How to Make Plastic Beads
Plastic beads, the usual name of acrylic beads, are the main trend of 2011. You should have heard them, for they are available in various shapes including round, faceted, flat, heart, leaf, flower, and even glowing beads. They also come in different colors and sizes, you have a wide range of choose from, such as colorful ones, transparent ones, CCB ones, and so on. Plastic beads look beautiful, light and affordable. Their glowing appearance and lesser weight cause them a perfect pink in jewelry by jewelry makers. And plastic beads are very easy to make with polymer clay, plastic bottles and more other ones.
One of the easiest and most versatile ways to make plastic beads is with polymer clay. Before polymer clay is baked, it can be formed into almost any imaginable shape. Baking the clay turns it into PVC, a common form of medium-hard plastic that makes sturdy beads.
1. Choose your colors. Polymer clay comes in a wide range of colors, including translucent and opaque colors, fluorescents and metallics. It's also possible to mix colors, so you can get a lot of different results from a few colors of clay.
2. Work the clay in your hands to bring it to room temperature. The more it warms up, the easier it will be to work. If you want to mix colors, work them together at this point, mixing a little for a marbled effect or thoroughly for a more uniform look.
3. Break off small pieces of clay and form them into spheres, cylinders, cubes, or other bead shapes. Use toothpicks to add texture and images to the surface of the beads if you like.
4. Carefully use a toothpick to poke one or more holes all the way through each bead. After baking you can use these holes to string the beads.
5. Bake the beads according to the directions on the clay package. Let them cool thoroughly.
6. Use special polymer clay paints and glazes to add finishing touches if you like. Finally, your beautiful
plastic beads are finished.