Faux Coral beads from Polymer Clay

I wanted to try to make faux jade from polymer clay but,  I thought this other technique might be more interesting to try. It shows you ways to make pitted lava beads from clay. I wanted to try this in a pinkish  color instead and I realized it was starting to actually look like coral.

This project is very easy. It just requires you to make a lost of tiny balls. Anyway, I've long since given up on making the 'perfectly round bead' from clay. I really enjoyed how this technique helped easy that process.

Beads with no fingerprints! How great is that!?

Ok so here's what I did.

1. Mix Premo* Polymer Clay, White Translucent* and a shade of your choice.  I used pink with added white.

2. Make small pea size balls.


3.. Mix regular table salt and grated sea salt for different size salt grains.

4. Roll and press clay into salt. Put clay on a parchment lined cookie sheet and heat oven to 275F

5. Using a paperclip poke holes through clay.
6. Bake for 30 min.

7. Remove from oven and put into a bowl of water. scrub any non-dissolved salt away.

That's all there is too it. String up the beads on stretch cord you can buy at a Craft store and you're all done

  

*Even though I have some SculpeyIII, I find Premo to be the best of the clays and regular "translucent" too 'beige' looking when dry so use the white translucent.