Funky & Fun FIMO Beads Making

FIMO Beads can create a eye-catching jewellery piece. It’s hard to believe that these beads are hand-made! The smaller ones are extremely impressive thanks to the combination of fresh, trendy colours and exquisite leaf metal. The larger beads are even more stunning: In addition to the colourful patterns on the surface, you can also see leaf metal sparkling through from the inside as if the beads were made out of glass. They almost look like Murano beads. What’s more, it isn't even all that difficult to make this beautiful necklace yourself. FIMO Product Shopping List:

1 x FIMO classic White (0) 1 x FIMO classic Turquoise (32) or Aqua (1) 1 x FIMO classic Ultramarine (33) or Brilliant Blue (17) 1 x FIMO classic Violet (61) or Plum (16) 1 x FIMO effect Translucent White (014) Gold Leaf Metal Powder or Sheet Blade Set Acrylic Roller Grind‘n Polish Set Gloss Varnish Oven-Thermometer

Other Products Required:

Leather or Cotton Cord Chain Clasp (otional) Knitting Needles Buffing Machine (Dremel) or an inexpensive alternative Piece of Denim

TOP FIMO BEADS TIPS BEFORE STARTING (from Sarah @ Artemitsa)

1. Use an Acrylic roller (alternatives are to roll on a shiny tile floor or use a silicon kitchen mat)
2. Cool the canes or beads down a bit before cutting them (stick them in the freezer for a few minutes), this firms them back up, and use a really sharp blade.
3. Use a rocking motion to cut so you don’t deform them.
4. Lastly, wear surgical gloves to reduce the likelihood of fingerprints as you can see below!!!

FIMO Beads - Simple To Create - Step by Step

Cut half a block of violet and half a block of turquoise FIMO into four strips and then divide these into four small, three medium-sized and three large bits as shown. Roll into balls and slightly flatten the smallest four balls of each colour. Tear small bits off a sheet of leaf metal & place these on the balls. Roll in hand until the leaf metal either sticks to the FIMO or falls off. Using a knitting needle, carefully make a hole in the beads & suspend them in the oven to harden for 30 minutes at 110 °C. After cooling, varnish in order to prevent the leaf metal from rubbing off. Cut two strips of transparent FIMO into small pieces and wrap them up in a sheet of gold leaf metal. Knead together well until the leaf metal has been completely embedded in the FIMO. Make different-shaped larger-sized beads using coloured FIMO. Roll out the FIMO/leaf metal mixture to an approx. ½ mm thick sheet using the acrylic roller and then wrap this around the coloured beads. The thinner this sheet is, the more effective the depth effect will be later on. Patterned cane with colour blend: Cut diagonally across half a block of coloured and half a block of white FIMO and then join the pieces together to create a two-coloured block. Roll out to a thin sheet using the acrylic roller and fold over once, placing the edges on top of the same colour (violet on violet, white on white). Roll the FIMO out to a thin sheet again and fold over in the same direction as before. Repeat as often as necessary until a smooth transition of colour is achieved. Roll the sheet up beginning with the lighter coloured end so that the dark colour is on the outside. That’s it – the pattern cane is finished!! Alternatively, you could place two such sheets on top of each other with the colours at opposite ends and then roll them up together. This will give you a cane with a snail-like pattern. For the edging, use two different-colours, approx. 3 mm thick sheets of FIMO. Place on top of each other, cut down the middle & place on top of each other again. Repeat procedure again so that you now have eight layers. Now cut slices off – ensuring equal thickness – & lay them down flat next to each other. Roll the colour blend cane up inside the striped FIMO, making sure that the pattern fits together perfectly at the join and does not overlap. The cane can now be rolled thinner as required. Put the cane together, roll it over 90 degrees and cut in half again. Add another strip of white as before. Repeat this procedure twice more so that you are left with a cane with an eight-pointed star pattern. Employing the above-explained techniques, create lots of different pattern canes. You can really let your imagination run wild! Employing the above-explained techniques, create lots of different pattern canes. You can really let your imagination run wild! FIMO/leaf metal beads you made earlier on can now be decorated using thin slices from the different pattern canes. To make sure that the pattern slices are fully embedded in the beads, roll over them carefully with the acrylic roller.Then make a hole in the beads using a knitting needle and suspend them in the oven to harden for 30 minutes at 110 °C. Once the beads have cooled down, go over them using the wet sandpaper. Begin with the lowest grade and finish with the highest one. Use the buffing machine or a piece of denim to bring them up to a perfect shine. String the finished beads onto a length of cord. Tip: It is both faster and easier to create the colour blend using a pasta machine instead of the acrylic roller. The clay machine also comes in handy for making thin sheets out of the transparent FIMO/leaf metal mixture. Tip: Unfinished items and left-over bits of material can be stored in a sealed plastic bag or airtight container e.g. a plastic box or jar.