Stunning 'Cloisonné' Gift Pendants

Make your very own jewelry to wear or give as a gift! Combine coils of Model Magic® modeling compound with Crayola Squeezables™ 3-D Paint to look like cloisonné!

• 1.

  Research jewelry from different time periods and cultures. For example, ancient Egyptians were very sophisticated in their jewelry making. Many artifacts from pharaohs’ tombs show intricate gold and silver metalsmithing and intricate inlays of small colorful stone and glass. Find out more about the Asian origins of Cloisonné, a type of enamel coating.

• 2.

  Choose a shape and design for your pendant. Roll a small Model Magic® ball and gently press. It will flatten as a circle or oval, depending on its shape when you rolled it.

• 3.

  Roll several coils of the compound, as equal in thickness as possible. Lay these coils on your base to begin your jewelry design. Leave small spaces between the coils. Wrap a coil around the outside edge of the base. This outline will hold the 3-D paint in place (your next step) so it should touch many or most of the coils. Add a small coil at the top to hang your pendant.

• 4.

  Squeeze Crayola Squeezables™ 3-D Paint into the spaces defined by the coils in your design. Fill each area almost to the top of the coil. To swirl colors, gently use a toothpick to stir just a little. Add tiny Model Magic® bits if you like to top off the design. Air-dry the pendants on a flat surface. Model Magic® dries to the touch overnight and dries completely in 2 to 3 days.

• 5.

  String your pendant on a ribbon. Tape the ends together so someone—you or the person you give it to—can wear it with pride!

Benefits

• Students learn about historical examples of different jewelry-making methods and research the craft in several cultures.
• Students connect the process of cloisonné with this simplified version.
• Students produce a pendant of their choice in this style of cloisonné.

Adaptations

• Have students create a series of related images and string together as a hanging mobile.
• Students can create these jewelry objects and trade with each other.
• Assessment: Students will be successful if they produce an image with coils, on a base and with the negative spaces filled in with Crayola Squeezables to imitate the process of cloisonné.