I know this post doesn't have anything to do with weddings, and I'm ok with that.  I wanted to share a fun necklace I made for myself with you.  You can make this for yourself or as a simple gift to give someone.  The best part?  It is SO easy to make.  It only takes about 5 minutes of active time, and can cost as little as $4 to make.  I wear mine all the time and every time I do, I get asked where I bought it.  Let's get started! 

SUPPLIES:

• Sculpey bakeable clay.  $2.79 ( Michaels ).  I used 2 different packs of clay.  The colors I used are Pearl and Beige (which is actually a light pink).
• Some type of durable string.  I found some cording in the sale section at Michaels for $0.49.  
• A Skewer to make the hole in the bead
• A Baking Sheet
• An Oven

STEP ONE:

Break your clay into the pieces you will need to make the beads.  Since I was using a marbled effect on my necklace.  I used 1/4th of each color of make the larger middle bead, and 1/8th of each color to make each of the two smaller beads. Sculpey makes this super easy because their clay is already split into fourths.

STEP TWO:

Roll out your pieces of clay to make little snakes (elementary school term, I know.), then combine the two colors for each bead and roll them together.  For instance, the 1/4th piece of pearl clay and the 1/4th piece of beige clay should be combined, as well as the  1/8th piece of pearl clay and the 1/8th piece of beige clay (there should be two of these). This should leave you with three little clay snakes.

STEP THREE:

You should now have three pieces of clay, each with two colors (if you are doing the marbled version).  Take each piece and work it into a ball.  If you are only using one color, this step is super simple.  If you are using two colors for the marbled effect, the more you work the clay, the more marbled it looks, but be sure not to over work it.

STEP FOUR:

Use your skewer (or something similar) to poke a hole through your bead.  The bead will probably become slightly mis-shaped during this process, but it is very easy to fix.  Make sure that the hole you make is big enough and clear enough for your string to easily fit through.

STEP FIVE:

Now its time to bake the beads.  Just place your beads on a baking sheet and bake them at 275° F for 15 minutes.

STEP SIX:

Once your beads are done baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes.  They may appear to have some cracks in them when you remove them from the oven. As they cool, these cracks typically seem to go away.  Once they are cool, string your beads.  You can make the length of your string however long you'd like.  Simply tie the ends together.  There is no need for a clasp.

STEP SEVEN:

That's it!  Now you have a new piece of jewelry and you can make one for all your friends :)   

Share your pictures with me (@ac_weddings, alexandreacantrell@gmail.com) if you end up making one!  I would love to see what you guys come up with!  

Special shout out to my sister, Olivia, for taking these pictures.  Neither of us are photographers, but we still had fun pretending!