How to Make Baker's Clay Jewelry
Baker's clay is known by other names such as salt-dough or homemade play-dough. Baker's clay bead-making is an economical way for you to make your own jewelry without the expense of buying beads. The ingredients of flour, water and salt used to make bakers clay beads are found in almost any kitchen. Because of the ease of making baker's clay beads, it is a craft project for the entire family and can keep young kids entertained for hours.
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Things You'll Need
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Water
- Salt
- Food coloring (Optional)
- Flour
- Single edge razor blade
- Rolling pin
- Cookie cutters
- Pencil or straw
- Cookie sheets
- Clothes hanger wire
- Thin paint brush
- Assorted paints
- Varnish
Instructions
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Make the baker's clay in a large bowl by mixing one and one half cups of hot water and one cup of salt together. At this point, decide if you want the dough colored, or if you are going to paint them after the beads dry. If you want colored dough for your beads, add some food coloring until you achieve the color you desire.
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Add four cups of all-purpose flour to the salt and water mixture and mix it into dough. Turn the baker's clay dough out onto a lightly flowered board and knead the dough for eight to ten minutes, working out lumps. You can tell it has been kneaded enough when the dough is smooth.
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Pinch off a small amount of the clay and roll it into a ball. You can make the bead balls into any size, but keep in mind that the thicker the dough is, the more likely it is to crack when you bake it. Keep all the beads the same size per cookie sheet. Bigger beads take longer to bake than smaller beads. For a more uniform shape per bead, you can roll the clay into a log that is about 1/8 inch in diameter. Cut off small round sections of the dough with a single edge razor blade.
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Roll out some of the dough, no more than a fourth of an inch thick and cut out pendant shapes if you desire. You can cut the shapes free-hand or use cookie cutters. Poke a hole at the top with a pencil or narrow straw so you can attach it to your jewelry.
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Poke a hole through the center of each bead with a thick wire. You need a wire that is at least twice the thickness of what you are going to string your jewelry with, because the holes become smaller as the beads bake. A clothes hanger wire is about the right thickness to make the right sized hole.
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Bake at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 20 minutes. The baking time varies according to how thick the beads are. Check the beads after 10 minutes to see if they are dry. To test them, gently press on the bead to see if there is any give. If there is, bake your beads a little longer. Keep checking the beads often so they do not burn. You want the beads to feel rock hard.
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Allow the beads to cool and then paint each piece. you can make them all one color, add dots or paint designs over the top. Even if you tinted the dough, you can still paint other colors onto the surface of your beads and pendant. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly according to manufacturer's directions.
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Apply varnish to each bead and pendant to seal them. Paint one side first, allowing this to dry completely before you paint the other side. Allow the beads and pendant to dry thoroughly. You can add as many coats of varnish as you want until you achieve the level of gloss or shine that you want for your beads. Each coat of varnish needs to dry completely before applying the next coat.
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Arrange the beads in front of you after they are completely dry. Place them in the order that you want them to be on your jewelry piece.
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String the beads onto ribbon, thin leather, waxed cotton cord or other medium. You can string on one Baker's clay bead and one seed bead for a different look. If you are adding a pendant, add a jump ring through the hole that you made. Before you close the jump ring, attach it in the location of where you want the pendant to be on your necklace or bracelet. To attach a jump ring to the pendant, you need two pairs of needle-nosed pliers. Find the place where the wire comes together by feeling along the outside perimeter of the jump ring. You need to keep this section at the top while you position a pair of pliers on each side of the jump ring. Twist one pair of pliers toward you, but keep the other pliers steady. Attach the pendant and then close the jump ring.
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Tips & Warnings
If your beads crack during baking, patch the area with moist, unbaked baker's dough and continue baking.
You can embellish the beads with glitter, sparkles or even feathers if you desire.
