Making Fun Beads For Kids With Polymer Clay

By Author: Karen Woodson
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Creating clay beads can be a fun activity for young and old alike. You may want to produce fun clay beads for kids or you may be interested in polymer clay beading as a creative activity in which kids can participate. Either way, you'll find the use of polymer clay in bead making to be an easy and fun creative practice.

Many bead makers use polymer clay alone to create their beads but you should keep in mind the expense and weight of the beads in making your material decisions. Big beads created from clay can be nice in appearance but they can also be heavy to wear as jewelry. Clay can also be a relatively expensive material which makes it more cost effective to consider using a filler bead in creating polymer clay beads for kids' jewelry.

Filler beads can help cut down on the weight and cost of making polymer clay beads, without changing the general appearance of the beads themselves. If you're producing your beads for profit, it is important to consider the cost of your materials. You can lower your expenses and make a better profit but you can also price your items lower, making it more likely they will sell ...
... well.

You'll need to have the right tools to make fun clay beads for kids. There are a few key tools that make the craft easy and fun. These include a knitting needle, pre-made bead cane, and a tissue blade or other similar object. You'll also need an exacto-knife or stylus blade and wax paper. And of course, you'll need your polymer clay and any filler beads you may want to use.

If you decide to use filler beads, you should consider wood as it is durable and lightweight, making it a perfect choice for the interior of the clay bead structure. Polymer beads can also be made without fillers, in which case you will not need to shop for any other beads for your project.

Selecting the right work station is critical to the quality of your finished beads. It's important to remember that clay is soft and easily picks up debris. By keeping your workstation as clean as possible, you cut down on the dirt, dust, lint, and hair that can inadvertently become part of your beads.

Having good lighting is also essential to making a quality product. Especially when you're working with small and intricate pieces, lighting quality can make all the difference in the world.

You will also want to make sure you have enough room to work; you'll need plenty of space to easily access all your tools and materials. There is nothing more frustrating that trying to create something in a tiny space or without the right tools handy.

Once you've selected your work area and placed all of your materials and tools in the right spot, you can secure your wax paper in place. It should be taped down, snuggly secured along the edges to prevent it from slipping out of place while you're working.

You can take several approaches to working with clay. One is to shape it with your hands into the structure you want the final bead to take. This is best when making beads that are a single color. If you're creating heart-shaped or star-shaped beads of a single shade, you can immediately work your clay into those shapes.

If you're using filler beads, you can simply shape your clay around the outside of the filler. This method is easiest when you're using a single color of clay; it becomes very difficult, especially for those new to the craft, when you want to include multiple colors or layers of clay.

Some of the most appealing clay beads are those that use multiple colors or layers of different shades, in which case you will roll your clay onto your wax paper in thin sheets. After creating your sheets of clay, you can then layer them on top of one another in the order that appeals to you.

After laying your sheets in the order you want, you then roll the sheets together to create a single tube of clay. If you're shooting for a shaped bead, you should mold the entire tube of clay to that appearance.

After molding the tube to the desired shape, you can slice the clay into single beads. Whatever thickness you desire can be easily achieved, as polymer clay can be sliced into thin or thick pieces without difficulty.

The last step in creating the bead is to puncture a hole in it for stringing or threading. You will want to have a sharp-tipped object for this; knitting needles, beading canes, and food preparation skewers are all good for this activity. Keep in mind the size of the thread or string you intend to use for hanging the beads when making your holes and be sure to make them an appropriate size for that purpose.

Now you're ready to bake your beads. Polymer clay bakes at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit in a conventional oven, and take approximately 10 minutes to reach their desired texture. Some beads must be suspended in the oven in order to maintain their shape, and you can find good source material on safely suspending beads for baking. Most often, you can simply place your beads on a baking sheet to finish them.
About Author:
Looking for the best beads? Too Cute Beads was founded in 1998 based on one principal- giving everyone the opportunity to create beautiful and unique jewelry at a reasonable price. From the beginning, we followed the principal that we would never carry a product that we ourselves would not wear and love. Since then, we have grown and expanded. Our designs have been featured in some of the top beading magazines.