So, which clay is used for terracotta jewellery? Well, terracotta literally means baked mud, it is made from natural earthen clay which is reddish – brownish in color. This clay is very fine which works great for making fine pieces of jewellery.  Terracotta is a low fire earthen secondary form of clay. Terracotta clay modeling is easy and simpler generally with a limited pair of tools. It is exciting art as one just need natural clay and very few tools with basic techniques. The clay is shaped and molded in various creative designs. This art form is pocket friendly with less budget. 

Terracotta jewellery making requires fewer supplies and good creativity. You can create your own jewellery of your choice and also you can paint this jewellery as per your choice matching your outfit. You can also try some abstract design using terracotta clay and give your jewellery a modern and trendy touch.

Which clay is used for terracotta jewellery? Let’s find out

Terracotta in Italian means baked earth. There are many types of clay to make jewellery but for terracotta jewellery, we use natural earthen mud which is of reddish-brown in color. Terracotta is a kind of clay and the pottery or ceramics fired from it. It is a secondary form of low fire clay. Basically secondary means a clay that has transported from its origin through water and laid down in layers. It collects the minerals on its way and contains a high amount of iron which gives the reddish color to it. This terracotta clay turns hard after baking.

Terracotta, terra cotta or terra-cotta a type of earthenware, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic, where the fired body is porous. Read more on Wikipedia…

What is terracotta clay made out of?

Terracotta is natural earthenware clay and its a name of low fire reddish clay. The word Terracotta comes from a Latin word which means baked or cooked earth. It is called “Terracotta” due to its reddish color which the clay gets during the process of firing oxidization due to the high content of iron in it.

Terracotta clay is secondary clay which means the clay has traveled from its origin through rainwater/wind collecting different minerals on its way. This clay gets deposited near lakes and gets dried during summer. This clay undergoes various tests to check the plasticity, shrinkage, and color of clay.

Where to get terracotta clay?

You can get ready to use packets of terracotta clay in stores or from a local potter. Also, you can get dried clay which can be used after adding water to it. But if you want to try to make clay of your own then you can collect the soil from the side of lakes or ponds. There are many different types of soils and to check how much clay is present in the soil you need to do simple tests.

How to make terracotta clay at home?

Preparing clay is important to step and for this collection and broke the soil into small pieces. Terracotta clay should be free from dust and other particles and for this dried clay is soaked in water. Allow the clay to rest for some time so that clay particles can settle down at the bottom.

Once the particle is settled to the bottom you can remove the access water from the top with the help of a sponge. Once the clay is free from unwanted particles you can allow the clay to rest till the clay is ready to work. When the clay is leather hard means like thick dough, smooth and soft, you need to knead the clay well to make sure that air bubbles are not trapped in the clay. Knead the clay properly for some time and you are ready to make your art piece.

How to store terracotta clay?

Storing clay is important as if the clay is not stored correctly it can cause dryness. If the clay is dried it will reduce its efficiency to work as a smooth and crack-free clay. It is better to store hydrated clay in glass, stoneware, ceramic, opaque, or non-metallic airtight containers. Keep the container away from direct sunlight and place it in cool room temperature.

How to stop clay from drying?

Place the clay in a plastic bag, take a spray bottle, and spray little water on it. Place this plastic bag inside an airtight container and keep this container away from sunlight. Before storing the clay if we spray water on it, then this will keep the clay hydrated and it will be ready to use for next time.

How to soften hard terracotta clay?

If the clay is stiff and needs to make it hydrated and workable again, take the clay and poke lots of holes in it with something like brush handle or pen then place the clay in the plastic bag. Now pour water on the clay and allow the water to settle into the holes this will help the clay to absorb water faster and evenly. Now squeeze out extra air from the plastic bag and tie the top of the bag. Place this bag in the airtight container and keep it in a cool place.

After 1 or 2 days take the clay out and knead it properly to release air bubbles and air pockets. If you think the clay is not leather hard then again poke the holes and pour water on the clay. This is an easy way to dehydrate the dried clay, this technique works amazingly and your clay will never dry out.

How to dry terracotta clay?

Let suppose you have slip clay or a lump of clay which is not leather hard or little watery clay then you can place the clay on the wooden board and spread the clay over it. Poke the clay with fingers and keep it open for some time. This will help you to dry access water from the clay. Keep on checking the clay from time to time. Placing the clay on a wooden surface is good as wood will also help to absorb excess water from the clay. Once the clay is leather hard you need to knead the clay properly, as mentioned earlier that clay must be kneaded properly to release trapped air bubbles in it.

Poking the clay creates lots of air pockets in clay and these air bubbles need to be removed with kneading. You will also notice that while kneading to clay will become a little more hard or stiff this is because of the warmth of your hands. So don’t knead it for a long time as this can cause the clay to harden more and more. Once you are done with kneading wrap the clay with a damp cloth or pack the clay in a plastic bag and keep it in an airtight container.

Thus clay will be always ready to use and without wasting your time you can directly start working on your clay jewellery.

Once the jewellery is ready, place it aside at room temperature and allow it dry. Generally drying of the piece of jewellery will take 5-7 days (totally depends on the climatic condition). When the clay is dried it will change it color, it will be lighter in shade and you can feel the absences of water the clay, it is no longer cool to touch. Allow the clay to dry for more 1-2 days for a safer side.

Once the clay is dried, fire the clay and then you can paint the clay jewellery with colors. You can check out “What paint to use for terracotta jewellery?”.

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So, what paint to use for terracotta jewellery? There are different paints used to color terracotta jewellery like acrylic colors, oil color, metallic colors, pearl colors, etc. Mostly acrylic color is used to paint the jewellery as they dry earlier and are available in many shades. Apply a coat of varnish once the color is dried, this will help to protect the color and will give a shine to the jewellery.

I have been in love with terracotta jewellery from the past few years. In this post, I will share my experience in this post, you will get an idea of what the paints used for terracotta jewellery and will also share a few tips and tricks about how and when to paint terracotta jewellery.

Terracotta jewellery is eco-friendly and lightweight jewellery. Though these pieces of jewellery are made from clay they are strong, But it doesn’t mean that terracotta jewellery is unbreakable it needs to handle with care.

What paint to use for terracotta jewellery?

There are a variety of colors that can be used to paint terracotta jewellery.

Acrylic Colors

Mostly for painting terracotta jewellery acrylic paints are used. Acrylic colors are fast drying and are water-soluble. These colors become water-resistant when dry. It some time darken slightly as they dry. It is budget-friendly and is available in many colors. It is also easy to find acrylic colors in any craft store. Paint the first coat on jewellery and allow it to dry before painting the second coat. Avoid painting more than two coats.

Oil Colors

Oil colors are also used to paint terracotta jewellery. The main difference is the drying time of oil color, it takes much more time to dry. Oil colors are not water-soluble hence it is not compatible with water. to dilute or to make the paint thin you will need turpentine or white spirit. The drawback of using oil colors is its drying time.

Pearl Colors

Pearl is one of the most loved jewels. When we hear pearl, a beautiful round gem comes in our mind which is of milk-white color and has a beautiful shine. The same shiny colors are available in the paint which gives a pearly shine to your jewellery. Pearl colors are available in a variety of shades to select from. These colors are available in acrylic paints and are easy to find in any local market or online stores.

Metallic Colors

Some times if it is hard to select the color for your jewellery, you can go with metallic colors. You can combine the metallic shade with any one color to give a simple yet uniques look to your accessories, like golden color with red or blue or green, etc. You can also paint entire jewellery with golden color, silver, bronze, or copper color. It will give a unique and antique look to an accessory. These combinations go perfectly with traditional jhumkas or necklace.

Neon Colors

Yes, Neon Colors are a new and popular trend of 2020. Terracotta is a traditional art of making jewellery, but you can add a twist to it. Create a trendy design lets say a square or a circle and paint it with neon colors. These colors are very bright to pass unnoticed and they are too bold to wear every day.

Also, check out the Our Recommended Products for Terracotta.

When to Paint terracotta jewellery?

Once the jewellry is baked you can start painting on it. Before baking dry the jewellery in room temperature for 5-6 days – it depends on your climatic conditions. Generally, it takes 4-5 days for the clay to dry but it is better to keep for an extra day to be on safer side.  After baking, terracotta jewellery will become natural black in color.

If you don’t want to bake jewellery, you can directly paint on it. for base apply primer followed by black color. Once the base coat is dry you can start painting on it.

How to use a primer?

The primer will hold the paint strongly. However, it is not compulsory to apply primer to terracotta jewellery. If you want to use primer, apply it before painting the jewellery, apply primer on the jewellery using a brush. Take the primer in a palate and mix with little water, mix well, and apply a thin coat on jewellery. Once the primer is dried you can start to color the jewellery.

How to paint terracotta jewellery?

When terracotta jewellery is dried and baked, its time to paint it. Paint consistency is very important if you paint a thick coat of acrylic color without using water, there are chances that paint can peel off the jewellery after drying. To avoid peeling of paint, add few drops of water in paint and then start painting the jewellery. Adding water to paint is very important as it also helps to paint properly and it also helps in avoiding brush strokes. Try not to exceed more than two coats of paint.

When you bake the terracotta jewellery, the clay jewellery will naturally turn black. While painting don’t fill the impressions, lines, or design of jewellery. Natural black lines on jewellery look pretty.

How to paint both sides of jewellery?

Painting terracotta jewellery is a beautiful part of this art. You can paint one side of jewellery first and allow it to dry, once the one side is dried you can paint the other side.

How to paint beads?

To paint a terracotta bead, you can insert the bead in a toothpick or a brush handle, etc. and then paint it. Hold the toothpick with one hand and paint the entire bead. keep the toothpick on two same size bottles, cups, etc it will act as a stand for bead horizontally, or you can also keep the bead vertically in a small glass, cup or bottle, etc. Allow the paint to dry and later you can remove the bead from the toothpick.

What are the basic color paints you should have? 

If you want to match the jewellery with your outfit then you have to buy the matching colors. But if you are not sure about the color of jewellery and are confuse between basic shades you should have then you can buy primary colors.

Primary colors are basic colors or you can say a source of other colors. These colors are mixed with other colors to make other shades of colors. Basic primary colors include Red, Yellow, and Blue, you can buy white and black colors.

Combination of primary form secondary colors like:

Red + Yellow = Orange

Yellow + Blue = Green

Blue + Red = Voilet

You can mix white color to red to make a pink shade or you can add black to any color to make darker shades.

Also read: How to make Designer Party Wear earrings?

Terracotta Jewellery tips

• If you ever wonder How to Take Care of Terracotta Jewellery? even though terracotta jewellery becomes hard after baking but it is not unbreakable. You need to take proper care of these jewellery. Keep it in another box and avoid keeping it with other jewellery. Don’t keep any heavy things on the jewellery.
• Use soft cotton to clean the jewellery after wearing it, this will help to maintain the look new.
• Like any other jewellery, prevent these jewellery to come in contact with perfumes, water, cosmetics.
• Take the paint in the palate and mix it with water. It will help to paint the jewellery smoothly by avoiding brush strokes.
• Don’t paint many coats on jewellery, it can peel after drying.
• Paint consistency should be good, dried paint can leave a uneven texture on jewellery.
• If you don’t want to bake the jewellery, it will be of natural brownish in color after drying. In this case, paint a base coat of black color before any other color. Painting the jewellery with a black base coat will give natural color to lines and design of jewellery.
• Don’t merge the line of jewllery, don’t fill the lines with paint.

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