Scrappy Spiral Beads Tutorial

How many of you pop all your scrappy clay bits into colour lots?  ...well yes, I do.  I'm a bit "obsessive compulsive" like that actually and regardless of how hard I try, I find it difficult to leave scrappy bits alone.

Here's a really cool way to create some very tactile beads.   Depending on what colours are in your scrappy stash, you can end up with some great results.  Wear them in a bunch on a bright coloured, long cord and you won't be able to stop yourself from playing with them.

Wad your scrap clay up and have a knitting needle on hand as well.

Roll your clay flat with your acrylic rod.

Roll through the pasta machine on the thickest setting.

Fold in half and roll through again still on the thickest setting.

Do this once more.  Don't blend too much or you'll lose the pattern all together.

Roll up to create a scrappy cane.

Trim the end up.

and neaten the seam.

Slice the end off and check out the gorgeous patterns inside.

Insert a knitting needle and start rolling on your work surface.  I use plain A4 paper as it doesn't slip.

Pop your fingers on either end of the knitting needle and roll increasing the thread hole.

Continue until you have a large, organic looking centre.

Now flatten with an acrylic sheet.

Flatten until your bead is about 7mm thick.

Slice up the rest of your cane and repeat.

Bake at the recommended temperature.

String on some gorgeous, coloured cord.

This is a bead I created by simply cutting from a pre-existing cane and following the above instructions.