Polymer clay (you can find this at any craft store - usually "Fimo" or "Sculpey" brand - comes in little 2"x2" squares of every color you can imagine)
Things to make cool patterns
Cookie cutters (small ones work best for beads)
Bamboo skewers (or similar item to make a hole in your bead)
String/yarn to make necklaces
Acrylic paint (optional)
Here's what you do:
1. Roll out your clay to whatever thickness you want your beads to be.
2. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
3. Stamp patterns into cut-out clay (find ones with letters and then you can write words! or use "found" objects and see waht kind of patterns they make - legos work great for this, so do paperclips, forks, costume jewelry...)
4. Don't forget to put a small hole at the top to string your bead!
5. Place unfinished beads onto cookie sheet - bake at 240ish degrees for about 30 minutes - this will make your beads hard.
6. If you want the patterns in your beads to show up more, rub a little acrylic paint of a different color over the bead (making sure it gets into the patterned area). Wipe away the paint from the raised part of the bead, so you can still see the clay color but the paint will stay in the stamped area.
7. Put your bead onto a string and make a necklace, bracelet, keychain...and woo hoo you're done!
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