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corinne-bradd
Sweet Style

Sweet Style

Make beautiful millefiori beads that are perfect for a summer-themed jewellery collection

438
438
438

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You will need...

FIMO Soft polymer clay: translucent orange, white, magenta, cyan
FIMO gloss varnish, water-based
Rolling pin, small
Cutting implement
Wall tile
Needle tool
Chain, silver-plated, jump rings, head pins, clasp
Pliers: round-nosed & flat-nosed
Pearls and crystals

Make beautiful millefiori beads that are perfect for a summer-themed jewellery collection

Sweet Style

1. Roll a half block of white clay to a rectangle 3mm thick. Repeat with orange. Layer the panels Swiss roll style, and turn until it is 15mm in diameter. Trim off one untidy end, and cut a third of the resulting cane into 3mm slices. Lay them flat on a tile and make a 1mm diameter hole in the top of each with a needle.

2. Roll the remaining cane until it is 5mm diameter and wrap with a 2mm sheet of pink clay. Cut the tube into six equal pieces, remove the ends, and press together in a flower pattern. Re-roll to smooth the outside and reduce the cane to the same diameter as before, and cut half of it into slices. Reduce the remaining cane to 5mm in diameter and wrap with blue clay. Repeat process to make the third bead design. Bake all discs for 30 minutes, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

3. While the beads are still hot, paint one side with gloss varnish, (which will dry very quickly). Flip over and coat the other side. Use pliers to fit a large jump ring into each hole and attach to a silver chain. Space large circular beads with an assortment of pearls and crystals threaded onto silver headpins.

Crafts Beautiful Magazine

Crafts Beautiful Magazine

This project was taken from Crafts Beautiful Magazine

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Top Tips

Making millefiori canes like this ensures the beads co-ordinate beautifully and you'll avoid any clay wastage.

Useful Links

FIMO stockists http://www.staedtler.co.uk, rrp £1.69 for a 56g block.