How to Build a Ceramic Necklace
Many people use ceramic clay to construct pottery vessels, such as vases, pots, bowls, and mugs. However, ceramic clay can also be used to create beautiful earthen jewelry. For example, you can build your own ceramic beads that can be turned into a customized necklace that can be worn, sold at a fair, or given to a loved one. Once finished, you can apply ceramic glaze to the ceramic necklace in order to transform the clay-colored beads into beads that resemble colorful glass.
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Things You'll Need
- Clay knife
- Toothpick
- Waxed paper
- Ceramic glaze
- Paintbrush
- Kiln
- Ribbon, 1/4 inch wide
- Scissors
- Yarn needle
Instructions
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1
Knead 8 oz. of ceramic clay for 5 minutes. This pushes out air pockets and air bubbles that can weaken the clay and cause the clay to explode when it is fired in a kiln.
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2
Roll the kneaded clay into an 8 inch long coil that is 1/2 inch thick. Using a clay knife, cut the coil into 16 pieces, each piece measuring 1/2 inch long.
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3
Form the clay sections into shapes. Make the shapes spherical if you want round ceramic beads, or make them more angular if you want square or triangular beads.
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4
Insert a toothpick through each bead, then pull out the toothpick to leave behind a hole. Look through each hole to ensure that the hole is free of blockages. If blockages occur, insert the toothpick back through the bead a second time to remove any clay.
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5
Place the beads onto a sheet of waxed paper, and allow the beads to air dry for 4 hours.
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6
Paint the beads using ceramics glaze. Select one color if you want a necklace that contains beads that are uniformly colored, or select different colors to make a multi-colored necklace. Avoid painting over the holes of the beads. If you accidentally paint over the holes, insert a toothpick back into and out of the holes to remove the paint.
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7
Place the beads back onto the waxed paper, and allow them to air dry for 2 hours.
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8
Fire the beads in a kiln that is set to medium heat for 4 hours. Let the beads cool for 6 hours before handling them.
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9
Cut a piece of 1/4 inch wide ribbon to measure 18 inches long. Insert one end of the ribbon through a yarn needle.
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10
String the beads onto the ribbon by inserting the needle through the holes of the beads. Once all of the beads are strung, remove the needle and tie the ends of the ribbon together into a knot.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep children away from the kiln and fired beads. The hot kiln and beads can cause serious and severe burns on skin.
Allow the beads to cool completely before touching them.
References
Resources
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