How to Make a Bead Round

Make round beads for your perfectly crafted, handmade jewelry.

Jewelry making and other bead crafting is a very rewarding endeavor. You get to exercise your creativity and produce a beautiful product which you can wear, give as a gift or sell. For a truly unique product, you can make your own round beads. This may sound easy, but it is far more difficult to get a perfectly round bead than you suspect. There are a few tricks of the trade that will help you to form perfectly rounded beads.

Things You'll Need

• Polymer clay
• Knife
• Wooden skewer
• Cookie sheet
• Wax paper
• Oven

Instructions

1. Break off a manageable piece of clay and knead until it is soft and malleable. This step is crucial in getting your clay ready for bead making.

2. Roll the clay on your work surface with the palm of your hand until it has formed into a long "snake." Make your clay snake is the same thickness throughout. Use the knife to cut the snake into equally sized sections. This will enable you to make beads that are all the same size.

3. Take a cut-off section and place it into the palm of your non-dominant hand. Keep this hand open so that the palm is straight and level. Do not move this hand.

4. Roll the piece of clay over your palm with the other hand. Roll it twice in a clockwise direction and then twice in an counterclockwise direction. Continue to roll until your bead is completely round.

5. Use the wooden skewer to gently pierce the bead. If the bead becomes misshapen or the clay cracks around the hole, roll it again until it is round and warm from your hands. Use the skewer again to make a small hole.

6. Line the cookie sheet with wax paper. Place the beads on the sheet and bake in the oven at the temperature recommended on the packaging (the temperature varies between brands) for 30 minutes for every 1/4 inch thickness.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not touch the clay when you take it out of the oven. Leave it to cool completely before handling.