How to Make Earring Beads

Making your own beads for earrings can be a fun outlet. Polymer clay is one of the easiest materials to use for earring beads. It comes in a variety of colors. The clay is easy to work with, requiring very few tools, and beads for earrings can be made in a variety of shapes and designs.

Things You'll Need

• Polymer clay
• Smooth work surface
• Piercing tool
• Clay pasta machine (optional)

Instructions

1. Take a piece of clay and warm it in the palms of your hands. Work the clay by kneading it as you would bread, until it is nice and smooth. If you have a clay pasta machine, this will speed up the process. Clay pasta machines can be purchased at any craft store.

2. Experiment with different colors and shapes. Any shape, from spherical to oblong, will work. Try using two or more colors in a single bead.

3. Add designs to your beads, if you desire. You can add texture with a variety of items. The end of a pen makes perfect round circles in the clay. You can purchase clay guns that have different discs for textures at any craft store.

4. Pierce a hole in your bead, from one end to the other, so that you can place the bead on the stringing material for your earring. A needle or bamboo skewers work well for this purpose. Make sure that the hole you create is big enough to accommodate the stringing material you'll be using.

5. Follow the clay manufacturer's instructions for "curing" your beads. This is usually done in an oven at a very low temperature for a short period. Once the beads are cured, you can put them on earrings.

Tips & Warnings

• Get a book on making beads with polymer clay. Try using bead molds.

References

• Sculpey