How to Make Animal Charms for Bead Jewelry
Animal charms add whimsy and character to many different jewelry designs. One simple way to make animal charms for bead jewelry is to create small clay animals and decorate them with beads. Embed faceted glass beads in the center of the animal charm or cover the front with tiny bits of color by using no-hole beads. You can also dangle a few beads from the top of the animal charm to add movement to the piece.
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Things You'll Need
- Polymer clay
- Animal push molds
- Clay roller
- Cookie sheet
- Tin foil
- Microbeads
- 22-gauge craft wire
- Wire cutters
- Clay glaze
- Paint sponge
- Jump rings
- Round nose pliers
Instructions
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1
Soften the polymer clay with your hands. Press a small amount of clay into the animal push mold. Smooth the clay at the top edge of the mold with a clay roller.
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2
Remove the molded clay animal from the push mold. Place it on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil.
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3
Repeat Step 1 and Step 2 to make as many clay animals as you like.
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4
Sprinkle microbeads over the top of the clay animals. Microbeads are tiny glass beads with no holes. Embed the beads into the clay animals by rolling over them gently with the clay roller. Cover the animals with the small beads or add them sparingly, depending on your design preference.
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5
Cut a 2-inch strip of 22-gauge craft wire. Insert the wire through the top of each clay animal to make a hole for the jump ring so you can turn the beaded clay animal into a charm. Make sure that the hole goes all the way through the clay animal. Remove the wire.
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6
Bake the clay animals in the oven, according to the clay manufacturer’s directions. Allow the animals to cool.
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7
Coat the back of the beaded animal charms with clay glaze and a paint sponge. Allow the glaze to dry.
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8
Open a jump ring with round nose pliers. Hook the ring through the hole in an animal charm. Close the jump ring if you are threading the charm over a jewelry strand; leave it open if you are adding it to a chain link.
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9
Repeat Step 8 to attach jump rings to each animal charm.
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Tips & Warnings
Create a different look for the animal charms by omitting the embedded beads and covering the clay animal with glaze. Thread one or two 4mm beads over a head pin, make a loop in the pin as it exits the bead and hook it over the jump ring attached to the clay animal.
References
- Photo Credit Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
