DIY Network

Beads by Hand An array of beadazzling projects for the jewelry crafter From "Creative Juice" episode DCRJ-303

It’s the little things that matter as crafters Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza go bananas for beads!

advertisement

Cathie Filian and Steve Piacenza use a simple tool to transform clay into perfectly shaped handcrafted beads that look great strung together.

Clay Bead Bracelet

Clay Bead Making and Bracelet

Materials:

1 oz. (1/2 block) pearl Premo
Luminarte powered pigments
Sculpey gloss polymer clay finish
needle
waxed paper
round nose pliers
wire clippers
crimp pliers (optional)
small spoon or stir stick
brush for Sculpey gloss
Sculpey Super Slicer
toaster oven
aluminum foil
oven thermometer
oven mitts
Tri-Bead Roller™
acrylic clay roller
jewelry wire
crimp bead
crimping pliers
jewelry spacers
lobster-claw clasp

1. Prepare the clay by kneading it, both by hand and with an acrylic roller, until soft. When it's soft, add powdered pigment to the dough (figure A).

2. Roll the clay into small balls and shapes with the Tri-Bead Roller (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

3. With the clay spiral laid flat between two fingers, slide a needle through the center of each bead (figure C).

4. Keep the beads separated on aluminum foil that has been folded into accordion pleats (figure D).

Figure C

Figure D

5. Prepare 15 beads: bake them on the pleated foil for 20 minutes at 275 degrees, remove them from the oven and let them cool.

6. Paint one side of each bead with Sculpey gloss and let it dry (figure E). Flip each bead over, coat the second side and edges with Sculpey gloss and let it dry.

7. When the beads are dry, string one end of the jewelry wire through a crimp bead, one side of the lobster clasp and back through the crimp bead. Crimp with crimping pliers.

8. String beads and spacers to make a bracelet.

9. After stringing the last bead, thread the wire through a crimp bead, the other side of the clasp and back through the crimp bead. Crimp with crimping pliers (figure F). Snip ends of wire.

Figure E

Figure F

Page  1 | 2 | 3 | 4