3D print the tools. Make it in clay.
3D print the cutters, then make Blue Spotted Cat drop earrings, studs, brooches, magnets, pendants and wall art.
Digital download: STL files to 3D print, plus a PDF guide. Requires a 3D printer or 3D printing service.
46 3D-printable STL files, an illustrated maker guide and the Maker Licence.
Raised clay spots or painted details, with smaller earring and stud tools.
The outline, spots, ears and face in one slab.
An 80 mm cat for wall art or an earring display.
Sizes name the cat height, from the tallest ear tip to the paws. Dimensions are the clay cat's width and height at 100% print scale, not the cutter's outside dimensions. Display the finished cat flat on a shelf or desk, or lean it against a suitable support. The brooch is made at 56 mm only.
20 mm at the outlines' scale. Not an actual-size template.
Applique, stencil and relief all make the 60 mm cat, and relief also comes in 56, 64 and 68 mm. The 40 mm earrings, the 25 mm stud and the 80 mm wall art display have their own cutters. Earrings are made at 40 mm and 25 mm only.
| Outline to scale | Size | Clay outline (W x H) | Methods | Use it for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mm | 19 x 25 mm |
| Stud earrings on flat-pad posts (their own one-slab cutter; no hole) | |
| 40 mm | 30 x 40 mm |
| Drop earrings on ear wires or looped ball posts | |
| 56 mm | 42 x 56 mm |
| Brooch with a 25 mm bar pin (about 11.1 g with pin, glue and finish), pendant, bag charm, magnet or display piece | |
| 60 mm | 45 x 60 mm |
| Display piece, magnet, pendant or bag charm | |
| 64 mm | 48 x 64 mm |
| Display piece, magnet, pendant or bag charm | |
| 68 mm | 51 x 68 mm |
| Display piece, magnet, pendant or bag charm | |
| 80 mm60 x 80 mm |
| Wall art display, with a pair of 40 mm drops or on its own | ||
The 40 mm earrings and the wall art display's two earring holes are drilled after baking and full cooling. Studs, brooches, magnets need no hole; applique pendants and charms hang from a glued bail. The guide gives the hole and hardware for each piece.
Making methods
Lay two inner ears and nine clay spots on a body, paint them through the stencil masks, or press the whole cat into one slab with the relief cutter. The 40 mm drop earrings, 25 mm studs and 80 mm wall art display have their own cutters.
For the 60 mm cat, cut the body and press the face guide before adding the two inner ears and nine clay spots. The 80 mm wall art body follows the same order. The 40 mm body cutter presses its ears and face as it cuts; add its nine spots afterwards. Bake and cool before painting the marks.
Cut the body, press its face with guide D, then add the inner ears and nine spots. Finish as 40 mm earrings or an 80 mm wall display.
Bake a plain 60 mm body, then paint the ears, face and spots through three printed masks. The spot mask has free-placement openings, so you choose the pattern.
See the plain 60 mm baked body, the actual smallest ear-mask openings and a flat painted pattern. Move the spot mask to choose your own pattern, let each colour dry, then paint the face last.
One cutter cuts the cat and presses the spots, inner ears and face into a single slab, so every detail sits below the surface. Leave it one colour or paint the recesses after baking. Comes in 56, 60, 64 and 68 mm.
Press relief cutter R once into one slab and lift it. Bake and cool before painting. Make the brooch at 56 mm with a 25 mm bar pin, about 11.1 g with the pin, glue and finish. Weigh yours before wearing it.
Your first piece
Print only the files for the piece you are making; the rest are there when you want another size or method.
One press cuts the cat and sinks the spots, ears and face into the slab, so there is nothing small to lift. Glue a magnet to the baked, cooled back.
See what you needThe pictured spotted cat at earring size, about 3.9 g per earring with its ear wire and jump ring (an estimate; weigh your pair). The hole is drilled after baking.
See what you needThin clay ears and spots sit on the body for raised colour. The small spots are the fiddliest part, so make this once you are happy lifting small pieces.
See what you needWall art display
Cut the same body, inner ears and spots at 80 mm tall and the cat becomes wall art that holds a pair of 40 mm cat drop earrings. Make it in any colours.
Use the guide's wall-art thicknesses as starting points; the pictured pieces may look thicker or thinner. Keep the clay around the earring holes thin enough for your hooks or posts to fit.
For the 60 mm applique cat, cut the body and press the face marks while it is bare, then add the inner ears and spots, bake, cool and paint the face. The 40 mm body cutter presses its ears and face in one cut. The stencil cat paints the ears, face and spots onto a baked plain body, and the relief cutter presses the whole cat into one slab. The guide gives the full method, colour map and hardware for every piece.
Step 01 · Body cutter
Roll one even body slab on the tile you will bake on, press the body cutter straight down, lift it straight up and keep the back flat.
The plain 60 mm body before the face-guide press or any clay details.
Step 02 · Face press guide
For the 60 mm cat, press the face guide on the bare body before any inner ear or spot goes on. It marks the eyes, nose and whiskers without cutting through the body. The 40 mm body cutter presses the ears and face as it cuts, so it needs no separate face-guide press.
Press the 60 mm face guide on the bare body before adding the inner ears or spots. Its shallow face marks stay above the back.Help with this step
Step 03 · Ear and spot cutters
Seat the two inner ears first, then the nine spots in letter order, as the guide's colour map shows.
All nine spot shapes in their positions, mapped from the cutter design.Help with this step
Step 04 · Oven and tile
Bake flat on the tile following your clay package directions, and let the cat cool fully before you move it. Never lift a warm cat by an ear.
The finished applique design, shown as a reference for the colours and face placement.Help with this step
Step 05 · Paint pen and hardware
For 40 mm earrings, drill the marked hole after baking and full cooling, then paint the face and attach the jump ring. For the 60 mm applique cat, paint the face after cooling and glue the chosen finding to the flat back last. For earrings, make one pair first and check the fit, balance and weight before making more. For other formats, check the fit and attachment on your first piece before making more.
The finished applique design from above, including the painted face. Add the face after baking and cooling.Help with this step
What you will need
Use the tools you already own. Choose your piece to see its findings, then check the shared materials below. Some linked hardware packs contain enough for many pieces.
Links marked "Affiliate link" may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Check sizes and materials before checkout.
What are you making?
Hang each 40 mm cat from an ear wire or a looped ball post on a jump ring through its drilled hole.
Ear hooks, silicone backs and open jump rings in one kit, enough for many pairs.
Join each cat to its finding with a 10 mm ring in 0.8 mm wire through the drilled hole. Pick a finding material that suits your ears.
Only if the piece hangs sideways: add a 5.5 mm ring in 0.8 mm wire between the first ring and the finding to turn it to face forwards.
Two pairs open and close jump rings without scratching them.
Drills the earring hole after baking and full cooling, with the back supported. The guide gives the bit size and position.
Plus glue and a paint pen from the core kit below.
Glue one flat-pad post to the flat back of each 25 mm stud. This assortment includes the guide's pad size and others.
Dots the spots onto the baked stud with acrylic paint.
Paint after baking and cooling. The stencil method uses all three included masks; the relief method can stay one colour. Choose a brooch, magnet or pendant tab if you add a finding.
Paint the pressed details and spots after baking, or use the masks for a stencilled cat.
Dab the paint through the mask openings.
Holds a mask in place while you paint.
Make the brooch from the 56 mm relief cat with a 25 mm bar pin. It is about 11.1 g estimated with its pin, glue and finish. Weigh yours before wearing it. Plus glue from the core kit below.
A glue-on bar pin that fits fully on the flat back of the cat.
Plus glue from the core kit below.
Use one 15 mm disc on the flat back of the baked, cooled cat. Tape it in place and check that it holds on your fridge before gluing. Never bake a magnet.
Keep loose and finished magnets away from young children and pets; a swallowed magnet can cause serious internal injury, so get medical help straight away. Keep magnets away from pacemakers. Selling magnets? Check the magnet safety rules where you sell.
A relief cat hangs on a jump ring through its hole; an applique cat hangs from a glued bail.
Ready-made chains with clasps, so the pendant is finished as soon as it hangs.
A ring through the relief cat's hole joins it to the chain. The guide gives the ring for each size.
An applique cat hangs from a bail glued to its flat back instead of a hole.
Two pairs open and close jump rings without scratching them.
Keep it decorative: clip it to a bag strap, not to keys you pull on.
A swivel clasp clips the charm to a bag strap. This pack also has split key rings.
Rings through the relief cat's hole, or through a bail on an applique cat, join it to the clasp. The guide gives the rings for each size.
An applique cat hangs from a bail glued to its flat back instead of a hole.
Two pairs open and close jump rings without scratching them.
The pair you hang on it uses the drop earring supplies.
A nail or screw with a flat head about 8 mm across carries the display through the printed hanger's keyhole; a smaller head can slip through the 6 mm slot. The guide gives the head, shank and gap that fit.
For the no-nail route: it sticks the printed stud to the wall. Thin tape keeps the display hanging flat.
Glues the printed hanger to the back of the baked, cooled display. Keep it out of the slot and let it cure fully.
Drills the two earring holes at the pressed marks in the baked, cooled display. The guide gives the bit size.
Most makers already own some of these; the rest is your shopping list.
The cat body colour (cobalt blue in the pictured cat). The relief cat and the stud need only this one colour.
Six of the nine spots (soft pink in the pictured cat).
The inner ears and the other three spots (bright yellow in the pictured cat).
Rolls even slabs between thickness guides.
Set each slab to the height the guide gives. Use bought or separately printed thickness guides; these downloads do not include them.
Lifts the small spots and inner ears without stretching them.
Build and bake on the same tile so the flat cat never moves.
Checks the real oven temperature against your clay packet.
Draws the eyes, whiskers and yellow nose over the pressed face marks once the cat has baked and cooled. Test it on baked scrap first.
Glue stud posts, bails, brooch pins or magnets to baked, cooled clay. Jump rings through holes do not need glue. Follow the adhesive label and let it fully cure.
For drilling and dry sanding baked clay.
For drilling and sanding.
Paint the pressed details and spots after baking, or use the masks for a stencilled cat.
Dab the paint through the mask openings.
Holds a mask in place while you paint.
For painting into the pressed spots of the relief cat.
Conditions clay and rolls even slabs far faster than a hand roller. Keep it for clay only.
A trace under a spot or inner ear that will not stay put helps it stick to the body.
Only if you want a sheen. Test it on baked scrap first.
Print the card and cutter files to present and sell your earrings.
Print a stand to show your pairs at markets and in product photos.
Prints the cutter files. If buying, compare models for your budget and workspace, and ventilate while printing.
The guide gives the nozzle, layer and support settings. Match the filament diameter to your printer.
Make it your own
Build a little cat collection with studs, drops and a larger pendant or magnet. Repeat the spot colours to tie the pieces together, or give each cat its own palette. Choose a finish below to see its supplies. Clay and findings are not included.
Hang the 40 mm cat from an ear wire or a looped ball post on a jump ring through its drilled hole. The guide gives the hole, ring and estimated weight.
See what you need
Press the 25 mm one-slab stud, dot on the spots with paint, then glue a flat-pad post to the flat back.
See what you need
Press one slab with the relief cutter for a one-colour cat. Leave it plain or paint into the pressed spots after baking.
See what you need
Paint the ears, face and spots through the printed masks onto a baked plain body.
See what you need
Glue a 25 mm bar pin to the flat back of the 56 mm relief cat once it has baked and cooled. It is about 11.1 g estimated with its pin, glue and finish. Weigh yours before wearing it.
See what you need
Glue a magnet to the flat back for a bright fridge decoration, then check that it holds on your fridge.
See what you need
Hang a relief cat from a chain on a jump ring through its hole, or glue a bail to the back of an applique cat.
See what you need
Clip a relief cat to a bag strap with a swivel clasp on jump rings, or hang an applique cat from a glued bail. Keep it decorative.
See what you needKeep the same cutters and swap the clay colours, for example a Ginger Tabby version.
Show your pairs on printed earring display cards or a printed stand at a market stall or in product photos.
Cut the same body, inner ears and spots at 80 mm for wall art that holds a pair of 40 mm cat drop earrings.
See the wall art displayYou may sell the finished polymer clay pieces you make. You may not sell, share or redistribute the digital files or 3D-printed tools. See the included Maker Licence for the full terms.
If a file is missing, won't open or doesn't match the listing, message us through Etsy messages with the build kit name and filename, and we'll put it right.
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