A Polymer Clay Tutorial: The Simple, Sparkly Bugles Earrings

[@Vee_of_the_Weald]

The big bugles remind me of the corset Jean-Paul Gaultier made for Madonna in the early 90’s - the infamous cone bras 😆🤩

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Yesss!❤️

[@Vee_of_the_Weald]

Hello from the UK 🇬🇧, everyone! Thanks Donna ❤

[@rebeccafionacornel6558]

Hello I am Rebecca Fiona Cornel and i am from India!

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Hi, Vee!❤️

[@deniseosborne4045]

The springy ones look like Christmas trees. They would make cool ornaments

[@mayabeading]

I agree!!!

[@sallyransom1223]

I love these what great memories of my grandmother buying a box of Bugels and we would drive to Stapleton International Airport ..before it moved and lay down on the hood of her car and watch the planes take off and land...WOW Donna thanks for the great memory and thanks for the fun class big hugs!💜😘

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Those are great memories, Sally! I love that, kid. ❤️

[@lorimontcalm9086]

Could use a cake piping cone as a form! Cute idea and will look great with your bangle bracelets! Thanks for the tutorial! Hugs from 🇨🇦

[@Kera.S.]

I was thinking the same thing 😊

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Great idea!!❤️

[@bonniewyke1750]

Your clay makes me look like a better caner than I actually am! I wish I could afford a ton of it! Thank you for sharing your talent.

[@rebeccafionacornel6558]

Awesome tutorial! Donna ma'am.... those would look awesome as Bead caps or end caps..... and also AS SIMPLE EARRINGS and PENDANT set as is ..... 🙂

[@Kera.S.]

Oh yes they would! I could especially see myself using them for end caps for viking knit necklaces. Thanks for the great idea. This is actually something I might could even try never doing polymer clay before. Yay! 💙

[@sharonkeef]

@@Kera.S. that would be awesome

[@dorotaniznik5728]

Of course, I was thinking "what if you separate these?"😂 Thank you for showing the outcome!!❤

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Lol! I knew it! Because I wanted to know! I think they’re still stretching….🤣❤️

[@joyceparkes2678]

Loving your extruder series Donna.. 🙏🏽🍸

[@laneoesterle-miller5853]

I made 3 slinky bracelets this weekend and now am ready to make these adorable statement earrings ! So fun!

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Lane!!! Lol. Good job, kid!❤️

[@sherylwright5705]

I am loving all of these simple projects. Thanks Donna!

[@DonnaKatoArt]

I figure a mix of simple and harder is a good thing. Sometimes, I just want to sit and make something quickly! ❤️

[@kolitiokada9825]

Hey Donna! Fun tutorial! How about cascading bugles? Use an eye pin to attach a piece of chain to join bugles. Or longer single or multiple pieces of chain to dangle beads.

[@DonnaKatoArt]

That would work! ❤️

[@patsmith7822]

Since I am new to polymer clay, I have learned a lot from your videos. Thank you so much for sharing!

[@Kera.S.]

I dont do polymer clay but enjoy watching it and especially your channel. I do however make jewelry with wire wrapping etc. I would suggest you get xuron tools they are reasonably priced but considered higher end tools. I bought them when I 1st started so I wouldn't have to invest again later in better tools & definitely glad I did. They can sit & not be used while I'm into sewing a while and are always perfect to go right back to later. Durable and all you really need are the flush cutters and maybe flat nose or needle nose to tuck in the ends of your cut ends and your golden. No need to get new round nose, those are perfect for what you do. (lots of people, including myself use 6 step bail making pliers for consistent loops in our jewelry anyway so it's not a big deal which pair of round nose you have for making 1 off loops but our wire is heavier) TFS another great class!

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Thank you, Kera! I will definitely check the Xuron tools. It’s time, my tools are really old and were cheap to begin with! I will definitely look into them! ❤️

[@Kera.S.]

@@DonnaKatoArt I'm not positive if Rio Grande or any other big online presence carries them but I'm pretty sure you could have them delivered way out to what ever no where that's probably the only where gorgeous! 💙 Good luck with your search. Where you a Park's and Recs fan? TREAT YO SELF! 🤣🤣🤣

[@lightbulbnirvana]

I don't know if I will ever make these bugle beads, but Donna, your humor is wry and dry, just how I like it. LOL. This trait adds so much to your demonstrations. Is that why "demon" is in the word "demonstration"? to bring out the gremlins? Anyway I enjoyed your post immensely. Thanks for your post! ❤

[@DonnaKatoArt]

👍❤️

[@TheYCHai]

Those springs made me laugh! Thanks for a great tutorial.

[@DonnaKatoArt]

So glad!❤️

[@vanessaparnell4155]

Love the simplicity of these earrings!

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Thank you! 😊

[@lizziatbizzizizzi5804]

Super! I reckon Lady Gaga would happily wear those springy ones! 😂

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Lol!❤️

[@cherylmckenzie7138]

Another winner. My hubby sitting in the other room asked if he was hearing a cat, I told him it was your extruder. He recommended you apply a tiny bit of liquid soap to the screw of the Makins to alleviate the squeak, as it won't touch the clay it should be fine. I can see great little trees embellished with inset rhinestones for a fun Christmas earring.

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Ooh, i will try the soap! I love your Christmas tree earrings idea, too. Elegant trees!❤️

[@mariannegotze1450]

A big G'day from Australia. I love these earrings. I just have started with polymer clay. Thanks for sharing.

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Have fun, Marianne! ❤️

[@PaulineSharpe-n2q]

I absolutely love all your videos donna, My imagination goes into over drive when I watch your tutorials.I wonder what they’d look like if you joined the bottoms together with an eye pin,through the centre and added some tassels?

[@DonnaKatoArt]

👍❤️!

[@lizrichardson3309]

These are very cute Donna! Thank you for sharing the process! I think I might have some piping nozzles that might be just right for the formers, so I'll have a go with those and experiment 😉 ❤

[@DonnaKatoArt]

👍

[@cindypage8673]

These are so cute! Thank you for sharing xxx

[@SelenesCreationsByTheSea]

Oh they are just wonderful ! Beautiful project

[@sharoncochran8508]

Love the springy/sparkly/extruder series! Thank you!

[@texasceechelle]

Oh awesome! I haven’t had bugles in years. I wonder if they still make them. That looks like a cake decorating tip. I’ll get mine out and see if any will work. Also, if anyone has the Conetastic, they have longer thinner attachments that would work. I just bought a Walnut Hollow extruder. Thought, if you put some mica powder down on your surface and extrude into the powder, I don’t think it would stick. Thanks.

[@diamondsandthings]

Love bugles. Don’t have a chat hub but might get one in the future. Saw you use one in a different video. Those are cute.

[@fawnwolfe7355]

These look so fun! So y’all, if you’re too lazy to make the nice cone forms, although in my defense I did intend to try and bought a roll of the aluminum tape, but I digress…..every time I tried to get started it just seemed daunting. My solution was to purchase a nice set of cake decorating tips off of temu. I got them today and have the intention of making them tomorrow. If they turn out purdy I’ll leave a pic over on the fb page. Fingers crossed cuz these are toooo cute.

[@DonnaKatoArt]

I think you're a genius. Hugs, D!

[@fawnwolfe7355]

@@DonnaKatoArt I think you’re too sweet. For it did work really really well but someone else did something really similar, I think it was for a cream horn but the same concept and her pics were awesome!

[@deniseosborne4045]

Cute gnome hats

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Lol!!!❤️

[@marijkeowen1978]

Delightful as usual🎉

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Thank you, Marijke! ❤️

[@mayabeading]

So fun! Thank you.

[@DonnaKatoArt]

They're kind of kooky but they look great on! The springs? LOL! Hugs, D

[@lilspiffie]

You can buy hand drill adapters for your extruder. Saves your hands!

[@joburrows9210]

Great! Thanks.❤

[@sandradavis847]

Thanks.

[@tpilar190]

I put my extruder in a small bench vise, then I just have to turn the handle - easy peasy! No need for a drill to turn it.

[@Kera.S.]

Great idea! Sounds like that is much easier. I could change hands to rest and 1 doesn't have to hold so is rested. I love it 💙

[@carleenburnette3710]

I think they have an attachment that you put on the end of the handle and then you could use a drill to turn it

[@kathleennash7233]

Thanks!

[@DonnaKatoArt]

You bet!❤️

[@petadianeyoung3958]

Doona, you can purchase an adapter that fits over the hanle and then connect to a power drill and its so much easier on your hands, I'm just not sure where to buy then from ?

[@fancifuldevices]

Oh but how did you make the cone molds so perfectly? Knowing me they’d end up a globby mess

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Try not to fold the paper, once you get folds it’s harder! ❤️

[@carolmcmisty3125]

I used metal cake decorating cones and I baked then on the cones.

[@edwinleach7401]

I cut one end of the bar off. I then used a drill to turn the clay out. Much easier.

[@DonnaKatoArt]

okay, i like easier!

[@carolmcmisty3125]

I made them in the cone and then I shaped them into pyramids. They turned out kind of Cool. Have some friends that are doing digging around the pyramids. They thought they were pretty cool. I took my time shaping them so not to smash the snakes.

[@SC-mj6qw]

Donna try oiling your extruder, then it wouldn't be so hard to turn and less squeaking

[@Tomhdg]

As always, Donna you do some fun and fabulous work, and I giggle along with you. Now, I’m always looking for the easiest way to soften and condition my clay due to some major nerve damage and having myelomalacia of the spinal cord. But, if you don’t use it you lose it, right? So I press on (literally😜)! Clay is TOUGH for me, no matter the brand. So….. How do I say this without it seeming ‘pervy’ in some way or absolutely whack-a-doodle🤔? Um… okay. I can’t 😜. The warmest area of one’s body is, well, ummmm… below the belt line🥴. So, I’ve learned to heat up my clay by putting it in baggies and shoving it into my pockets for roughly 20-30 minutes prior to trying to condition it (sit down and fiddle with something because it’ll keep it close to one’s body). Let me tell you, it has been a tried and true hand saver!!! And, of course, if it’s a little too soft, into the fridge for 5 minutes or less, rinse and repeat as needed. FYI: it doesn’t work sticking it into an apron pocket. My husband said I should buy a size up in sweatpants and shove it into a soft fanny pack around my waist and under the belt line. He might be onto something, but at almost 60 he still believes if you step on a crack you break your mother’s back, so there’s that 🤣.

[@DonnaKatoArt]

Yup! I have sat on my clay before! When Kato was really tough, I beat it with a mallet. Glad it works for you, kid! ❤️

[@Tomhdg]

@@DonnaKatoArt oh the things we do for our art 😂

[@sheratan-creation]

👍🏼❤️❤️❤️