Creative Jewelry Project: Making Your Own Beads

If you are anything like me, and an avid beading enthusiast, you will run into situations where you simply cannot find the beads you want, no matter where you might go and try to find them. Unless you enjoy running around to the far reaches of the city to find beads that you desire, there is another option. Create your own!

There are two common methods for making beads, one using paper, and the other using polymer clay. Both methods are fairly simple, require material that is easily accessible, and can easily be done if you have the patience and a steady hand.

The Paper Method

Are you surprised that beads can be made from paper? Most people are, when they first hear of this method. They feel that such a bead would be too fragile to use in jewelry making. While they might not be as strong as a bead created from stone, they still are stronger than you might think.

The first thing to do, of course is to gather the materials that you need to create the paper beads. The first thing you need is something to create the bead around so that in the end you will have a hole to string through. Be sure to pick something that will give you the size hole that you want. Common things used for this part is a needle or a round toothpick.

The next ingredient is paper. Depending on what type of bead you wish to make, cut the paper into small shapes. If you wish to make cylindrical beads, cut the paper into small rectangle strips. If you want to make oval beads, cut the paper into small triangles, with two sides the same length. For cone beads, you can cut the paper into small, right angled triangles.

Once you have your paper cut into the beginning shapes, the next crucial ingredient in making your own paper beads is glue. Any real type of glue can be used, and most people use either Elmer's Glue or rubber cement. Simply take your needle and partially wrap the paper around the needle. Next, take the glue and place a little bit on the leading edge and wrap it tightly around to form the bead. Depending on the type of paper and its thickness, follow the same process to add more layers, allowing the glue to dry in between each one.

Once you have the size bead you want, slowly pull the needle out of the center of the bead and allow the bead to fully dry. Once that happens, you can paint the bead if you want. If however the paper bead looks the way you want to, feel free to go to the final step of coating it with a clear spray coat of polyurethane to protect the bead. Allow the bead to dry once more, and in about 1/2 hour they'll be ready for use.

The Polymer Clay Method

This method of creating your own beads is somewhat more complicated than the paper bead method, but many feel that it offers much for opportunity for creativity. Polymer clay, in actuality is a type of plastic that can be easily molded into a shape and then baked in an oven to form a hard substance. This makes it a great source for different beads, since the bead maker can use his or her imagination to create any type of bead imaginable.

The first step of course, is to obtain some polymer clay. This substance can be easily found at any hobby store or craft store. The most common brand name you'll see is Sculpey ®.

It should be noted that there are safety concerns with using polymer clays. Basically there is a hazardous plasticizer contained in the polymer clay that allows the material to be easily molded. Occasionally this material will leech out during baking and forming. Because of this, creating these beads or using this material should not be used around food and any equipment used should not be used for food preparation. Many crafters will designate a specific set of equipment used only in the creation of these beads and keep them separate from other items in the house.

Now that you have the polymer clay, the next step is to gather together the other pieces of equipment. The items you need are a baking sheet on which to bake the beads, a cutting tool to help form and shape the beads, a piercing tool such as a darning needle to make the holes once they are formed, and a rolling tool if you need help forming the beads. Other optional tools include such things as cookie cutters, and other items to apply texture to the beads.

Once you have everything together, start by softening the polymer clay. This is easily done by working and kneading the material in your hands. Most people take their cutting tool and cut a small piece off of the main block for easier use. If you want your beads to be a different color, now is the time to add the color. If you have polymer clay that is already colored, blend them the way you would paints. For example, blue and yellow clay can be blended to make green.

This next step is where your creative side can really shine. There are many ways to form the polymer clay beads, and the only real rule is to use your imagination. The process described below is one method of forming the beads, but there are many others. Remember, this material is most like clay, so there are countless ways to shape the beads.

Begin by creating a complex log of different colors of polymer clay, creating a pattern. The shapes and colors that you use to make the log will determine the patterns of the finished beads. If you merely want solid color beads, just shape the polymer clay into the log. If you want a more patterned appearance to your beads, simple take separate colors and place them in a pattern, making sure that all the air bubbles are removed. One common way to do this is to cut the various colors of polymer clay into thin strips and place them in a brick like pattern, or even a checkerboard pattern to form a complex log.

Once your have the complex log formed, the next step in creating your beads is to cut the finished loaf into slices. One hint to remember while doing this is to press the blade downward and use a saw-like motion from side to side to create smooth edges. Next, take these slices of polymer clay into various shapes, such as spheres, cylinders, rectangles or any other shape that you think would make a good bead. Notice that the patterns formed by the complex log will change once you start forming the beads. Next, take your piercing tool to puncture a hole for stringing. It's best to pierce the bead halfway through from one end and the go from the other end to complete the hole. This reduces the chances of cracks forming in the polymer clay.

Finally comes the part where the oven gets involved. Relax; this is one of the easiest parts of the whole process. First, preheat the oven to the temperature described on the package instructions for the polymer clay. Remember that lighter colored clays are more susceptible to burning, so if your beads are predominately lighter or transparent clay use the lower end of the temperature range given. Take the baking sheet and place the beads vertically and with equal room around each bead. If you wish to avoid getting a shiny spot of the bead where it rests against the baking pan, simply string the beads along a piece of thin wire and suspend the beads over top of the baking sheet by taking ends of the wires and wrapping them around the edges of the baking sheet.

It should be noted that polymer clay is very susceptible to changes in temperature and heat, so it might take a few tries to get the time and temperature right to fire the beads. One trick is to get an oven thermometer and make sure that oven temperature is correctly calibrated.

Bake the beads for the time instructed on the polymer clay package. If you're using two different brands, take the average of the baking times. When the time is up, remove the baking sheet and allow the beads to cool. Remember, the beads and baking sheet will be very hot, so be sure to take the necessary precautions. Once the beads are cool, test them for doneness. If they are completely baked, they will be very hard and create a sharp sound when tapped on a hard surface such as a countertop. If they aren't completely baked, they will feel like a firm grapefruit to the touch, and yield slightly when squeezed. If they are not done, simply return them to the oven for a few more minutes.

These are just two of the easy ways to create your own specialized beads to use in your many creations. So now when people admire your next project you'll be able to say that it was made completely from scratch!