Clay beads

Beginner - Half a day -

Keywords :

Necklaces - Beads - Clay

Clay beads are a great kids craft. Try using these clay beads to make necklaces, bracelets, or hanging ornaments into a perfect gift! Use your imagination to vary the colors - your friends will simply love this.

Supplies

Tools

Knife
Markers

Materials

Square sheet of clay (the kind that will dry without being baked) or Play-Doh, for smaller kids
Old newspaper
Smock and/or old clothes
Straw(s)
Thin wire or strong yarn

Directions

How to Make and Color Clay Beads

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Make the clay beads

Cover a flat surface (such as a table) with newspaper, to protect it.
Take the plastic covering off of the clay and lay it out on the table with the plastic wrap underneath.
Use a knife to cut the clay into cubes. For a necklace, they should probably be bigger (about 0.5 x 0.5 inches). If you plan to make a bracelet, they should be smaller.
Using your hands or the table surface, roll the cubes into balls one by one. Try to make them as round as possible.
Pick them up carefully and poke a hole through the middle with a straw. If the straw gets full of clay, get another one.
Leave the beads out on a paper towel until they dry. You may have to wait a few days, or it could be a few weeks.

Decorate the clay beads

When the beads are dry, set them in a bin in front of you.
Use markers to draw designs on the beads. Be creative!
String the beads on a piece of thin wire. Make sure you leave about an inch on either side of the wire to close it off. You can also use yarn, but wire is best to support the heavy beads.
Close off the wire by twisting the loose ends and folding them down flat. If you are using yarn, just use a square knot.

Warnings

Make sure you close the wire up carefully, or it may scratch of get caught on something (or someone).
Once the beads are dry, be very careful not to drop them - they will break.

Tips

Young children should be supervised, since they are using a messy material.
Unless you have access to a kiln, you should use self-drying clay for this project.
It's best to use washable markers with younger kids. Older ones could use permanent ones, like Sharpies.
If you are looking for money, these are great to sell.

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make and Color Clay Beads. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

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