Wood beads decoupaged with tissue paper or tiny images can take on many different looks. These are easy even for young kids with a little help from Mom or Dad. You can buy packages of wood beads at the craft store. They are easy to find, inexpensive and come in all different sizes. You’ll want larger size beads for this project so they’re easier to work with. If you don’t want to invest in a container of Mod Podge (I love Mod Podge–I use it all the time!), you can make your own glue/sealant by squeezing about a tablespoon of … Continue reading →

Your kids will love making these polymer clay beads because they look just like turquoise. Materials: Black and turquoise polymer clay Waxed paper or clean, washable work surface Darning needle or toothpick Ceramic or glass baking pan Wire for baking round beads Roll out a log of turquoise polymer clay and a skinnier log of black clay, using about 1/4 as much black as blue. Twist the two colors of clay together Fold and swirl the colors until the black blends in a little bit with the blue and looks like turquoise. Now you can make any shape bead you … Continue reading →

This type of clay bead takes parental help, but you will like the results just as much as the kids will. Matching bracelets are definitely in order. Caned beads are often called “millifiori” which means “thousand flowers” in Italian. You can make the canes as small and ornate as you want. This project has a fairly simple flower pattern which is a good launching point for more complicated beads. You will need: Four contrasting colors polymer clay (Fimo Soft or Sculpey III), here I use orange, blue, yellow and turquoise Waxed paper or clean, washable work surface Glass or rolling … Continue reading →

These are maybe the easiest and most versatile clay beads for you to make with your kids. They can do most of the work on their own, but will need your help with the slicing. Learn how to make a simple tube bead first and then you can add swirls, dots, or your own original decoration. The possibilities with these beads are endless. Here, I’ve sewn them onto a foam picture frame. They make great jewelry, bookmarks, keychains, or anywhere you put beads. Basic Tube Bead 1. Make an even snake of clay, about 1/2 inch thick. Roll the snake … Continue reading →

Your boys will like these beads because if you use bright, bold colors, they won’t look feminine at all. You can string them on a keychain or on a clip to hook to a backpack or belt loop, or string a few on a leather cord for a bracelet. You will need: Two contrasting colors Sculpey or Fimo Soft Smooth drinking glass or rolling pin Sharp knife Wire or skewer 1. Roll two logs of clay, one red and one black. Roll out a thin sheet of clay in the same colors, long enough and wide enough to go around … Continue reading →

Making paper beads out of magazine pages is a classic craft that has never gone out of style.(I even made them back in the late 70s when I was a kid.) You can also use wrapping paper, or any of the great scrapbooking papers that are out now. Your kids will love these beads in their original form or with a new twist. What I have to offer here that’s new are truly original paper beads because you make the paper yourself. These beads have a different look, too, because you use dark paper and shiny gel pens. You can … Continue reading →

Kids love to string beads, but it’s even more gratifying when they’ve made the beads themselves. There are a lot of different ways to make terrific homemade beads, which I’ll share with you over the next few weeks. These beads are made from an air-dry clay you make in your own kitchen. The whole process, from clay to wearable beads, takes some time, so this method is best when you know you’ll have a few chunks of time over a couple of days. If you want to skip a step, you can buy air-dry clay in the crafts department of … Continue reading →