How to Make Animal Beads
Polymer clay is a good medium for making beads in animal shapes. You can mold it, sand it and paint it, and is not messy to use. It comes in a variety of colors, so you can be creative with your animal bead designs. Polymer clay is cured in an oven, which hardens the animal shapes into durable beads. You can form the animals in two ways: molding by hand or with a press mold.
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Things You'll Need
- Polymer clay
- Animal shaped clay molds (optional)
- Craft pasta machine (optional)
- Bead reamer tool
- Parchment paper or bead rack
- Cookie sheet
- Sandpaper
- Clay cutting tools
Instructions
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Using a Press Mold
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1
Soften a small amount of polymer clay to place in the mold. Some brands of polymer clay are softer than others. Sculpy clay tends to be softer than Kato or Fimo brands.
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2
Use the craft pasta machine to work extremely hard clay until it softens.
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3
Pinch off tiny pieces of clay and press into the mold. You can do the animals' shapes in a single color or multiple colors.
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4
Press the clay firmly into the mold, but be careful not to press so hard that you flatten the bottom of the mold against the table. This may distort the shape.
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5
Fill the mold until the clay is even with the top edges and flat all the way across.
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6
Turn the mold over and gently bend the rubber until it releases your animal shape. Smooth any rough edges with your fingers.
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7
Add any additional pieces of clay to the beads before you cure them.
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8
Use a bead reamer tool or a thin piece of wire to drill a bead hole through your animal shape.
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9
Place your animal shapes on a bead rack or on parchment paper that is sitting on a cookie sheet.
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10
Pre-heat your oven to the temperature specified for your brand of clay and cook the beads according to the manufacturer's directions.
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11
Allow the beads to cool then use fine-grain sandpaper, paint or glaze on the beads to add the finishing touch.
Molding By Hand
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12
Pinch off a small amount of clay and work it in your hands until soft.
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13
Press the clay with your fingers to form the animal shape you want for your bead. The example shown here is a cat face and a small duck.
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14
Pinch off pieces of different colored clays to add features to your animals, such as eyes or body parts.
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15
Use clay tools to cut or sculpt the clay as needed.
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16
Use the bead reamer tool or a thin piece of wire to place the hole in your bead when you have finished molding it.
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17
Repeat Steps 9 to 11 of the first section to cure your clay and begin using your beads in your jewelry designs.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Add a small amount of corn starch or baby power to press molds to help the clay release more easily.
The pasta machine used for conditioning clay should only be used for clay. Never use it for food. Follow the manufacturer's directions for baking the clay carefully. Burnt clay may give off toxic fumes.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Catherine Chant
