Lampwork beads
are melted glass beads, defined by their colorful, bumpy texture and glossy finish. They come in many different shapes and sizes for various jewelry making applications. Making true lampwork beads requires glass crafting skills and special firing equipment, but you can make faux lampwork beads easily with a small amount of polymer clay, your oven and some good sanding and buffing tools to get a high gloss shine on the beads.
Instructions
1. Unwrap the polymer clay and cut off a one-quarter-inch piece from the colors you want to use for the beads.
2. Soften and condition the clay by squeezing it in your hands and running it through the craft pasta machine. Always do the light colored clays first, or clean the pasta machine with rubbing alcohol between colors so they don't seep into one another.
3. Break off a small piece of clay and roll it in your palms or on your craft mat to form a ball that is approximately 15mm in size (about a half inch). Set it aside.
4. Break off smaller pieces of clay in different colors to make the bumps. Roll these small pieces into balls that are only about 3mm in size, then place them randomly on the surface of the larger ball.
5. Pierce the center of your bead with the bead reamer tool, then set it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper for baking. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to form as many beads as you need.
6. Preheat the oven according to the clay manufacturer's directions, then place the cookie sheet in the oven for the recommended amount of time.
7. Allow the beads to cool for an hour or so after they are baked, then use fine grain sand paper or a Dremel tool to sand any imperfections from the surface. Sanding under water with wet/dry sand paper can give the clay a very smooth finish.
8. Buff the surface of the bead with a soft cloth for a glossy shine, or apply a high-gloss glaze with a small paintbrush and allow the bead to dry.
