Polymer-Clay-Beads

Home:polymer-clay-projects: polymer-clay-beads

Polymer-Clay-Beads: Polka dots

You will find here a very simple technique to make polymer-clay-beads with polka dots.

Polymer clay is an amazing clay soft and malleable when you buy it and fused into plastic after baking.

As our web site is about making jewelry using simple techniques, we do our best to propose easy techniques with impressive effect!

So what can you do with polka beads?
A lot's of different types of jewelry…
Fashion trends for fall 2011 report a lot of polka dots for clothes and accessories, so let's use them!

Imagine a necklace or bracelet simply strung with classic white and black, grey and white or very trendy bronze and grey, dark red and grey, midnight blue and silver tones…
You can make multi color beads to light up a gloomy winter for example.

TIPS!

You can realize subtle colors with polymer clay: you can mixed different clay colors together or you can add natural pigments to transparent or white clay while you are making a bead!

The result can be breathtaking!

As simple as 1-2-3 with a fun and creative spirit!

Sorry our pictures do not really show (yet) the fineness of these polka dots beads.

We will show you now how to make them through detailed pictures.

˜Enjoy!˜

Supplies

Polymer clay in two or more colors (or make your own color), soft clay is ok.
A plastic sheet to work on,
a rolling pin is used to flatten the clay ( you can also use a pasta machine),
a pin tool like a skewer or an awl for example is used to make holes,
tissue blade and craft knife are used to shape and cut the clay,
an oven to bake the clay.

How to

Take a lump of clay,
knead the clay with your fingers.
Once the clay is soften, make a ball and shape it by rolling the ball in the center of your hands.
Once you are satisfied with your shape, make two holes with an awl or a skewer for example. The "base "bead is ready.

Now let's see how to add dots to your bead

You need first to make a "snake". To do so, take a little lump of clay in a different color, make a ball and roll it with your fingers to make a coil. You can make an even coil by rolling it with your fingers on a small piece of glass or plexi glass.
Cut thin slices from this coil and add them gently to the" base" bead,
reshape the bead if necessary.
Bake on a piece of baking paper, as we said before, follow carefully the manufacturer instructions and do not exceed the temperature indicated in the package.