anyone know how to make polymer clay beads?

Question

how to make them and dry them if I don't have a craft heater?
I would love to get into this and learn how to make the mean thing like jewlery and other things to.
can you help me on this and maybe a web site to help me too.
thanks guy once again...♥.....

Answer 1

Actually, I know a lot about this .

First though, you cannot use polymer clay to make your beads if you can't heat the clay beads in some way.
Polymer clay is not an "air-dry" clay like so many other clays and will never "dry" ...to make it hard, polymer clay must be "cured" at about 275 degrees F (135 C) for 15-45 min. (depending on its thickness).

Not sure what you mean by a "craft heater." No special heater is necessary for curing polymer clay... most clayers do it in a home oven or in a toaster oven (or a convection oven). There *are* other ways to cure the clay though even if you don't have those traiditional ones.... look on this page at my site for those, as well as lots of info on curing polymer clay in general:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/baking.htm
(... click especially on *Other Ways to Cure* near the bottom of the list...)

There are loads of things that can be done with polymer clay, including making beads and jewelry of course.
You can find information, lessons, examples, troubleshooting help, etc, on any technique within polymer clay and on making many different types of things, at my website GlassAttic. In fact, it's an online polymer clay "encyclopedia."
It's so large though that it can be helpful to start out on the *Table of Contents* page:
http://glassattic.com/polymer/contents.htm
....scroll down the whole page and browse to see all the topics that are covered at the site... then when you find one topic page you'd like to explore, click on its name from inside the alphabetical navigation bar of the left side of the page.

You'll see that there are 5-6 main category pages dealing with polymer clay "jewelry" at the site** but since beads can be made with many different patterns on their surfaces too, you may need to check out other pages where those pattern techniques are described if you want to do those.

** (major jewelry category pages at glassattic.com)
Beads
Beads-making holes
Jewelry (earrings, bracelets, hair jewelry, etc.)
Pendants (and cordings)
Buttons
Wire

There are also lots of pages at the site on things like Supply Sources, basics like Characteristics of the different brands of polymer clay, Conditioning, using Cutters and Blades, online polymer clay Groups you might want to join, etc., etc., etc.


HTH, and have fun!

Diane B.

Answer 2

The link I followed directed me to glass beads...which is why those are shiny. However, Coating the polymer clay bead with any type of clear coat will make it shiny, whether its varnish, clear glue, modge podge, acrylic sealer, or acrylic gloss mediums. Also, with much buffing with a soft buffing tool (say, on a dremel tool) or a cloth will eventually leave a shine without using a clear coat. You could also coat them with clear resin for the same look.

Answer 3

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/crafting/article/0,,HGTV_3352_2000136,00.html

I used to like to pictures from a mag and make beads.It may take you some time to get good at polymer beads....But don't give up. Look on google and it will return alot of sites.

Answer 4

Out of flour, never heard that , maybe dough , use cornmeal.