Volcanic Rock Pendant Tutorial

Materials:

Wooden tiles (like these Unfinished Wood 2 Inch Circles)

Wood Filler (I used this kind)

Black Paint (I used this kind)

Polymer Clay (I used Sculpey)

Detail Paint (I used a combination of Pebeo's Vitrail and Moon paints)

E6000 or other glue

Equipment:

Paint Brushes

Chopstick, craft stick, or putty knife

Optional Band Saw or Scroll Saw

Optional Drill

Optional Sander or sand paper

Overview:

(1) Shape and sand wooden base

(2) Use wood putty to add texture

(3) Make plants out of polymer clay

(4) Paint Black

(5) Paint moss/lichens

(6) Attach plants to pendant

Time to complete: 2 days

Introduction: I made a set of these pendants (and matching earrings) inspired by the rainforests in Volcano, Hawaii. I have been selling them on Etsy, and thought that a tutorial might be useful for those sorts who prefer to make things on their own. So, here you go!

Step 1: You can use the original shape of the wooden tiles, or you can shape them however you like. I used a band saw to reshape them a little. Sand the edges smooth. Depending on how smooth your wooden tiles are, you might need to rough up the front surface a little with sandpaper as well, since this will help the wood putty to bind.

I used a band saw to shape the wooden disks
to look a little less geometric.

Step 2: Use a wooden chopstick or plastic knife to cover the front of your tile with wood putty. It shouldn’t look too neat – keep the texture rough, and leave some empty spots and crevices. Just get a general shape – it’s not easy to add details at this point, but you will get there once it firms up a little.

Wooden bases with putty - keep it rough.

Step 3: Let the wood putty dry for 30 minutes to an hour. At this point it should be firm enough that you can use a toothpick to create some additional texture – make some more ridges or holes and make the surface look rough and rocky.

Step 4: Since you will probably need to let the putty cure overnight, this would be a good time to refocus your energy on making some miniature succulents out of polymer clay. There is no formula here - just get creative with little vines, leaves, seed pods, mushrooms, etc. Bake them according to the directions on your clay package, and let cool.

Step 5: After the wood putty is fully cured (24 hours for mine, but check the instructions on your brand), this is the time to drill a hole for the cord if you want to do so. You can skip this step if you are just planning to use a glue-on bail.

Pendant bases painted black

Step 6: Paint the entire surface black. I used spray paint – you could use something else. The spray paint was perfect for getting into all of the little crevices without smoothing over the surface or pooling in the low parts. Let the paint dry completely.

Patches of moss and lichens added using Pebeo paints

Step 7: Use a small brush to paint on some patches of moss and lichens. This will help to highlight the texture of the rock and add some additional color to complement the polymer clay additions.

Step 8: Play around with your polymer clay parts to find an arrangement that you like. Use E6000 (or similar adhesive) to secure the plants to the pendant base. Let the glue cure, 24 hours or according to package directions.