How to Lay Out Polymer Clay Bead Necklaces

After making your beads with polymer clay, you must lay out the design to create the necklace. A bead design board makes creating the necklace much easier. You can see how the piece will actually look before you create the final version.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Polymer clay beads
• Jewelry wire
• Bead design board
• Scissors

1. Prepare the beads to thread after you have removed them from the oven. If there are any loose clay particles along the holes of the beads, wipe them off.

2. Measure the wire or string you will be using for your necklace. Put the wire or string around your neck to determine where you want the pendant to lie.

3. Cut the wire to the desired length, but leave 2 inches on each side to allow for the closure.

4. Lay out the wire along a bead design board or measure the wire to determine how long your design must be and how far the beads need to go along the groove. Each mark on the board marks off 1 inch and the smaller marks represent 1/2 inch.

5. Place the pendant on "0" on the board to mark the center.

6. Plan how you want the necklace to look by laying out the beads along the groove on the board. Create a pattern with your beads using various colors, shapes and textures. Play with it until you get a design you like.

7. Thread your necklace with the wire along the groove on the board when you get the design you are happy with.

Tips & Warnings

• Add a bead stopper to one end of the wire as you thread the beads to prevent beads from falling off one end.