http://www.howtomakebracelets.net/how-to-make-creative-bracelets-2/
how to make creative bracelets
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Fantastic 10mm Charm Macrame Friendship Bracelet 3 Disco Swarovski Crystal Ball $9.47 |
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Fantastic 10mm Charm Macrame Friendship Bracelet 3 Disco Swarovski Crystal Ball $9.47 |
Making Polymer Clay Beads: A Fun New Craft Idea the Whole Family Can Enjoy by Jamie Jefferson
Polymer clay beads are getting a lot of attention in the crafting world. Suitable for both adults and children (ages 8 and up), working with polymer clay beads can give you a whole new way of having fun with your kids, too.
What are polymer clay beads?
Polymer clay beads are beads fashioned out of polymer clay (which is sometimes known simply as “Fimo,” a brand name of the clay.)
This polymer clay can be molded into a variety of different creations. Then you bake the clay in your home oven to create a hard, durable material that you can drill, slice, sand, and paint to achieve various creative effects.
Because polymer clay is so easy to work with, it has become a popular way to make your own beads for jewelry making.
Making Polymer Clay Beads
The process of making the beads is fairly straightforward. Just pinch off a bit of the clay, knead it in your hands and shape it into the form you like.
You can make polymer clay beads in a variety of different shapes, using a variety of techniques and tools. And you can work with the clay over and over again (until it has been baked.)
Molding the clay requires firm pressure, but it keeps its shape well once fixed. It is easiest to work with when it’s slightly warm, so if you are having trouble getting it to cooperate, you may want to move to a warmer work area or warm up your hands a bit.
Rounded beads are simplest for the beginner but you can soon learn how to make beads that are square, star shaped, heart shaped or designed to look like tiny animals. Flower shaped beads are also very popular.
To make the beads in different colors, start by choosing from the numerous colors of polymer clay that are commercially available. You can achieve a marbled effect by working with multiple colors at once. Once your creations have been baked, you can paint them with acrylics or fingernail polish to give them extra gloss and sparkle.
It’s easy to make holes in Fimo beads, so you can thread them together into bracelets or necklaces or sew them onto clothes. You can drill holes in the hard beads, once they have been baked. Or you can make holes in the soft clay before you bake your beads.
A toothpick is perfect for piercing holes through Fimo clay once the beads have been shaped. Wiggle the toothpick around to make sure that the sides of the holes are smooth and bits won’t fall down to clog them during baking.
You can also use a wooden skewer to make holes in your beads. Carefully push a skewer through the center of your finished bead, being careful not to change its shape. Fill the skewer with beads (being careful that they don’t touch each other). Then support the skewer on a baking rack or other oven-proof container so the beads don’t change shape during baking. Bake the beads directly on the skewer.
Baking Your Beads
You’ll need to bake all your clay creations to make them hard and shiny and to ensure that they keep their shape. You can do this in an ordinary oven on a baking sheet, but follow the instructions on each packet of the product to make sure you get the temperature just right. (If the polymer clay is baked at too high of a temperature, it can emit dangerous gases.) Your beads will be hard and ready to string together into jewelry once the clay is baked and cooled.
The manufacturer recommends this type of polymer modeling compound for ages 8 and up, with adult supervision, because the use of an oven is required, and the product should not be ingested.
Once you have the basics down, experiment with different varieties and brands of polymer clay, each of which has a different level of malleability. You can also get polymer clay in a variety of effects, such as translucent, iridescent, and glow-in-the-dark, to create beads and jewelry that are truly one-of-a-kind.
The author has compiled the latest savings on Fimo and polymer clay here. You can also browse Discount Art Supplies and Discount Craft Supplies and Coupon Codes.
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/Making-Polymer-Clay-Beads–A-Fun-New-Craft-Idea-the-Whole-Family-Can-Enjoy/187997
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Alex Toys Friends 4 Ever Bracelet Making Kit $17.95 A Friends 4ever friendship bracelets, made by your kids with this exciting easy-to-use kit, will be a gift cherished by their friends. Packed into a handy carrying case are threads in a rainbow of colors, eight different patterns, floss, beads, beading needle and four color-coded looms everything needed to create the colorful popular bracelets. The Friends 4ever friendship bracelet kit is perfect… |
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Creativity for Kids Shrinky Dink Deluxe $16.95 A complete Shrinky Dinks® fun factory with oodles of supplies. Includes 10 sheets of pre-printed Shrink film, charm bracelets, beads, greeting cards, gift tags, jewelry cord, hair clips and key chains. Plus 8 color pencils, pencil sharpener and hole punch…. |
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Friendship Wheel $8.99 The innovative bracelet maker provides you with a wonderful new way to make friendship bracelets. Just lift each thread, hook it to the opposite side and turn. It makes 10 different bracelets in 10 bright colors and 4 terrific patterns. Your friends will be amazed! Set includes 10 colors of string and two friendship wheels…. |
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Friendship Bracelets (Klutz) $9.59 Friendship Bracelets Kit includes ten skeins of embroidery floss beads handy clip to hold your in-progress bracelets steady built-in clipboard and an instruction book. This is the ultimate friendship bracelet book with directions for designs ranging from simple to simply amazing! Recommended for ages 6 and up. Spiral-bound: 60 pages. Made in Taiwan…. |
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Stamped Metal Jewelry: Creative Techniques and Designs for Making Custom Jewelry $12.50 Metal stamping is one of the hottest trends in metal jewelry. Using purchased metal stamps and sterling silver blanks, you can personalize your metal jewelry designs with words, textures, and creative designs. Lisa Niven Kelly, creator of the online Beaducation workshops and website, specializes in the technique and has been teaching stamping for more than six years to enthusiastic students. Altho… |
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Chained: Create Gorgeous Chain Mail Jewelry One Ring at a Time $12.90 Unchain your creativity! Whether you are new to chain mail or a seasoned weaver, Chained will introduce you to the art of combining metal jump rings into intricate designs, in a new way. No other book shows how to use so many weaves in so many ways, or gives this ancient art such a beautiful and modern twist. Techniques once used for armor now have a new life and can be used to create elegant ador… |
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Invicta Men’s 6620 II Collection Chronograph Stainless Steel Silver Dial Watch $89.95 With its polished stainless case and durable flame-fusion crystal, the Invicta Men’s II Collection Chronograph projects an air of authority and confidence. The watch’s unidirectional hatched bezel features engraved numbers in five-minute increments, which dovetail attractively with the slender, silver tachymeter. Featuring subdials with 60-second, 30-minute and day-of-the-week functions, the watch… |
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Invicta Men’s 6621 II Collection Chronograph Stainless Steel Blue Dial Watch $92.00 With its bold stainless steel case and stylish band, the Invicta Men’s II Collection Chronograph exudes attitude and experience. The watch’s unidirectional segmented bezel features engraved white numbers in five minute increments, which nicely complement the deep cobalt tone of the dial. Bordered by an elegant tachymeter, the dial displays hour indicators in bright white Arabic numerals, as well a… |
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Fossil Fossil Men’s Stainless Steel Chronograph Black Dial Watch with Black Dial This men’s chronograph watch with black dial, topring, and black IP plating is a great go-to watch to add to your collection… |
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Tune Belt MP3 Armband Carrier $9.95 Fits iPods, iPod nanos, iPod mini, iPod Shuffle, Creative Zen micro, phones, MP3 players and other devices up to 3″ wide. Maximum circumference (2x width + 2x depth) of device inside is 8″…. |