Corinne Bradd shows how to create fruit charms from polymer clay with her handmade jewellery project

What you need...

• Polymer Clay: orange, white, red
  
• Wire, coloured
  
• Tile, white
  
• Pens, gel, Sakura
  
• Varnish, clear
  
• Chain, silver
  
• Beads: crystals; pearls
  
• Pliers, round-nosed
  

instructions

1. Roll out a cane of orange translucent Fimo, 5mm in diameter. Cover with a thin sheet of white and blend to smooth the join. Cut the cane into eight equal parts, then squeeze each into a triangle. Place the triangles together so they form the segments of an orange. Roll gently into a cane and cover with a sheet of clay. Reduce to a diameter of 15mm, then cut into 3mm slices. Place on a tile and pierce a hole in each using a needle tool.
   

2. Create a 2cm diameter thick red clay disc, then wrap with a thin sheet of green. Cut a diagonal segment to make the watermelon slice. Place on tile and pierce a hole at one end. Roll two small red balls for the cherries and place on a tile. Take a length of wire, fold in half, then twist leaving a loop in the top and the last 1cm free. Push ends onto the balls and add a small green leaf shape.
   

3. Bake all the fruit pieces according to the clay manufacturer's instructions, then remove from oven. While the clay is still hot, draw in the watermelon seeds in black pen before varnishing. Fit silver jump rings into the holes or loops in each piece and fix to a silver chain bracelet at 3cm intervals. Thread assorted crystals and pearls in fruity colours onto head pins and bend the ends into a loop. Position midway between each charm.