Color Swirl Beaded Jewelry

Combine swirled and layered clay beads to make funky one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Crafts Supplies and Instructions for Color Swirl BeadsWhat you'll need:

Polymer clay in desired colors
Phillips screwdriver, decorative-edge scissors, toothpick, or other items to create texture in clay
Toothpicks
Fine beading wire
Glass baking dish
Small beads

Create multitone beads by twisting clay in two or more colors together. The more the clay is worked, the more blended the colors will become.
Shape a bead by rolling a small amount of clay in your hands until the clay becomes soft and smooth.
To add interest to a bead, roll small balls of clay and press them onto the bead. Then roll smaller clay balls and press those onto the small balls as dots.
Give a bead texture with the end of a Phillips screwdriver, a toothpick, or another tool.
To make a twisted bead, roll two different colors of clay into long smooth individual strands. Twist the strands together, then roll them around a toothpick. Remove the toothpick.
Use a toothpick to make holes in the bead centers. If needed, move the toothpick around the inside of the holes to enlarge them. Check to make sure the wire will fit through the holes before you bake the beads.
Place the beads in a glass baking dish and bake in the oven according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Let the beads cool. String the beads onto beading wire. Alternate with purchased beads. Knot the wire ends.