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If you’re anything like me, you’ve got a lot of random craft supplies in your basement gathering dust. This year, I’ve decided to get back into crafting and put some of those supplies to good use!
My first project is fun, colorful, and adjustable clay necklaces!
I have a bunch of Sculpey oven-bake clay left over from my DIY catchall bowl phase. Then last year I got a clay necklace that I really liked (the pink and grey one below!) and realized I could pretty easily replicate it with supplies I already had on hand.
This is a great project to do when you’re watching Netflix. It’s easy, repetitive, and mindless. All you need is:
- a clean surface (I recommend a cutting board that’s designated for crafting)
- Oven-bake clay in the colors of your choice (don’t forget you can mix existing colors to make new ones!)
- A toothpick or another small tool to poke holes in the beads
- Cookie sheet
- String
(You can tell how long I’ve had the clay based on how much of the labeling has worn off the plastic wrap!)
Once you’ve gathered your supplies, pick out the colors you want to create. And again, don’t forget that you can mix colors together to make entirely new ones! All of the necklaces you see in the very first photo were mixed using a combination of hot pink, royal blue, gold, green, white, and black.
I’ve gravitated toward gradients and solid color necklaces, but you can do whatever you want! Maybe you want a funky mix of your favorite colors, or you want to marble some colors together. The possibilities are endless!
Depending on how well you mix your clay, you could get either a marble effect or solid colors. If you want solid colors, keep an eye out for veining that you might not want! For example, below I found a darker green section of the bead I was working on, so I had to mix it up a bit more to get the solid color I wanted.
As you mix, roll the clay into a sphere and lay them out in the order you’d like them, keeping an eye on the size. I prefer mine to have similar sizes, so I had to do some adjusting as I went. It also helped me ensure I had an even gradient.
Once you have your clay spheres, poke them with a toothpick to turn it into a bead. If any of your spheres are a little lopsided, I recommend poking through the longest side, because the bead will squish a bit as you do this.
You want the hole to be big enough for your string to fit through, but small enough that a single knot in the string will keep it from moving.
Once you’ve poked holes in each bead, place them on your cookie sheet and bake them according to the package directions. Mine called for 10 minutes per 1/4 inch at 275 degrees. I baked them for about 15 minutes and they turned out perfect!
Because you’re setting them on a flat surface, you’re probably going to get a bit of a divot in your beads on whatever side you set them down on. I set them on the side with one of the holes so they lay a little more flush, and the divot doesn’t show up when I wear it.
Once the beads have cooled a bit, it’s time to assemble your necklace! Cut a piece of string that’s a little longer than the longest you want the necklace. String the beads in the order you want them, and if you wish, tie a knot on either side of them so they stay in place.
And finally, to make the necklace adjustable, take one side of the necklace and tie a knot around the other side, but not including the other side. Then repeat on the other side. Doing this enables you to slide the knots along the string and make the necklace longer or shorter!
And there you have it! A fun necklace in less than an hour.
What colors are you going to use to make your necklace?
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