 |
Polymer Clay Bracelet
This polymer
clay bracelet is made by cutting slices from an American flag cane.
Don't be intimidated if you have never worked with polymer
clay before, I explain everything below step by step. If you
are a beginner, be sure to visit the Tips and Techniques page first (a
new page will open when link is clicked) for some helpful hints with
working with polymer clay. This polymer clay bracelet will
look really
festive for your Fourth of July party. Remember that it can
be worn all year to show your patriotism, and for Memorial Day and
Labor Day parties as well. Read on to find out how to make
this fun polymer clay bracelet!  Things Needed: (Please visit my E-store for great prices and selections on polymer clay)
1. Begin the patriotic
polymer clay bracelet by conditioning all your clay until it is soft
and easy to work with. Begin by rolling out three layers of
red, white, and blue clay. Using a pasta machine set on the
largest setting is the easiest way to do this, and makes each layer
uniform. If you do not have a pasta machine dedicated for
polymer clay use, you can use a rolling pin or brayer.
 2. I am
going to explain how to make an American flag cane. If you
have never heard the term "cane" before, or made one, I suggest you
first read through another craft I have this website, where I explain
the concept of cane work. Click here to be linked to that craft
(a new window will open). If you are familiar with cane work,
then read on. This design is made using a checkerboard cane.
To begin, layer the flat sheet of blue on top of the white sheet of
clay, then trim off the sides using a razor blade so you get a neat
square shape.   3. Next, using the razor blade cut this square in half. Take one half and place it one top of the other, so now you have four layers, alternating blue and white.   4. Continue by once again cutting the four layer rectangle in half, and stack each half on top of one another so now you have eight layers.  5. Take the stack of
layers and begin to cut off slices of it using your razor blade, as
shown below. You are cutting down through the layers.
Try your best to get each slice the same thickness.  6. Take each slice, and
stack them on top of one another, but setting them slightly off-set to
make a checker board pattern, as shown below. Use a razor
blade
to slice off the sides that are off-set, to make a nice square block.
Set this aside to rest.  7. Next I'll explain how
to make the red and white stripes, which you already know how to do
from working with the blue clay. Layer a red sheet of clay
and a white sheet of clay together, and trim off the ends to make a
neat square.  8. Cut these layers in
half, and stack on top of one another. Continue to cut the
layers in half and stack until you get a nice block of stripes that
resembles the American flag.   9. Next, get the blue
checkerboard section near the red and white stripes. Use a
razor blade to cut out a square in the upper left section of the
stripes, to fit the blue checkerboard cane. Push the pieces
together and trim off any excess to make the cane the same length,
height, and width. Below is the American flag cane before
compression.   10. It is now time for compression! Gently work with the American flag cane using the palms of your hands to flatten the flag, and your fingers along the sides of the flag to maintain the rectangle shape throughout compression. It is harder to compress a rectangle or square shape, than a round one, obviously... so take your time. You want the size of the cane to be small, the size you choose is the size your beads will be. My beads were 1/2 inch long. When you are done compressing, let the cane rest for awhile before slicing. I even popped mine in the fridge for awhile to really let it cool down.     11. Now the fun part of making the polymer clay bracelet! Slicing the cane. Cut thick slices for the beads, because you will need to poke a hole through the length of the bead. This is much harder, if not impossible, to do on a thin slice. The stripes may be a little wavy from compression, but this makes the beads unique and almost whimsical! If the edge of the stripes is really distorted I recommend using a razor blade to cut off the edges to make a sharp edge.  12. Continue with the
polymer clay bracelet by threading a pin
carefully through the side of each bead, trying to make sure it comes
out in the middle on the opposite side. You can begin with a
pin, then remove it and pierce with something larger to make the hole
bigger (here I used a short length of 18 gauge wire). When
all the holes are poked through, the beads are ready to be baked in the
oven, according to the manufacturer's instructions.     13.
When the beads are
cooled off from the oven, give them a clear coat of sealer.
Then, assemble the polymer clay bracelet using a needle
threaded with elastic thread. Thread on the flag beads with
intermediate beads of choice. Tie the elastic cord with a
simple square knot, then dot the knot with a drop of super glue.
You can also make earrings from two slices of the cane, just
glue on earring backs. Polymer clay bracelets also make great
gifts! You will probably have a cane long enough to make several
bracelets.  
|
