Creating my own beads

LoveDesign2012 wrote

on 15 Oct 2012 1:09 PM

Hi all,

I want to create my own beads, and pendant.

I tried to use air-drying clay, painting it with acrylic paints, then varnish it using acrylic varnish.

I contacted the varnish manufacturer, and the said that it is not safe to use acrylic varnish on jewelry pieces that touches the skin.

Is there any other way to create my own beads. 

What to use for the beads creating?

What to use for painting them?

And what to use for varnishing?

BogIron wrote

on 15 Oct 2012 4:12 PM

There are lots of things to make beads from, one of the most popular low tech methods seems to be polymer clay. It has to be baked but like a lot of other folk out there I bought a used toaster oven at a yard sale for $5 to bake mine in. Personally I prefer the use of metal to polymer clay but there are a lot of books out there on the subject and a lot of web sites that show you how to do it. I'm sure that Interweave even has a hand in that too.

TammyJones wrote

on 15 Oct 2012 10:58 PM

I agree, polymer clay sounds ideal. You don't need to paint or varnish it, just design and bake. Here's a link to our free eBook about making polymer clay jewelry and beads.

http://www.jewelrymakingdaily.com/polymer-clay-jewelry/

Good luck! Enjoy!

LoveDesign2012 wrote

on 16 Oct 2012 12:24 PM

Thank you for the reply..

Using polymer clay is a good idea, but I need to use colors that are not available for polymer clay like metallic.

Also, I want to paint my own patterns on pendant, and some of the designs needs color mixing that can't be achieved by polymer clay.

Regards,

TammyJones wrote

on 16 Oct 2012 4:59 PM

Polymer clay actually does have many metallics--golds, silver, bronze, copper, pewter--but I don't know about painting on it.

BogIron wrote

on 17 Oct 2012 4:19 PM

I have seen some pretty fantastic colors on polymer beads and they have not been painted. Now if you want to go real complex in your bead making there is always the use of enamel but you really need to have nearly expert metal skills to first make copper or fine silver beads for use with enamel. Not something for the faint of heart to start with. A better option for "painted" beads would be ceramics, The use of glazes that provide a wide array of colors would be useful. OK, now for another method, glass beads, I know, I know, I keep getting you in to complex methods of making beads but hot glass work is rather thrilling and the results are really beautiful to behold.

I'm sure that if you heart is set on painted low fire or no fire clay beads that you can find a non-toxic sealer out there that can be worn next to the skin. It may take some internet searching to find it but it's got to be out there.

LoveDesign2012 wrote

on 19 Oct 2012 3:00 AM

Thank you all for the help

I think that I will investigate more in ceramic beads, and I will try to find non-toxic sealers for the air clay beads.

BogIron wrote

on 19 Oct 2012 4:16 PM

Your welcome, sorry we couldn't be of more help or send you off on another tangent. Tangents are always fun and it seems like I have spent my life investigating them. So many of them to explore and so little time left to do it.

Good luck with you ceramic beads, show a picture sometime, we always enjoy pictures.

DeMarieR wrote

on 2 Dec 2012 10:25 AM

I have used this product to seal beads and it works beautifully - and it's earth friendly and non-toxic!  Eco Epoxy

LoveDesign2012 wrote

on 5 Dec 2012 10:50 AM

Thank you very much for your advice. I will try it