Things You'll Need:
- Sculpey bead roller
- Sculpey bead baker
- polymer clay
- pasta machine
- polymer clay cutter
- spray sealer
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Step 1
Gather all your supplies.
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Step 2
Condition the clay. I usually do this by placing my clay in my pocket while I am setting up my work area. Connect the pasta machine to the table.
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Step 3
In this example I am making silver and green beads so I start the process with the silver as it is the lighter color. Tear off one section of the lighter color clay and form it into a ball.
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Step 4
Run the clay through the pasta machine first on 7. Then, change the setting to 6 and run it through again. This further conditions the clay. Fold the strip of clay, rotate it 90 degrees and run it through the pasta machine again.
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Step 5
Using the razor, cut the strip into a square.
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Step 6
Repeat step 4 with the darker colored clay.
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Step 7
Lay the lighter colored square on top of the darker colored clay strip. DO NOT press them in together. Just set them on top of each other.
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Step 8
Darker clay to the size of the lighter clay square. Cut the square in half and stack one on top of each other. Now you should have a 4 layer piece of clay (dark layer, light layer, dark layer, and light layer).
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Step 9
Use the cutter from your bead roller to cut out the appropriate size of clay. Drop it into the bead roller slot. I have a three bead roller so I do one of each shape each time I roll. Once you have a lump of clay the appropriate size in the roller, put in the spacer, and put the top on. Holding the bottom tray, glide the top tray over it 5-10 times. Lift the top tray and check on your beads. Make sure they are all formed correctly and the correct size. If they need more clay add it, if they need less cut some off and reroll. If they are the perfect size take them out and let them rest. Letting them rest cools them enough that you can work with them without them becoming deformed
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Step 10
Repeat step nine till you have the amount of beads you want. Make sure to let them rest 30 minutes or more. Then pierce them with the hanging needles in your bead baking kit and hang them on the rack.
Cook your beads by manufactures recommendation. Usually this will take about 30 minutes. Let the beads cool. If you want shinier beads, after cooling you can spray them with a clear coat before taking them off the rack. If you do this let them dry overnight before taking them off the rack.
