DIY CHAR M BR ACELET
YOU WILL NEED: Polymer clay in various colors 5/32 Silver/Gold eyelets Sculpting tools Clay gloss varnish or polyurethane matte varnish* Paint brush Craft knife An oven and pan A ruler Aluminum foil & parchment paper Tape Snake chain bracelet or mesh bracelet. Optional: Beads, glitter, paint, pens, crystals, etc. *This can be found in the paint or clay section of your local craft store.
STEP 1 : PREPARE THE POLYMER CLAY Use the parchment paper to cover your work area and make sure it is clean of anything that could stick to the clay. Tape it down. Take a dime sized piece of clay in the color of your choice and begin to work the clay, letting the heat from your hands warm the clay and soften it. Roll the clay into a 1 1/4 cm ball. TIP: Draw a 1.25 by 1.25 cm square on the parchment paper and use that to measure the rolled clay.
STEP 2 : ATTACH THE EYELETS Take a pointed sculpting tool and press it through the center of the clay ball all the way to the other side (You could also use a toothpick or bamboo skewer). Center an eyelet over one of the holes and press into the clay. Turn the bead over and attach another eyelet to the other side.
STEP 3 : CLEAR THE INSIDE Use the pointed sculpting tool to clear out any excess clay in the center of the bead. Clear out most of the clay, but don t worry about getting every tiny piece. Be gentle and do not dig so hard that the bead gets misshapen or the eyelets get pressed too far into the clay. Any tough, smaller pieces can be removed after baking the bead. Lightly re-shape the bead if any damage occurs when removing the inside.
STEP 4 : BAKE THE BEADS Preheat oven to 270º and cover a pan in aluminum foil or parchment paper. Lay out and cover the beads using a piece of foil (to prevent burning). Place them in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes. After 10 minutes, check the beads every 5 minutes to make sure they re not burning. Oven temperature & time may vary. Start with 270º, if the clay is still too soft after the allotted time, increase the heat and keep checking the beads until they re firm. Remove from heat and cool.
STEP 5 : APPLY A VARNISH COAT This is optional for simple beads, but recommended for beads with glitter, polymer details, seed beads, etc. The varnish coat will also provide a protective layer from scratches. Use a paintbrush to apply 2 to 3 coats of either glossy or matte varnish to the outer layer of the bead. Avoid using too much for one coat to stop large blobs from drying on the bead. TIP: Dry the beads by hanging them on pins placed into a piece of foam board. Lean the foamboard upright against something.
STEP 6 : ASSEMBLE THE BRACELET Take the snake chain bracelet and unscrew the end cap off. Slide the beads onto the bracelet and secure the end cap back onto the chain. Push firmly when pushing the chain through the bead. If an eyelet slides off, simply slide the chain the rest of the way through the bead and the eyelet, then push the eyelet back into the bead. Use a screw or sculpting tool to gently sand out the center of the bead if there is any remaining bits of clay.
PIXIE DUST BEADS Create a bead using the same color clay as the glitter of your choice. Follow steps 1-3. After step 3, take the beads gently roll them in a small bowl of glitter, making sure to fill up any uncoated areas on the bead. Gently shake off any excess glitter and bake normally. Be sure to coat the beads in 2-3 layers of varnish to prevent the glitter from shedding.
CRYSTAL MICKEY BEADS Create a bead using the same color clay as the crystals of your choice. Follow steps 1-3. After step 3, take one large crystal and two smaller crystals and align them on a flat surface. Use your finger to pick up the large crystal by firmly pressing over the surface. Press the crystal firmly into the center of the bead. Press the two smaller crystals above, allowing just a small amount of space between the crystals to form the Mickey.
STEP 1 : MICKEY PATTERN BEADS To make this create a translucent clay bead and follow steps 1-3. Next, take two dime size pieces of translucent and white clay and roll them into two separate balls of clay.
STEP 2 : ROLL THE WHITE CLAY Take the ball of white clay and roll it out into an even length of clay. Cut it in half and place one of the halves to the side. This will be the roll for the center of Mickey s head. Take the second half and roll it out into a roll half the size of the original, then cut it in half again. These will be the ear pieces. Cut the rolls into equal length, about 1 1/2 inches long.
STEP 3 : FORM A MICKEY Align to two smaller rolls to the top of the larger roll. Gently press them onto the top of the larger roll until connected. Be sure not to press too hard or the Mickey will get misshapen.
STEP 4 : COVER WITH TRANSLUCENT CLAY Roll a 1 1/2 long piece of transluscent clay to press and fill the space in between the Mickey ears. Roll and flatten out a large piece of transluscent clay. Wrap the entire Mickey with this layer of transluscent clay and trim the excess edges of the clay off. Gently reform the roll. Using a craft knife, carefully cut slices to lay over the bead. Gently press & blend the seams together using a sculpting tool.
TWO COLOR MICKEY BEAD Take two dime size pieces of red and black clay and roll them into two separate balls and then cut them in half. Attach a red and black half together and gently re-roll in hand to warm the halves, pressing them together. Take two tiny pieces of white clay and roll them into two balls. Press them onto the surface of red clay. Continue with steps 2-6.
MINNIE DRESS BEAD Take a dime size piece of red clay and roll it into a ball. Roll out a length of white clay and cut it into small, equal pieces. Roll these into tiny balls. Take each and gently press into flat circles, pick them up and attach them to the surface of the red clay. Equally space out each polka dot. Continue with steps 2-6.
MICKEY & MINNIE BRACELET Pair the Mickey and Minnie with two yellow shoe beads and add a crystal accent bead for some glimmer. Add any additional creations of your own.
JASMINE BRACELET Take two dime size pieces of teal and translucent clay and roll them into two separate balls. Take 1/4 of the teal clay and knead it into the translucent clay. Be sure it is completely mixed together. Measure out a 1 1/4 cm circle and continue with steps 2-6 to make a bead. For the accent bead, take a teal crystal and center it into the bead. Then take gold, glass seed beads and entirely surround the crystal by pressing them into the bead. Repeat with two more crystals.
FINAL TIPS: Have fun creating your own beads and combinations inspired by your favorite Disney characters. E N J OY!