Tutorial : Super Simple Textured bead : Beginner level

Hi !

I was in a bit of rut for the past few months. Its still supremely hot here ( 42 degree Celsius) , and caning is impossible. Most of the premo I have is super soft , and I was very frustrated claying . I was watching TV and I randomly started making these. It felt so good , because it takes minimum effort & great results.
On thinking about it now , these are based on the paper bead making techniques , I just changed the medium & added texture for interest.
I have tried these with canes and I didn't enjoy them much asthe cane work just gets hidden in the spiral.


Materials needed :

1. Polymer clay 
2. Roller / Pasta machine
3. Texture implements 
4. Tooth pick
5. Cutter

In Anti-clockwise order : Roller,A jar cover with texture, Premo polymer clay , Cutters , hand made texture stamp, wooden texture stamp , toothpick

Process :

1. Condition your clay based on your need.You can make around 8 beads from .5 ounce of P.C or a quarter of the Premo! bar I have used for illustration here.

2. After conditioning your clay , roll it to out to an even thickness. In the pasta machine I used , the fourth thinnest setting is ideal or around 1.5 millimeters ( apprx). I found this was best , not too thick but thick enough to take the texture.

3. After that is done , use your stamp and gently impress the pattern onto the clay. Try using a bit of water or a bit of corn flour on the stamp if your stamp is sticking on the clay and/or tearing it.

Clay with the design stamped on it

4. Now get your cutters and cut them in such a way that they have the design on them. I prefer using the narrow cutter as its easier , but it can be easily substituted with round cutters or oval cutters
(Using an oval cutter or a circle  cutter : Cut out a circle / oval with the pattern on it and re-cut it using the same cutter again , making a crescent shape. Discard the crescent and use the other part.)

5. Take your toothpick , the lightly wrap around an edge over it . Then continue wrapping the bead.

6. Once it looks like as in the picture below , slowly ease it out of the tooth pick.Your bead is ready !

7.Alternatively ,use the toothpick to poke a hole into the bead if you are not interested in using the hole already made.If you do so , it becomes a junction bead. The secondary piercing with the toothpick is not mandatory.

8. Now bake your beads as per the temperature on your clay packet , and for the recommended time.

Here  are some baked beads !!!

Note : I had initially made these beads using cold porcelain , so that's a medium you can easily use.

Have fun making these super easy beads ! I would love you to see what you make if you use this tutorial .
Thanks for reading & have a great day !

Some common questions about polymer clay : Before baking stage

Hi !

Now that Polymer Clay ( from now referred to as PC) is quite easily available in India , I see a lot of people who are beginning to play with PC. Even though I am newbie as well , having the virtue of being a slightly older newbie , I get quite a few questions about PC. For the most part they are recurring , so I have decided to answer most questions here.

1. Is PC an air dry clay ? 
: No. It needs to baked.

2. What temperature do we need to bake the clay at ?
: The temperature is mentioned on the cover of your clay.
Sculpey3/ Premo/souffle at 130 degree celcius , Kato at 135 degree celcius.

3. My clay packet does not have baking instructions. What can I do ?
: Most good quality clay's come with baking instructions as the baking temperature varies from brand to brand. If the baking temperature is not mentioned , you will have to experiment on your own and see which is the baking temperature.
 A word of caution : Polymer clay burns if the temperature is too high , but it will be under-baked if the temperature is too low. The baking temperature may even vary from packet to packet of the same brand of clay where the temperature is not mentioned.

4. Can I bake my home made PC ?
No. Cold porcelain is also called as home made PC and that is an air dry clay.Their chemical composition is quite different , Cold porcelain being a PVA based clay and PC being a PVC based clay.

5. What can I do if I don't have an oven ? 
To work with PC you need an oven. There are many brands of toaster ovens available in the market.

6. Can I use microwaves to bake PC ?
No. It is mentioned on most of the packs as well.
Here is a Video of what happens when you microwave clay , by claycupcakes4 on YouTube. If you go through the comments there are some who recommend using a bowl of water to cure clay in the microwave. I have not tried it this and I don't know if the clay was cooked through.

7. Can I use the pressure cooker or water in some form to cook PC ?

I would say no, Water evaporates at a 100 degree Celsius , and most clay brands need at least a temperature of 130 degree Celsius for it be correctly baked.

8. What oven should I buy ?

As long as the oven has a temperature control feature ( such as knobs) , you can buy any oven in your budget.
 There are pros and cons to every oven out there. Go online and check out the various offers available along with the reviews. Speak to people have baking experience ( not necessarily clay) . Speak to electronic stores , check out guarantee / warranty offers.
Another thing to keep in mind are the projects you plan to do. For example if you intend to make large figurine's at some point in the future , ensure you buy an oven big enough to accommodate it.

9. What else do you use regularly while baking PC ?

I use an oven thermometer every time I bake.
Many , if not all ovens have temperature spikes, My oven spikes anywhere from 30 degree Celsius to 80 degree Celsius.If I don't use a thermometer , I will only know about burned projects once I smell them on opening the oven.
I need 2 aluminium containers to bake my projects in , and 2 Binder clips to keep it closed.

10. Do you burn projects ?

Yes. All of us burn projects at least once in a while.We may burn things due carelessness ( did not notice wrong temperature on the dial ) , or forgetfulness ( forgot to put the second aluminium cover on) , or because oven temperature suddenly spiked more than normal.Just like how a baby falls when they take first steps , we may burn things on the way to becoming artists. Don't let that stop you from loving clay :)

My very first project : BURNED !

Hope this was useful to you . Please comment to give feedback or to add the other questions you commonly recieve , question will be added with due credit.
Thanks for reading have a good day !

Basic tools list for the frugal crafter : Polymer clay

To work with  polymer clay does require a few tools ,but many of those are already available at home.

Basic Tools : Rolling pin,dedicated knife,dedicated cutter,sealant,acrylic paint,paint brush,wire,oven thermometer,polymer clay slabs

1. Work space :  I don't have a dedicated work space for my crafting.So wherever that I am planning  to use as a temporary work space,I use plastic sheets to cover the area ( cut up the spare plastic covers ).Paper will also do for a short period of time but it is not a good idea if you are working on it for more than a few mins.If you are using news paper,the print gets transferred to clay at times , which does not look very nice ( unless that was an effect you were going for ).If the clay is left on the paper for long the moisture will also get leached out of the clay making it brittle and difficult to work with.
The best option is find some ceramic tiles on which you can flatten or cut clay.

2.  Rolling Pin : I use a wooden rolling pin that is easily available. Please do not use this for food. If you have to use this for preparing food , please ensure you use a plastic sheet between the clay &rolling pin , so that clay does not come into direct contact with the wood at all.
Another easier option to flatten smaller pieces of clay is to use a glass bottle , or a metal drinking glass.

3. Dedicated clay blade : While I have had better results from a clay blade such as from Sculpey , a cheaper option can be razor blades. These are not very efficient at cutting through large pieces , but they are very sharp and excellent at cutting small canes & thin sheets of clay.
I have used paper cutters & non striated knife for cutting clay as I started out , and they are not a bad option unless you need to cut canes.To cut canes , make sure the blade is sharp.
Another option is hobby cutters. These blades can be replaced when they break or tarnish.

4. Dedicated Cutters : If you can find some cookie cutters that would be useful.They must not be used for preparing food.Another option is to use the household items that are easily available such as bottle caps.There are some good tutorials on making cutters from soda cans etc also.

5.Oven ( to be used with polymer clay) : You can use the convection oven or a toaster oven. I bought a toaster oven from Croma.
DO NOT USE MICROWAVE.
Curing through boiling water alone will not cure the clay as water evaporates at 100 degree Celsius & clay needs 130+ degree Celsius depending on brands.
 Having a dedicated oven for PC is entirely up to you.I have read about the arguments and counter arguments for  having a dedicated oven for polymer clay. I dont think polymer clay is toxic as long as it does not get burned.
Ensuring that you bake your items in between two disposable aluminium pans helps in temperature control , and in case your object burns , it controls the amount of toxic smoke released into the oven.
I have a stand up oven thermometer  which is placed in the oven. This really helps me with my baking as my oven temperature spikes a lot.

6.Colouring clay : Most brands of acrylic paint can be used with polymer clay without any problem. All brands are different so their properties vary. I commonly use Fevicryl acrylic for painting on clay.While they can be used on unbaked clay , they are more commonly used on baked clay.
You can use old (or new) eyeshadow for a shimmery look.
Soft pastels or pencil colours can also be used for a lighter effect than paint.

7. Sand Paper :  This has to be done after curing .This evens out any uneven areas and brings a clear sheen.. Depending on your requirement you can sand from grit 350 to grit 2000. These are available at hardware stores.
It is recommended to sand under water so that the fine powder form of polymer clay does not get inhaled. Adding a bit of  dish washing liquid eases out the process.

8. Sealant :  I use a water based acrylic varnish from hobby line to seal the effect of eyeshadow / soft pastels  or pencil colors. This is not mandatory for polymer clay which is quite strong , however if you use surface treatments ( eyeshadow / foil etc) please use a sealant.
Do not use Modpodge or transparent nail polish as sealant as they sometimes discolor clay or make them melt.

9.Toothpicks : They are always useful and have multiple uses, such as putting holes in beads & buttons , using it to suspend beads while curing ,making patterns , removing  particularly sticky clay particles etc.These are just some , you will discover plenty more uses.

10. Hand sanitizers : These are great for cleaning clay off your hands & cleaning your workspace as well.

I have been working with clay around a year now , and this post has been updated today (01.07.2015) with what I have learned during this year.I live in India , so I have not mentioned Varathane as a sealant.

The best source for clearing your doubts is without a doubt The blue bottle tree , which is a blog written by Ginger Davis Allman.
Another great source , which is quite bigger and a little bit difficult to navigate is the glass attic.This is the polymer clay encyclopedia.

I hope this was a clear post.I appreciate your comments and feedback, so feel free to write in.
Have a good day! :)