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06/23/2014

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Polyform Souffle Clay

Thank you Polyform for sponsoring this project.

Are you loving the polymer clay projects I’ve been working on? I have a couple more for you this week that I cannot wait to share, including today’s tutorial for making marbled beads (that you can, of course, turn into a fabulous piece of jewelry when you’re done).  I put together this marbled bead bracelet made with Polyform’s new Souffle clay.  The Souffle line is awesome for jewelry because it’s lightweight, and comes in trendy colors that are perfect for accessories.  You can even blend colors together easily for whatever look you’re going for!

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

Here’s what you will need for making marbled beads:

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

  • Polyform Souffle Clay
  • Clay tools (specifically, you’ll need the super slicer for even cuts, the clay knife for helping shape, a roller, and likely the needle tool to ensure you have even holes).
  • Bamboo Skewers (or similarly-shaped item, for making channel-style holes in your row of beads)
  • Wax paper and/or parchment paper for protecting your work surface (or a clay mat)
  • Crafts-only baking sheet
  • Jelly cord and optional spacer beads, for constructing your bracelet once your beads are finished

I want to offer a few notes on your supplies and tools.  I’ve seen tutorials out there with people using kitchen utensils to create their projects, and that is fine – as long as they aren’t your active kitchen utensils.  Clay is not food safe so you should keep your clay tools separate from your baking implements.  If you are the type to hit up thrift stores or yard sales to pick up supplies for working with clay, then go for it, as long as you keep these items for crafting only when you’re done.  I really recommend investing in the clay tool set, just so there’s no confusion as to which is which (and they are designed specifically for clay techniques) but don’t feel like you absolutely must buy all the supplies before trying a few projects out for the first time!

Now with that out of the way, let’s get to work!  Cover your surface with parchment or wax paper to protect your table (you can also use a clay mat).  Choose your colors, and you can blend them if you don’t have exactly what you like.  You will need to take a moment to work with the clay to condition it  to get it ready for your project.  I found the souffle clay to be wonderfully soft compared to other formulas I have worked with.  I was able to get to work right away.

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

You can get the marbled look by stacking colors, and rolling them out flat.  You can just use the hand roller, or I actually have a pasta-machine-style clay roller that works really nicely for getting a very uniform thickness. 

Marbling can be a little bit tricky your first time trying it, because the key is to blend the colors of the clay enough that they are not fully mixed.  I wasn’t going for the bold striations below, so I folded my clay and rolled it again, and repeated the process until I had a more subtle blend.

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

You want to make three layers here, all about 1/8 inch each (or if you have a roller machine, use the #1 setting).  If you don’t get your marbling right the first time around, don’t sweat it.  You can use that piece in the center, if you like.  You need sheets that are about 7.5-8 inches long, and 1.5-2 inches wide.

You will be able to use your beads in either direction (where either the fronts or backs show) so you’ll need 2 coordinating marbled layers that you like.  Lay one down with the side you want to show facing your work surface.  Stack the center layer on top of that, and set your bamboo skewers into the clay so that two channels are formed – these will become your holes.  Use the roller to press the skewers firmly into the clay, and then remove them.  Finally, stack you last marbled layer on top.  Press it down enough to secure the three layers together but not so much that you roll it out flat.

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

Trim away the uneven edges with the super slicer.  I cut my stack to about 1 inch wide by 7 inches long.  You can see the holes running through all the layers in the photo below.  Now, use the super slicer to cut the stack into uniformly-sized beads.

You can round the edges or trim the beads down to give you a more organic look, or you can keep them as-is for a more geometric style.  If your holes get squished, use the needle tool to make sure they’re open all the way through the bead.

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

Now, bake!  Mine needed about 45 minutes in a low oven.  (275F for 30 minutes for each 1/4 inch thickness).  They will feel slightly soft while they are still warm, so allow them to cool to ensure they’re baked.  They will feel hard and not rubbery when they’re done.

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

Once your beads have baked and cooled, it’s time to make them into a simple stretch bracelet (or, whatever project you had in mind)!  You can place spacer beads between your clay beads if you like (these are a 4mm metal spacer).  You’ll want to cut two lnegths of about 9-10 inches of stretchy jelly cord (mine is .8mm) for a final finished length of about 7 inches.

Once you’ve got both holes strung, tie the cords with a regular square knot (double knot).  Just make sure it’s tight.  Trim your ends away.

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

And now you have a fabulous, lightweight finished bracelet that is one-of-a-kind!  I love mine and I’ve gotten several compliments on it.

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

The finish is smooth, and it’s not heavy so it’s great for big statement pieces.  You can also get creative and add crystals or metal findings as you work, it’s a really versatile formula that was created specifically with jewelry in mind.

Marble Beaded Bracelet with Sculpey Souffle Clay

You can keep up with what’s new at Polyform on Facebook, Twitter (@SculpeyPolyform), Pinterest, and Instagram (@Sculpey_Polyform), or just search #sculpeyprojects while you’re out on your social media!  You can also browse some projects from some other awesome bloggers by browsing the collection below:

Thanks for joining me today for this fun project!  What do you think?  Are you ready to make your own beads now?

Adrianne Signature

Filed Under: Bracelets, Fashion, Featured, Jewelry, Polymer Clay, Sponsored, Tutorials Tagged With: accessories, beads, bracelet, polymer clay, souffle clay

copyright policy and terms of use

I love it when you love my work! All tutorials and photos published at Happy Hour Projects are copyrighted. If you would like to feature my tutorial on your website or share it on your social media you may use one photo to feature, as long as you provide a link back to the original post.

If you feature a photo, it may not be accompanied by the project tutorial or recipe, whether in my own words as it originally appears or paraphrased by you. This also includes personal sharing on social media and Pinterest. Publishing multiple photos from a project, or including instructions with an accompanying photo are not permitted and you will be asked to remove them.

I love to share my projects, and my tutorials, recipes, and e-books are ALL free for your personal use. However, photos and ideas that are published to this site are my protected intellectual property. You may print them at home, but please do not copy or distribute them. I also allow all designs to be made and sold at fundraisers, craft fairs, etc. If you are selling a piece made from one or more of my free tutorials in your online shop, I require that you use your own, original photography, and include a link back to my website to credit me as the designer.

I hope you enjoy what you read here, and please be fair when you share!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Tara says

    06/25/2014 at 1:25 am

    Gorgeous! I’m so daunted by clay, but you make it look easy, lady! Love this!

    Reply
  2. Sky says

    06/24/2014 at 1:01 pm

    This turned out great- your jewelry is so creative and unique!

    Reply
  3. Lindsay says

    06/24/2014 at 10:36 am

    Very cute!! Love the colors!

    Reply
  4. Kadie says

    06/24/2014 at 10:19 am

    You are so clever!!! I love the way you make the clay marbled.

    Reply
  5. Meredith says

    06/23/2014 at 2:39 pm

    This turned out so cool! I’m excited to try this clay out soon for an upcoming project!

    Reply
  6. Melanie says

    06/23/2014 at 1:47 pm

    This is so pretty! I really like the colors!

    Reply
  7. amy says

    06/23/2014 at 10:39 am

    I love this!! Pinning it! Just got some of that clay to play with…

    Reply
    • Arnie says

      02/02/2017 at 10:48 pm

      The voice of raaolntiity! Good to hear from you.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Ultimate Gift Guide: Jewelry Ideas | One Artsy Mama says:
    10/06/2014 at 6:01 am

    […] 4. Beaded Wrap Bracelet 5. Heart Studded Leather Cuff 6. Crystal & Bugle Bead Bracelet 7. Marbled Clay Bracelet 8. Beaded Stacking Bracelets 9. Painted Wooden Bangles 10. Metal Stamped Bangle […]

    Reply

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Hello, and welcome! I'm Adrianne, an artist, author, designer, and blogger in mid Michigan. I work from home, chase my two kids, and this once-city-girl is learning how to care for chickens and adjusting to life out in the country. I have a compulsion for daily creativity... sometimes it's jewelry-making, paper crafting, metal stamping, mixing and baking, or giving new life to recycled items. But with 2 young kids, time is short! My goal here at Happy Hour Projects is to share projects and tips that you can do in an hour or less. The ideas you find here are designed to add a little creativity in your day, no matter how much (or how little) time you have!

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