What
you'll need:
- 1
oz. each of Sculpey III polymer clay
- Blade or
sharp kitchen knife
- Elastic cording
- Key ring
- Lanyard hook
Pinwheel beads
1. Roll Red, White and Blue into logs of equal size and length. Set
1/2 aside for marbled beads.
2. Layer the three logs together with sides touching.
3. Gently push
the 3 logs together with your fingers. Then begin pinching the
striped log
into a triangular shape. Pinch up one color
at a time and then turn the log 1/3 turn. Pinch the new color up.
Continue pinching and turning each color until the whole log is triangular.
Gently pull and stretch as you go so that the log will be about 6" long.
4. Trim off the ends. Section the log into 6 equal pieces.
5. Stand each section on end. Place them in a pie-shape pattern
with the white points in the middle.
6. Gently press the sections together in the middle with your fingers.
7. Continue pressing
on all six sides. Soon the log will begin getting smaller in diameter
and longer in length. Once it's 2-3" long,
you may start rolling it on the work surface. Use the stripes to
keep the log straight. Roll the log gently until it is about 1/2" in
diameter.
8. Refrigerate the log for a few minutes to firm it up.
This next instruction must be adult supervised. Slice the log with a polymer
clay blade or sharp kitchen knife. If the log seems to want to smoosh while
cutting, just use a cutting and rolling motion, allowing the whole log to roll
under the gentle pressure of your knife. This will make it easier to slice
the log without it becoming smashed on one side.
After the beads are sliced, smooth the edges of them with your fingers. 
9. To make holes in your beads, poke a toothpick through until the
tip reaches the other side. Pull out the toothpick. Poke the toothpick
back through the other side where the tip came through. Push all
the way through to form a nice hole. Spin the toothpick gently to
remove it from the bead.
Marbled Beads
1. To make marbled you'll need the clay that you set aside in Step
1 of Pinwheel Beads. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 from Pinwheel Beads (but
do not set half of the clay aside).
2. Roll the three
colors gently together on the work surface. Gently twist the log
so that
the colors turn in candy-cane fashion. Keep
rolling and twisting until the log is about 1/2" thick.
3. Section the
rope into equal portions each about 1/2" long.
Gently roll these into balls in the palms of your hands. Poke holes
in them using Step 9 from Pinwheel Beads.
4. To make donut beads, gently flatten a round marbled bead. Poke
a hole down through the middle. Push the toothpick all the way through
and twist and spin the toothpick to enlarge the hole.
Bake all beads at 275 Degrees F for 20 minutes. String to make bracelets, key
chains, napkin rings, etc.
|
