How to Make an Indian Brooch Pin

The Indian god Ganesh adds authenticity to your brooch.

Express your inner Bollywood style by making and wearing an Indian brooch pin. According to Nimisha Tiwari of "The Times of India," Indian jewelers craft ornate brooches, or decorative pins, that men and women sport all over the world. Fabricate your own Indian brooch by adding beads to an elephant that represents the Hindu god, Ganesh. Use polymer clay which is a vinyl-based modeling that cures, or hardens, in a conventional oven.

Things You'll Need

• Blue and yellow polymer clay
• Rolling pin
• 2-inch cookie cutter
• Toothpick
• Baking sheet
• Pink seed beads
• Craft glue
• Hot glue gun with glue sticks
• Brooch pin backing

Instructions

1. Knead your blue polymer clay to condition. This softens and warms up the clay. Condition the yellow polymer clay in the same fashion.

2. Roll out a small handful of the blue clay with a rolling pin until it is one-quarter-inch thick. Cut out a circle using a 2-inch cookie cutter. This is the base and background of your Indian brooch.

3. Roll out a half-inch ball using the yellow polymer clay for the elephant's head. Flatten it slightly into a circle shape. Press it onto the blue circle in the center slightly towards the right because you need to leave space for its trunk. Roll out two quarter-inch wide balls with the yellow clay. Flatten each of them and shape them into wide oval shapes for the elephant's ears. Press them onto either side of the yellow circle.

4. 

   An elephant trunk lifted up is good luck.

   Form a snake-like coil from the yellow clay that is one-quarter-inch thick and one-half-inch long. Gently shape it into an S shape.Press the S shape coil onto the center of the yellow piece on the blue circle so it forms an elephant trunk lifting up. Carefully press the trunk into place.

5. Insert the end of a toothpick one-eighth-inch deep into the yellow circle to form eye sockets. They need to be placed centrally and side-by-side. Bake the polymer clay on a baking sheet at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes. Allow it to cool completely before handling.

6. Glue a pink seed bead into each eye socket using craft glue. Glue pink seed beads around the perimeter or circumference of the blue circle. Attach a brooch pin centrally to the back of your craft with a hot glue gun.

Tips & Warnings

• Spray clear acrylic spray or varnish over the entire brooch to set and to add a glossy finish.

• Experiment with different images, colors of clay and beads for your Indian brooch pin.

• A brooch can be crafted with strung beads that are glued into place.

References

• The Times of India; Brooch that!; Nimisha Tiwari
• Sanatan Society: Ganesha