[MewChan]

I am trying to make this necklace:

http://gamersushi.co...0cross20kid.jpg

and was going to attempt to make it using Sculpey?

Has anyone used it before? If so, how well does it work?

Are there products that work better or does anyone have an alternative method to make the necklace?

Thanks a bunch,
Kat

[-JUNK-]

I love sculpy, but pretty much how it works is its like clay but you get to use your oven to harden it. Also if you want a glaze on it there should be some in that area in Hobby Lobby.

There should be instructions about it on the product also.

If I were to make a necklace like that Sculpy would be the way to go.

[MewChan]

-JUNK-, on 07 February 2012 - 10:50 PM, said:

I love sculpy, but pretty much how it works is its like clay but you get to use your oven to harden it. Also if you want a glaze on it there should be some in that area in Hobby Lobby.

There should be instructions about it on the product also.

If I were to make a necklace like that Sculpy would be the way to go.

Thanks for your help! =]

Hopefully I can actually make it...I'm not very crafty. =/

This post has been edited by MewChan: 07 February 2012 - 10:56 PM

[-JUNK-]

just roll balls of clay and use toothpicks to make the holes
and if you need the beads spaced make knots outside of each bead

[MewChan]

-JUNK-, on 07 February 2012 - 11:02 PM, said:

just roll balls of clay and use toothpicks to make the holes
and if you need the beads spaced make knots outside of each bead

Thanks. What would you recommend using for stringing the beads? Fishing line?

[-JUNK-]

That works but any clear string type material would work. Just make sure it can hold the beads and not break easy.

[Alkaren Hyralt]

I have confidence that it will look great. :] Fishing line will probably be one of the stronger materials, how are you planning on fastening the necklace though?

[-JUNK-]

You can get "boobies" yes thats what their called. at a craft store in the jewlery/beading area.

but for the fishing line just make sure if you want the beads spaced that you might need thicker line so they dont go over the knot or just make smaller holes on the beads

[cactusmomma]

A necklace out of sculpey that large will be heavy and prone to cracking though. I would recommend trying paperclay instead. It's a little more expensive than sculpey (Love on your Michaels coupons. Not even joking!), but it also air dries and is pretty accepting of sand paper.

Alternatively, if you don't mind using some floral wire for the threading, there's doll joints they sell at Joann's, Hobby Lobby, EBay, etc. If you can get something to drill holes in, you'll at least have perfect circles. (I used this for my daughter's Athena necklace, for the record.)

[Rori]

cactusmomma, on 08 February 2012 - 03:57 AM, said:

A necklace out of sculpey that large will be heavy and prone to cracking though. I would recommend trying paperclay instead.

Also, since those beads look pretty big, its probably going to take a while to bake them. The last packages of Sculpey I bought suggested 30 minutes of baking per 1/4" (6mm) of clay. I would try the paperclay.

[kenkendazo]

Going off of cactusmomma with it being kind of heavy, you could always use styrofoam balls and cover them in la doll or other paper clay that will dry on its own, but be stable and ready for sealing and painting

[Tokoz]

I would use papier mache. crumple up newspaper and tape it into a rough shape, then papier mache over that (I use pulped-paper papier mache, so it acts more like clay). Then, poke a hole through it. Since Paperclay is so expensive, I use it as a spackle to fill in any irregular areas left by the mache. If you want them to be extra light, you can pull out the newspaper inside after the outside dries. This is what I did for my EmberIsland!Sokka necklace (http://pics.livejour...z/pic/000q4ex9/) I threaded it with some round elastic.

[MewChan]

Hm...there's not a craft store in the area where I go to school..I'll have to see what I can do.

Crafty things are not my strongpoint. ><

Thanks for the suggestions/ideas, everyone! =]

This post has been edited by MewChan: 09 February 2012 - 12:07 AM

[cactusmomma]

Paper clay can be made at home!
http://ultimatepaper...aper-mache-clay

[Tokoz]

cactusmomma, on 09 February 2012 - 12:17 AM, said:

Paper clay can be made at home!
http://ultimatepaper...aper-mache-clay

We-eeell... having tried that recipe before, it's not the SAME as paperclay. For one thing, it doesn't take fine detail on small areas as well as the storebought stuff. It's also larger-grained than Paperclay, and can't be applied as thinly (and i'm talking SUPER thin like most normally sane people don't do, so YMMV here). Papier mache clay like this still tends to want to lump up a bit from the paper in it, so it's not as smooth. Sanding paperclay is wonderfully easy, but sanding papier mache clay can get pretty difficult, depending on how cement-like your mixture ends up being. Also, linseed oil is seriously dangerous, toxic stuff. I am somewhat afraid of it. >_>;; Vegetable oil seems to work just as well...

All that said, I use a variation of this recipe when I make my own papier mache clay. It's really good for laying a foundation of rock-solid hardness and doing the broad shapes for a piece. And, using toilet paper will get you a finer-grained clay then using other things (like paper-from-the-paper-shredder, used wrapping paper, junk mail, old newspapers...). The joint compound in it makes it heavier than "plain" pulped-paper papier mache, and nothing will be as light as 8 layers of strip-style paper mache, but it's great stuff. I just wouldn't call it a substitute for paperclay.

Cold porcelain, otoh, might be the ticket for a low-cost paperclay replacement made mad-science style out of common household ingredients. At least, for small projects. iirc, I think its cohesion fails in large applications. I don't know; I've not gotten up the guts to try it yet. >_>;;;

This post has been edited by Tokoz: 09 February 2012 - 12:19 PM

[Millions_Knives]

sry i dont mean to come off like a jerk ~been watching this for a bit~
some of these ideas are rather resourceful
and im keeping the links to the home made stuff to play with later




id go with the wood beads/doll joints (aside from the center one)
why?

these wood beads cost ~$3.5 with tax for 2 packs (i can go to the store but they may be a bit more in other cases)
other methods take more money/time in the end
(shipping is lv over all choices aside from paper mache)

Some of ya get that to make this from foam balls, paper clay, and Sculpey it would clearly cost more in base price per unit to get the job done (coupons may change this)

and that to use the home made stuff you have to buy supplies that exceed the costs of the wood beads
ex.
the joint compound for homemade paper clay
the cold cream for the cold porcelain
however if this project were much larger these could come out on top

but then some are going to say well the paper mache is free
not if you include glue, tools, and finishing (this argument also applies to methods requiring coating/finishing)
if you have supplies on hand it could be cheaper

wood beads have work time and quality hands down over other choices
because they are already finely shaped
just paint, varnish, and string the wood beads
but you can spend a few days making them from scratch to save a few dollars if you have everything on hand




The hole in my argument is that id use purple Sculpey for the center bead to make the shape and paint it to match. (purple so that if its dinged its still purple under the paint)
Then why not all of them to make it uniform?


Well a pack costs about $2.5 and i likely could only get 2-3 beads/pack.
...and more Sculpey means more cracking over time
To salve the string eating at it over time id use a coffee straw to protect the Sculpey. (a regular drinking straw could be ok too)
This trick can also be used on the wood beads to make the holes smaller.


omg i want to delete this bs post
but i spent so long on it


these are just my personal ideas
and by no means the only way to get the job done
i hoping this comes across as an objective and fair prospective to the time, costs, and quality of material choices for this specific project


rrr
enough out of me for the day
~rants off in corner~

[basili1250]

Knives. You are too, too hard on yourself. You probably have an idea of how much gravity you bring to anything you post about, but I would like to reiterate that everything you say is appreciated.

Even though I have put no input to this thread, all the information is amazing for Anyone to use! I hope your construction goes well and I look forward to find out what you went with!

[Tokoz]

No need to be so hard on yourself, Knives! Yours is a valid argument!

I happen to have all my mache supplies already bought and/or made, so going to a different medium would be cost-prohibitive for me, but it's a good thing to consider if you'd have to lay in supplies to start up. And you're right -- mache does take quite a bit of sanding to get a smooth finish. If the beads are the right size, then heck yeah, go for the easy way.

[MewChan]

Knives, totally NOT a BS post. I never even thought of using wood beads! =] You have given me some great ideas for the necklace and I'll try to figure out how to make the middle bead.

Everyone's ideas have been absolutely amazing and I'm so grateful to all of you.

I will definitely take pictures of the finished product.

You are all awesome and thank you,
Kat

[cactusmomma]

The wooden balls can be a little heavy, but they're durable as all get-out, they're child safe and are -easily- painted.

Knives, knock it off.. I will come over there and shake a fist at you!

[Millions_Knives]

thanks guys i guess i went over board being humble lol

to Bisili
i dont think ill ever be able to see how other see me
who can lol
lol i try to lessen the gravity of what whatever i say
i have noticed that soon after i give advice
the thread ends
while im glad to help and that ppl like my info
i dont want to barge into a thread and smash everyones ideas
or post in a way that makes it seem like my plan is the only way to do things
there are some great ideas in threads like this

oh and thanks we have started construction and we we are popping parts out assembly line style


to Tokoz
i have been looking to a cheap filler that bonds well plastic and im hoping you idea is the solution
so thanks for that
we all have so much to learn

to Mewchan
hope you have fun
its ok to mess up and not be prefect
half the fun is walking into work and havinig to explain why you dont have eyebrows lol
and learning and developing skills has a value beyond hard numbers
(more rantings lol)
GL

to cactusmomma
true, if its going to be worn for hours it could get annoying if not a bit straining by the end of the day

sry again for over doing it

i once considered making an alt to give advice
but i bet you all would pick up on me rather quickly lol

[MewChan]

Thanks, Knives! Who needs eyebrows anyway when you can just draw them on? =P

[Dark Spellmaster]

Things to keep in mind when using Wood beads.

1. Michals has an assortment of them, and check out their jewlery section for wires and necklace bits. They can be a great help.

2. Get acrylic paint over oil paint. What I did for a project was take the beads, dipp them in small containers with said paint, scope out. Or if you want, just paint them over, but put on a white layer first and clean out the hole before you let it dry so that your wire goes through well. White layers let your top layer come out cripsper, also put a layer of coating over the dry top layer, even nail polish coating works to keep the paint from chipping or fading.

3. Hobby lobby or other stores might have large beads that you might want as well, check those out too.

[MewChan]

Yeah, I went to Hobby Lobby and got some wood beads.

Didn't think to pick up Sculpey while I was there..oh well.

[Millions_Knives]

oooohh Dark is going pro and priming