Tutorials
Paper Bead Hollow Form Beadcap Tutorial.
This tutorial will teach you how to create unique tassels, beadcaps and lightweight beads using Crystal Clay, paper beads, chain and jumprings.
Learn How!
Tutorial #2: Paper Bead Hollow Form Beadcaps
Supplies Needed:
Crystal Clay
Paper Bead Hollow Form
1 Jumpring Grande Rope
2.5” Rhinestone Chain 14pp
2.5” Ball Chain Silver
20 Gauge Silver Wire
36” 5mm Deerskin Lace
Tools Needed:
Flush Cutters
2 Pairs needle nose pliers
Wet wipes
Toothpicks or headpins
Gloves
A small wooden skewer (optional)
A small dish of water
Part 1: Making the Beadcap
Step 1: Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the handling and mixing of the Crystal Clay. While wearing gloves, pinch off two equal pea sized balls of Part A and Part B and blend together fully until the clay is no longer marbled and uniform in color. You have approximately 90-120 minutes of working time before the clay starts to harden, so take your time. Once the clay is thoroughly mixed, remove your gloves to make is easier to work with the clay.
Step 2: Roll the thoroughly mixed epoxy clay between your palms until it forms a smooth round ball. Press the ball of Crystal Clay into a round flat patty and wrap the clay around the Paper Bead Hollow Form. I like to put my Paper Bead Hollow Form onto a small wooden skewer when doing this part to free up both hands. If you have a tear in the clay or if you don’t have enough clay, mix up a wee bit more and add to your existing clay. You can lightly wet your fingers with water to make the clay smooth and even.
Step 3: Once the Crystal Clay is wrapped around the Paper Bead, press into the Crystal Clay a Jumpring Grande Rope at the opening opposite where the small wooden skewer is. Using your needle nose pliers, make sure that your jumpring is flush and there isn’t a gap in the opening.
Step 4: Embed your chain into the wet Crystal Clay. Once you wrap all the way around the bead, use your Flush Cutters to trim away the excess so that your ending point is right next to your starting point. Take your time and go slow. The attention to detail will really show in the finished product.
Tip: If the chain comes up short, measure a small piece of chain and insert it in the gap.
Step 5: Using the bbq skewer, create a hole on the very top of the beadcap for the 20-gauge wire to pass through once the beadcap is cured.
Step 6: Using a wet-wipe, clean up any Crystal Clay that might be left on the Jumpring Grande Rope or the chain. The epoxy clay hardens like cement, so cleaning it up now and being tidy as you go makes the process easier and the results so much nicer.
Allow the epoxy clay to dry for several hours or until hard to the touch.
Step 7: Once the Hollow Bead Form is hard to the touch, apply a couple drops of water onto the paper bead in the center. Use needle nose pliers or tweezers to pull the wet paper out of the center of the Hollow Bead Form. Keep removing until all of the paper is removed (well, some bits will still be in there and that is fine).
Part 2: Making the Tassel
Step 8: Cut the Deerskin Lace Leather 5mm Chocolate into 6 separate 6” lengths.
Step 9: Stack the Deerskin Lace in the same direction, and fold them in half. Thread one end of the 20-gauge wire through the folded leather and wrap it around the leather 2 times. Press the wire together and tuck the wire end under the folded wire. Be sure the excess wire is on top of the leather tassel and centered. This is the piece you will use to thread the beadcaps.
Step 10: Thread the wire through the cured hollow form beadcap. Create a loop and wrap the wire under the loop about 2 – 3 times. Using flush cutters, snip the excess wire as close to the wrapped wire as possible. Using your needle nose pliers press the snipped wire end so it is flush with the wire.
Step 11: Trim the leather so that is it even and to your liking.
Step 12: Here are some other examples of beadcaps that you can create with the Paper Bead Hollow Form Technique. You can explore using mica powders to colorize the Crystal Clay or you can even texturize your beadcaps. The creativity is endless!
Here are some other examples of beadcaps that you can create with the Paper Bead Hollow Form Technique. You can explore using mica powders to colorize the Crystal Clay or you can even texturize your beadcaps. The creativity is endless!
For this sample, I added another beadcap on the very top of the beadcap, instead of just creating a hole. It really provides a little more to the piece, don’t you think?
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