Baby Footprint Pendant

How to Make a One of a Kind Pendant

How to Make a Polymer Clay Baby Footprint or Handprint Pendant

Make a unique and memorable gift for the new mom with polymer clay and Lazertran Decals.

What new mom would not be delighted with this precious keepsake pendant?

The pendant measures 1 1/8 inches across. It is made from polymer clay. The baby's foot or handprints are scans of the actual prints reduced to fit the pendant.

Optionally, you can add the baby's birthstone to the center.

Pendant Materials

1 sheet (or small scrap of) Lazertran Waterslide Decal (Inkjet or Laserjet depending on your computer printer)
Scanned image of baby's foot or handprints
Small rhinestone in birthstone color (optional)
Magic-Glos Resin Glue
Sculpey Polymer Clay (Example uses Translucent 010)
10 mm (1/2 inch) silver jump ring (I didn't have one large enough, so made one with the Beadalon Jump Ring Maker
Krylon Crystal Clear spray

Tools Needed

Graphic design software (I used Photoshop but Photoshop Elements or even a greeting card program like PrintShop can be used.)
Scissors
2 plastic or Teflon sheets for working the clay
Circular "cookie" cutter (I used Makin's Circle Clay Cutters - the 1 3/16-in size circle)
Bead Reamer (or other tool such as a darning needle for forming jump ring hole and birthstone indentation)
Small piece of aluminum foil and baking pan
Oven
Cushioned nail file and filing block
Jeweler's pliers (2 pair)

How to Make the Pendant

Graphic Design

Open a blank document in your graphic software.

Create a white circle with a one pixel black outline exactly 1 1/8-inch wide to mark your design space.

Insert the scanned prints. I did mine (or my son's I should say) separately to have flexibility in placement. I angled them outward a tiny bit and placed one slightly in front of the other for design interest.

Add text in your choice of font.

Print onto Lazertran decal paper.

If you are using a new sheet, position the circle at the top left just inside the margin. You can use the rest another time.

If using a scrap of Lazertran, use a glue stick to position the scrap on a plain piece of computer paper in order to run it through the printer.

Polymer Clay

Wash hands first and often while working. Since the clay will not be painted, you want to keep it pristine.

Roll a small ball of Sculpey between the palms of your hands. Flatten slightly. Lay flattened disk on a sheet of smooth plastic. (I've used plastic report covers.)

Lay second plastic sheet (smooth side down) atop the flattened disk and press down as evenly as possible until you have a disk that is 1/4-inch thick and slightly wider than your cutter.

Use the cutter to cut the pendant. Peel away any excess clay.

Use the bead reamer to make a hole for the jump ring.

Flip the disk and insert the bead reamer from the back to even out the hole. You don't want to handle the disk too much before baking and risk misshaping it.

If the hole needs to be made larger for the jump ring, it is easier to ream it out more after baking.

If you plan to place a birthstone, make a small indentation with the bead reamer or the stone itself. Be sure the placement will work with your design.

Preheat oven to 275 F.

Place the disk on a small clean piece of foil and place that on a baking sheet or pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Turn off oven and let piece cool 10 minutes before removing it.

The polymer will harden as it cools, but is quite delicate when just out of the oven. I let my pieces cool to room temperature before touching.

When the pendant has cooled completely, remove any rough edges or unevenness using the cushioned nail file and block. I gave a slight bevel to the top edge.

Ream out the jump ring hole further as needed. Do the same for the rhinestone indentation.

Assemble the Pendant

Cut out the decal. Set it in small dish of water and wait for it to uncurl.

Lift from the water. Slide the decal off its backing sheet and position on the pendant. Dab with a tissue to press down and remove excess water. Let dry.

If you used Lazertran Inkjet decals, you'll notice that the clear areas turned white as they dried. Not to worry; the next step will clear that all up ;-)

In a well-ventilated area, spray two or three coats of Krylon Crystal Clear over all sides of the pendant, letting each coat dry in between. On the pendant's face, the Krylon will make the white areas transparent. I recommend coating both sides so the piece will be easy to clean.