kids_playclay_jewelry

you_will_need
About 1/4 recipe of at least TWO different colours of Play Clay
or 1/2 recipe uncoloured Play Clay
Wooden picks or skewers
Wire rack set in a shallow baking pan, covered with a paper towel
Desired colours of quick drying paint (optional)
Small tip paint brushes
Block of plastic foam
Spray or brush-on clear acrylic to seal
Thin cord, yarn, narrow ribbon or fishing line
Necklace clasp and/or earring backs (optional)
Quick drying craft glue or low temperature glue gun

For beads, roll eight pieces of Play Clay into balls, making four 3/4 inch
diameter balls and four 1/2 inch diameter balls. Push a wooden pick through
each bead and place on paper towel covered wire rack set in the shallow
baking pan. Make extra beads for earrings if desired; push a wooden pick
part way through bead and place on wire rack for tube-shaped beads, roll
1/4 inch thick Play Clay ropes. Cut ropes into 1 1/4 inch long pieces. Push
a wooden pick through length of bead and place on wire rack. Oven Drying:
Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC), then turn the oven off. Place the baking pan
in the oven and leave it until oven is cold; turn the Play Clay items once or
twice to help them dry evenly.Repeat as necessary until dry. (When reheating
the oven, be sure to take the baking pan out before turning on the heat.) Air-
dry Play Clay overnight on wire racks, turning occasionally to speed up drying.
kids_jewelry
Assembling and finishing the Necklace and Earrings: When beads are completely dry, hold each bead by the pick and paint stripes, one color at a time, leaving space to paint another color. Paint second color after the first color dries. Insert the wooden pick in a block of plastic foam to allow paint to dry. Coat beads on all sides with clear acrylic to seal. Let dry. When dry, thread beads on cord, yarn or ribbon; tie ends of cord together or attach clasp. If making earrings to match, use glue to attach earring backs.
Let glue set.