Kids can easily make polymer clay balls with adult supervision. Polymer beads make delicate bracelets or necklaces in gold plated or woven wool to make gifts for mothers, aunts, grandmothers or guardians.
Adult supervision is necessary for younger children. (Slime is not edible. In fact, the cut of the second type has very sharp polymer balls and skewers and toothpicks have sharp points).
Necessary supplements:
Polymer Clay (2 to 4 different colors)
cutting board or plate
Toothpicks or a skewer
Baking Sheet
Cutting blades (only for rubber bands)
Instructions:
Softening polymer clay. Polymer clay must either harden to make it soft and squishy or it will sag and crack. The best thing to do is to break off the dung of the clay and roll it in the hands. Continue to roll the piece into a ball until it is warm and soft with no cracks or holes.
Turn polymer colors.Roll two or more yellow balls of different colors together. The balls will be made of mixed clay. Make medium sized balls.
Punch a hole in the balls. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke a hole through each head. Make a hole big enough for each head so that they can be sewn easily by hand with either string or sewing with buttons. (Don’t forget to cut the holes before you bake the clay. It’s hard to bake. You won’t be able to cut the holes after they’re baked).
Preheat the beads. Preheat the oven to the temperature listed on the clay package. Place the grains on a cookie sheet. They don’t expand the way many types of cookies are used so you can place the beads closer together and fit many beads on one large cookie sheet. Cook for taxing time. They absolutely cool the beads and string the beads to make bracelets, necklaces or even key chains. It can be done very easily by using a sewing needle.
Make an alternate type of plant out of polymer clay. The mixed balls are rolled into long serpentine shapes, known as reeds. Make the canes fat or thin. Discard the ends of the canes. Cut the tubes with a sharp razor in the same way you cut bread or roll a cake. (Adults should do this step for young kids.) When you make the strips, you will have beads that you layer and bead they show inside. Use a skewer or toothpick to work through the middle of the balls or from the top to the bottom of each slice for balls. Let’s bake it just as instructed in the same way you did the shaped balls.
The shape of the polymer ball clay made by kids is creative and homemade you can feel each spike. They are easy to make but require adult supervision. Older kids can try making more decorative beads and canes by adding layers of canes together before splitting the beads.
