TUTORIAL:

Have you ever looked at a set of matched polymer clay beads and wondered how they get them to all be the same size? Or have you wondered how they get the colors to match so well? This lesson will teach you the basics plus some tips and tricks for turning a sheet of clay into a matching set of beads.


If you are literally playing with clay and run it through a pasta machine or roll out, you OFTEN end up with a very cool sheet of clay! NOW what? Or you might find a really cool free recipe somewhere on line and you end up with a pretty sheet of clay. Again NOW what? Well, this is "what".


In this tutorial you will start by learning one technique for mixing colors to make a sheet of clay. I used browns. You can use any combination you like as long as there is a light, a medium and a dark. You can even add a fourth medium color if you like, but make sure you separate them with the light color so you don't end up with mud. You will then learn how to use that sheet of clay as a veneer to make a donut, a cabochon, round beads, oval beads, and paddle beads. You will learn tips and tricks for making beads that are the same size. And you won't need to invest in bead rollers.


One of my favorite things about this technique is that it a great way to "stretch" a small amount of really cool clay and get more beads out of it by using the desired color as a veneer over a core of scrap clay. Why waste the "good stuff" by letting it hide on the inside of a bead? Much better to have something less attractive form the core, and then use the good stuff on the outside.


You will learn how to shape the round, oval, and paddle beads using only your hands. For the tutorial, we will be using round cutters in different sizes to make the donut. If you do not have round cutters you can use paper circle templates and a craft knife to make the cuts, but be aware that this is not demonstrated in the tutorial.


A pasta machine will be very helpful, but is not required, for this tutorial, just because it will speed things up. I did not use a machine during the making of the tutorial; I only used an acrylic rod to roll the clay.


Last but not least, this is polymer clay we're working with here, which of course means that there will be neat things happending along the way. I will point them out to you, showing you where you have opportunities to deviate.


As something of a bonus, this tutorial will show you the beginnings of a Natasha bead, which is a mirrord image bead, and tell you how to finish it but it will not be demonstrated here.


Prerequisites: NONE! If you have NEVER touched clay, you can do this. Your kids can do this as long as an adult handles all the sharp tools and blades.

• Premo clay in Burnt Umber Copper Gold and Black
• or any combination of three colors as long as there is a dark a medium and a light so there is contrast.

• Tile work surface
• Clay blade
• Round cutters for inner and outer donut or circle templates and craft knife
• Acrylic rod or pasta machine
• Plastic sandwich bag
• ruler for measuring clay slices
• scissors for cutting plastic bag open