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Teaching “Mommy & Me Hearts” Jewelry Class (How I Overcame My Fear of Kids)

by Cindi Bernloehr.
(Winter Garden, Florida)

I was asked to teach a class for Mother’s Day and I was a bit worried because I have not taught little children before.

I reluctantly agreed but only if the Moms were there too.

Then I had to think of a project that didn’t require a lot of tools (for little hands).

I had just taken a polymer clay class to make a steampunk heart and thought “this could work because kids like clay”.

I ended up teaching 2 classes of 6 mom/kid pairs.

I used clay (pasta) machines and the kids loved softening up the clay this way.

Then I showed them how to roll a thick tube about 2 inches long. They cut it in half on the diagonal and twisted to shape a heart.

After smoothing it, they used pearl metallic powders to paint it and decorated their hearts with tiny shapes.

I showed some of the moms how to make little “screws” by making tiny balls and pushing them onto the heart with a phillips-head screwdriver to shape it.

Everyone had a great time and all the hearts looked wonderful.

I am now not worried about offering a kid friendly class in the future.

Cindi Bernloehr
WoodStone Jewelry
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