Buttons and Beads.

Hi, there,

I've been busy making samples for Cake International at the N.E.C in November using Silicone Plastique to make my own moulds.

For more information about this mould making compound visit:
http://www.thecakedecoratingcompany.co.uk/catalog/index.php  or http://www.makeyourownmolds.com/silicone-plastique

Originally formulated for making moulds for food this versatile product can be incorporated in many other areas of crafting.

Here's a tutorial showing you how you can make your own bead or button moulds with things you probably already have.

 

Take some polymer clay and roll it out, I used a pasta machine on the number 2 setting.

 

Use a texture mat, stencil, textured rolling pin, stamp or anything you like the design of and impress it in to your clay to transfer the pattern.

 

 

Take a cutter the same shape and size you would like your button or bead to be

 

 

turn the cutter so that the cutting edge is uppermost and drape the patterned clay in the recess

 

 

 

then cover this with another piece of clay, again rolled on the number 2 setting on the pasta roller

carefully turn this over, and press firmly to cut out your bead.

Bake the polymer clay bead following the manufacturers instructions. Once the bead had cooled use Silicone Plastique to make a mould. You can see how to use Silicone Plastique in my last tutorial (Textured Knitted Heart)

 

Here are a few moulds that I made using different textures and cutters for my beads. Once you have made your mould you can make your beads quickly and easily for your jewellery designs.

 

 

 

I used different shades of brown polymer clay in my mould to make the wood grain texture effect beads, then used Dinkydoodle Designs Lustre Dusts in copper, bronze and iridescent gold to give them a metallic look.

 

 

The wood grain disks were made from brown and gold polymer clay mixed together until just marbled and then passed through the pasta machine on setting number 1. I used different sizes of round cutters for these. Before baking your beads make a hole in them or insert an eye pin. After baking I sprayed the beads with Dinkydoodle Shell and Shine Spray to protect them. The flat disk beads had three coats of the shell and shine spray which gave them a high shine like varnished wood.

 

My unique beads where then used to make a one of a kind necklace but one that can be reproduced should I want to with the help of my mould.

 

 

Thanks for reading and hope you're inspired.

 

Wendy.