How to Add Holes to Clay Beads

Making your own jewelry can be a lot fun. Clay jewelry is particularly tricky to work with, but looks great when it is dried and finished. Here is a good way to add a backing to your clay beads so that you can thread them with string or wire to make bracelets or necklaces.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Clay beads that are not fully dry
• Clear clay
• Poking device
• Glue

Add Holes to Clay Beads

1. You should add the backing to your clay beads once you have molded them into the shape and texture that you want, but before the clay dries completely. It is easy to do, as long as you are careful. By this stage you should have your clay beads lying out to dry on one side.

2. Turn over your beads so that the dry side is now facing down. The wet side should be facing up.

3. Take a piece of clear clay and soften it. Then roll this hunk of clay into a log shape about 1/4 inch thick. Now cut the log into however many beads you are making holes for. Each log piece needs to be about 1/2 inch in length. This length may have to be altered if you are making unusually large or small beads.

4. Take one of the pieces of the log that you have just cut and flatten it into a rectangular shape. The shape should cover about 30% of the back of your clay bead as a general guideline. Do this same step for each piece of the log. Remember that you should have a rectangular piece of clay for each bead that you are making a hole for.

5. Score some shallow marks in two spots on opposite sides of the bead where you plan on putting the backing with the sharp poking device. Be careful not to go through the clay when making these scored areas. They are just there to guide you with the rest of the steps.

6. Add a touch of glue over the two scored areas that you just made. Next, glue down one side of the rectangular piece of clear clay that you made in Step 4 on one of the scored areas. Leave the other side up.

7. Place your poking device in the center of the rectangle and fold the other half of the rectangle (the side not glued down yet) over the top of the poking device, creating a bridge over the poking tool. Then press the unglued side of the rectangle down onto the glue dot/other scored area. Carefully slide out the poking device, leaving the bridge in place.

8. Let the bridge dry for at least 24 hours. Then you will be ready to thread the hole with wire or string.

Tips & Warnings

• Note: You are not actually poking holes into the beads at any time. You are simply adding a bridge-like backing through which to thread string or wire.