How to Make Polymer Clay Jewelry
Assemble all of your supplies., Loosen up the polymer clay., Pierce the ball of polymer clay right down the middle with your toothpick., Lay your bead on your baking sheet., Repeat these steps with all of the colors of clay you have., Make marbled...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Assemble all of your supplies.
You will need several colors of polymer clay, a toothpick, a pan that can go in the oven (that will only be used for polymer clay, not food), a piece of string, and a needle that can be threaded onto the string.
Polymer clay is available at all craft supply stores and easily available online as well. -
Step 2: Loosen up the polymer clay.
Polymer clay needs to be worked and warmed up a little bit before it can be easily manipulated.Cut off a small piece of the first color you want to use, about the size of a marble.
Roll it around in your hands, making it round and loosening it up.
If your clay is really hard, cut it up into small pieces with a knife.
Lay the pieces on on a cutting board and add a drop of mineral oil.
Now knead all the little pieces back together.
The mineral oil should make it more pliable., Be careful that the ball keeps its round shape and that the hole made by the toothpick is big enough to get your needle through later.
Polymer clay does not really expand or contract when cooked, but bead holes may tend to shrink a bit.
This means that you should make your bead holes a little bit bigger than your needle., Remember that the baking sheet you use will should not be used for baking food after it's used for baking polymer clay. , Try to keep your beads all the same size, so that they look the same. , Once you have practiced making beads of a single color, try mixing several colors together to create a marbled effect.
Simply take small pieces of several colors and knead them together.
However, be careful not to knead them too long or the colors will simply combine and create a new solid color.
Different brands of polymer clay may have different baking directions, so it's best to only combine polymer clays of the same brand., Roll each color into a long skinny tube, about a quarter inch wide and four inches long.
Press all the tubes of color into each other, making one long roll.
Roll out this larger roll a little bit, just to make sure that it is round.
Then slice off marble size pieces and roll them into beads.
Your finished bead should have two multicolored sides.
You can make a variety of patterns and designs by using this process.
Try slicing thin round pieces off of your multicolor roll and then applying the flat sides of them to the surface of a single color bead (as made in the steps above).
Once the surface is covered, smooth the surface out by rolling the bead lightly in your hands. , Be sure to follow the directions carefully, as over baking or under baking your bead can damage them.
No matter what brand it is, it will smell up your kitchen a bit while baking.
These fumes are not good for you.
Be sure to open us some windows or turn on a vent to get proper ventilation. , The beads need to be completely cool before you touch them.
When they are still warm they will not be totally hard, so touching them could damage the surface. , Thread your needle with the string you got.
Then string the beads on, paying attention to any kind of color pattern you would like to make.
Once all of your beads are on the string, take the needle off the end and tie the ends of the string off, making sure the loop you make is big enough to fit over your head. , -
Step 3: Pierce the ball of polymer clay right down the middle with your toothpick.
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Step 4: Lay your bead on your baking sheet.
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Step 5: Repeat these steps with all of the colors of clay you have.
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Step 6: Make marbled beads.
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Step 7: Make a two-sided multicolor bead.
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Step 8: Follow the baking directions given on the wrapper of the clay.
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Step 9: Remove the beads from the oven and let them cool before assembling your necklace.
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Step 10: Assemble your necklace.
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Step 11: Put on your brand new necklace!
Detailed Guide
You will need several colors of polymer clay, a toothpick, a pan that can go in the oven (that will only be used for polymer clay, not food), a piece of string, and a needle that can be threaded onto the string.
Polymer clay is available at all craft supply stores and easily available online as well.
Polymer clay needs to be worked and warmed up a little bit before it can be easily manipulated.Cut off a small piece of the first color you want to use, about the size of a marble.
Roll it around in your hands, making it round and loosening it up.
If your clay is really hard, cut it up into small pieces with a knife.
Lay the pieces on on a cutting board and add a drop of mineral oil.
Now knead all the little pieces back together.
The mineral oil should make it more pliable., Be careful that the ball keeps its round shape and that the hole made by the toothpick is big enough to get your needle through later.
Polymer clay does not really expand or contract when cooked, but bead holes may tend to shrink a bit.
This means that you should make your bead holes a little bit bigger than your needle., Remember that the baking sheet you use will should not be used for baking food after it's used for baking polymer clay. , Try to keep your beads all the same size, so that they look the same. , Once you have practiced making beads of a single color, try mixing several colors together to create a marbled effect.
Simply take small pieces of several colors and knead them together.
However, be careful not to knead them too long or the colors will simply combine and create a new solid color.
Different brands of polymer clay may have different baking directions, so it's best to only combine polymer clays of the same brand., Roll each color into a long skinny tube, about a quarter inch wide and four inches long.
Press all the tubes of color into each other, making one long roll.
Roll out this larger roll a little bit, just to make sure that it is round.
Then slice off marble size pieces and roll them into beads.
Your finished bead should have two multicolored sides.
You can make a variety of patterns and designs by using this process.
Try slicing thin round pieces off of your multicolor roll and then applying the flat sides of them to the surface of a single color bead (as made in the steps above).
Once the surface is covered, smooth the surface out by rolling the bead lightly in your hands. , Be sure to follow the directions carefully, as over baking or under baking your bead can damage them.
No matter what brand it is, it will smell up your kitchen a bit while baking.
These fumes are not good for you.
Be sure to open us some windows or turn on a vent to get proper ventilation. , The beads need to be completely cool before you touch them.
When they are still warm they will not be totally hard, so touching them could damage the surface. , Thread your needle with the string you got.
Then string the beads on, paying attention to any kind of color pattern you would like to make.
Once all of your beads are on the string, take the needle off the end and tie the ends of the string off, making sure the loop you make is big enough to fit over your head. ,
About the Author
Amber Young
With a background in lifestyle and practical guides, Amber Young brings 4 years of hands-on experience to every article. Amber believes in making complex topics accessible to everyone.
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