In this tutorial you will learn how to make my signature Flower Basket Beads. In this approach, metal bead caps are integrated into the polymer clay beads before the beads are baked. The metal and clay play off each other for a unified look.


In the tutorial I show you exactly what kinds of metal bead caps work best, and where to get them. I will also show you how to work with tiny pieces of clay that are about the size of a grain of rice or smaller. I will show you a Big Hole Bead version, a smaller version suitable for earrings, and a version that uses Ikat clay (Ikat technique is NOT taught). Depending on which bead caps you choose, I'll show you how to a add a bit of bling as an option.


This project is rated as advanced for a couple of reasons. First, you need to have a feel for clay and understand what "a little sticky but not too sticky" means in the context of needing clay to stick to itself but not to your fingers and tools. Second, you need to feel comfortable working with a needle tool as an extension of (or instead of) your fingers. Third, you need patience. Each of these beads can take up to 2 hours to make (excludes baking time) so this is not for the instant gratification crowd!


Materials and tools listed are for the basic flower basket bead. When I get into the Big Hole Bead and bling variations, a few optional tools and supplies will be called out.