How to Put Holes in Fimo Beads
Fimo beads, made from a polymer clay of the same name, are a fashionable, easy-to-make bead used in many popular jewelry styles. The beads owe their popularity to the clay's ability to be easily fashioned into a number of shapes and styles as well as to be painted a wide range of colors. The clay itself is malleable and soft until burned in an oven or kiln, and there are three standard methods for creating a hole in the middle of the bead, using common tools found in the home.
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Instructions
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Use a knitting or crocheting needle to pierce a hole through the center of a Fimo bead that has already been cut and molded into its desired shape. While working the needle through the center of the bead, rotate the bead slowly to prevent any distortion that may arise as the result of needle pressure on the unhardened clay. After the needle penetrates through the entire bead, remove the needle for use on other beads.
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Use a skewer or toothpick as an alternative method for creating a hole through the center of an unbaked bead. Gently work the skewer or toothpick into the bead while rolling it back and forth and applying light, steady pressure. Beads can then be baked directly on the skewer or toothpick.
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For a Fimo bead that has already been baked, use a drill with a drill bit coordinating to the size of the bead or to the desired thickness of the thread on which the bead is to be placed. Using a drill typically produces a more professional look and prevents bead distortion caused by pressure placed on the bead when working a tool through its center before baking.
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Tips & Warnings
Although using a needle, skewer or toothpick to produce a hole through a Fimo bead is the easiest method, be careful when working the tool through the soft Fimo bead prior to baking, to avoid distorting the bead's desired end shape. To prevent pre-baking distortion completely, drilling the bead after it is baked is the most practical method.
Using a drill to produce a hole through a Fimo bead is an efficient technique; however, the bead may crack or break during the drilling process. Although this method is more difficult than using a needle, skewer or toothpick to create a hole, it produces a more professional end result.
References
- Photo Credit colourful beads image by BengLim from Fotolia.com
