t love a functional art piece?

Plant sticks

A polymer clay magnet made out of an earring sized clay cutter.

Polymer clay is waterproof so making a plant stick would be super cute. You could make the whole thing out of clay or you could make just the sign part and use metal or treated wood for the stick. Your plants would look so cute with custom name tags.

Gift Tags/Ornaments

Similarly to the wall decor idea with the stamps, you could make cute holiday and birthday gift tags out of polymer clay so you can reuse them every year. The recipients are sure to feel special with such beautiful and thoughtful gift tags instead of the usual paper sticker ones. Since everyone loves personalized holiday ornaments and polymer clay is the perfect material to make them with, you have to give it a try. There are so many options and different ways to customize them that you’ll never get bored.

Coasters

Since polymer clay is waterproof, youn can use it to make drink coasters. I personally would use a trinket dish cutter and skip out on some details that could make the surface of the clay raised. I would bake it in a way that ensures a flat bottom and slightly raised edges so any condensation stays in the coaster similarly to how I bake my trinket dishes.

Keychains

Keychains are always fun and polymer clay is pretty durable under normal use. Try making some polymer clay keychains. Just punch a hole for the keyring to go through before baking and make it extra thick for stability and you should be good!

If you sell handmade items, expanding beyond earrings could help you reach a broader audience. Trinket dishes, hair clips, and keychains make great gifts and can appeal to people who might not typically wear earrings.

By using your existing polymer clay cutters in new ways, you maximize your materials and stand out in the handmade market. Try some of these ideas and see what works best for your style!

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