You know those ubiquitous little candy hearts that show up around Valentine’s Day? I love them. Not to eat, mind you (I’m more of a chocolate-lover than a straight-up sugar fiend,) but just to have around the house. I’ll decorate with them, give them out to friends, or just pack them away in the cupboard as “earthquake food” and forget about them for a few months.
For whatever reason, I have yet to pick up my annual sack of sweet sayings. So this year, I decided to make my own- and make them wearable. Why not, right?
I started by digging out my collection of soft modeling clay. I’ve been squirreling this stuff away for ages, and love working with it when I need a craft that delivers instant gratification. Since I’d set my heart on making candy earrings (no pun intended), I also pulled out my jewelry-making supplies including my pliers, earring hooks, and the center earring wires, called headpins.
To make the candy hearts, I started by selecting colors that matched the pastel palette of the real NECCO candies, and shaped the clay into soft triangles.
Using a pencil, I pushed the tops of the triangles down to create heart shapes. When I was happy with the sizes, I used the back of a headpin to carve little messages into each heart.
Then I stuck the center of each heart with a headpin from the bottom, up.
Following the baking directions on the package of modeling clay, I baked the hearts (including the wires) for 25-30 minutes at 265 degrees F (130 C.)
When the hearts had all cooled enough to handle, I used my rounded pliers to curl the top of the head pins, and slipped on an earring hook. Presto! Candy heart earrings ready for Valentine’s Day!
To make your own candy heart earrings, here are the supplies I used:
great idea! so very cute!
Thanks Kelly!
Happy almost Valentine’s Day! 
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