Beadarific

It's craft time again around our house. This is the second time Anna and I have made our own beads, and they're getting better and better, I think. I think we're just about ready to start making them into jewelry to sell on Etsy. As you can see. I'll let you know when we set up shop.

But honestly, I like that we can mold our own beads from scratch and that we can paint them when they're dry, seeing the whole process through from start to finish. It takes patience, since it all takes several days. And I like that there is something different and uniquely creative about both molding and painting.

Did I say creative? Yes. I call this one Green Eggs...and a Steak.

And it's just cool to create something fun out of basically nothing.

Here's the recipe for the clay, in case you want in on the fun:

3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
1/2 c. cornstarch
1/3-1/2 c. water

Mix dry ingredients, then add water to form a dough. Knead the dough until pliable and then start making beads. Make holes with the end of a paintbrush, a toothpick, or some other stick-like object. Let dry for a day or two, turning over as needed to let the bottoms dry, and then paint.

Some shapes are difficult to make into beads (although we still tried)...

...but since some of the holes sort of cave in when they sit and dry anyway, it's fun to mess around and mold different shapes that can be enjoyed on their own, sans hole.

And if you can't tell already, I think the highlight this time around was the glitter glaze that needed to be applied to pretty much every bead. It does dry clear, with the recommended one or two coats, but 6 or 20 coats are even better. (See heart-shaped bead above if you still need some convincing about this.)
 

We also had fun adding some more embellishments, like puffy paper paint.

And with all the molding, drying, painting, and wearing, all the bead fun can last at least a week.

(These are some first-class silly/creepy faces, by the way. Excellent idea, Anna. And job well done.)