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
Dbeginner 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 sterling-
silver clasp a perfect finishing touch to this wavy illusion.
Art Jewelry " January 2005 1
[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
1
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.)
[3] Create disks. Flatten each clay ball between your thumb and
2
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 3
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, 4
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
materials
to the clasp on the bracelet to add flair.
Complementary colors of polymer clay
14-gauge sterling-silver wire
tools
The great fingerprint
Pasta machine (optional)
controversy
Heavy plastic sheet or Teflon® surface
Tissue blade (optional)
Since these beads have an organic
appearance, the fingerprints you leave on Disposable baking sheet
them are part of their charm and appeal
36-grit (extra coarse) sandpaper
the artist s signature, so to speak. However,
Oven or toaster oven reserved for
if you re looking for a slicker look, smooth the
nonfood use
disks with a little water after you ve formed
Tongs
them and pinched the edges, but before you
twist them to give them dimension. Another
Wire cutters
option would be to wear surgical gloves while
Roundnose pliers
forming the disks.
Chainnose pliers
Hammer or mallet (optional)
Steel bench block or anvil (optional)
Art Jewelry " January 2005 2
[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
1
wrist measurement, adding D 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. 5
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
6
moments to harden the polymer even more.
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.
7
[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 8
tips
additional information on
Consider using more colors, or
wireworking. Z
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. 9
Art Jewelry " January 2005 3
Make jewelry
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