ArtJewelry Making Waves Clay Bracelet

beginner polymer clay

Making waves Undulating disks and color-blocked beads create a bracelet with its own ebb and flow.

by Ronna Sarvas Weltman

ive headfirst into the world of polymer clay with this disk bracelet.

The design leaves ample room for creative license, and it’s an easy beginner piece with sophistication enough for those of more advanced skills. A succession of clay disks resembling large heishi beads flows across the wrist in a gradation of colors, while the size of the disks rises and falls like the tide. The piece flows together gently with a curvaceous sterlingsilver clasp—a perfect finishing touch to this wavy illusion.

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[1–2] Create spheres. Choose colors that complement each other well but have enough contrast to make your bracelet interesting.

Separately condition each color of clay and form balls or spheres of varying sizes in each color. You’ll need to make enough so that the bracelet will fit properly. (The 9-inch [22.8cm] bangle as shown features 45 disks and 3 beads.) Line up the balls from small to large and back to small again to be sure neighboring colors work well with each other.

If you’d like a blended effect for some of the spheres, use a pasta machine or manually combine a few different solid-color balls and roll them into a snake. Once they’re rolled, cut small or large portions and roll each portion into a sphere. You also can add a pinch of another color to a solid-color sphere and roll it into a ball again to get a more defined striation. (Editor’s note: Different colors have different saturation levels. A little bit of black added to pearl will look much deeper or more saturated than a little bit of yellow.)

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[3] Create disks. Flatten each clay ball between your thumb and forefinger to make a disk; maintain the order in which you lined up the spheres in steps 1–2. The disks at each end of the bracelet should be smaller than the disks in the middle. That way the bangle will appear to “undulate.” Pinch around the edges of each disk to give them more dimension. Then hold each disk with the thumbs and forefingers of both hands and twist toward you with one hand and away from you with the other. This will give each disk a slightly warped or wavy shape. Poke a hole in the middle of each disk using a needle tool or toothpick. Take care to make the hole large enough for the 14-gauge wire you will be using. Since polymer clay doesn’t shrink upon baking, there’s no need to factor that into your hole size.

[4] Create three beads. Make three spheres in successive sizes— small, medium, and large—and decorate them with clay strips, squares, or impressions. Be sure to form the balls firmly; if you leave pockets of air, your beads may crack when baking. To give the beads texture, roll them on 36-grit sandpaper. Make a hole through each bead large enough to fit 14-gauge wire. Once you’ve embellished the beads, lightly tap the decorations into place. Then gently roll the bead in your hands so the additions adhere firmly. Roll the bead over the sandpaper again to texture the embellishments. These beads will be placed next to the clasp on the bracelet to add flair.

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4 materials ■ ■

Complementary colors of polymer clay 14-gauge sterling-silver wire

The great fingerprint controversy

tools

Since these beads have an organic appearance, the fingerprints you leave on them are part of their charm and appeal— the artist’s signature, so to speak. However, if you’re looking for a slicker look, smooth the disks with a little water after you’ve formed them and pinched the edges, but before you twist them to give them dimension. Another option would be to wear surgical gloves while forming the disks.

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Pasta machine (optional) Heavy plastic sheet or Teflon® surface Tissue blade (optional) Disposable baking sheet 36-grit (extra coarse) sandpaper Oven or toaster oven reserved for nonfood use Tongs Wire cutters Roundnose pliers Chainnose pliers Hammer or mallet (optional) Steel bench block or anvil (optional)

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[5] Check measurement and bake. Check the bracelet’s length by temporarily stacking the disks together. Measure the length of the disks and the three beads, and compare that measurement to your wrist measurement, adding 1⁄2–1 inch (1.3–2.5cm) for comfort and the clasp. Remember to take into account that the disks are wide and will stand off your wrist somewhat, which means you need to make the bangle longer than a standard bracelet would be. Remove or add disks to tailor the fit.

Line the disks up on your baking surface. Place them in the order in which you will string them to keep from having to regroup them later.

While baking, disks should lie flat. Bake the disks and beads according to the manufacturer’s directions and allow to cool completely.

To avoid flattening one side while baking round beads, fold a narrow piece of paper in half lengthwise, rest the folded part of the paper between the slats of the rack in your toaster oven, and then place the beads in this “cradle.” This way, they won’t be resting on a flat surface as they bake and thus they’ll keep their shape. Don’t worry about burning the paper—the bead will bake at 265°F, and paper doesn’t burn at that temperature. Use tongs to remove the beads from the oven and immediately place the pieces in ice water for a few moments to harden the polymer even more.

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Assemble the bracelet. Double-check the lineup of your disks to make sure you are satisfied with the gradation in color and size. Then string the disks and beads onto 12 inches (30.5cm) of 14-gauge wire, centering the polymer pieces on the wire so that there is an equal amount of wire exposed on each end. Bend the wire to shape it to your wrist; remember that bending hardens the wire and will help it keep its form.

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[6–9] Create the clasp. You can either add a premade clasp or create one similar to the project bracelet shown here. In this example, one side of the clasp is a large, C-shaped coil, and the other side undulates in a snakelike pattern and ends with a small coil. Use roundnose and chainnose pliers to help shape the clasp. Hammer the clasp on a steel bench block if you desire a flatter look; hammering also hardens the wire, making it less prone to bend out of shape. Refer to Basic on waves Techniques on our website for additional information on Consider using more colors, or wireworking. Z

tips

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using the same number of colors and adding more undulation. For example, rather than repeating a three-color disk pattern (red, purple, brown; red, purple, brown), go from red to purple to brown, then reverse back to purple and red again. This forward and reverse pattern will increase your bracelet’s wavelike appearance.

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