Beautiful Beads Made with Dried Flower Petals and Translucent Clay
"Great idea – using dried flowers as inclusions. I've heard of herbs & spices but never dried flowers." ~Jackie
Every Spring, the Peonies bloom in my front garden. The blossoms grow to an enormous 6" across in an impressive display of what can be described as velvet glory. And every year, the brilliant flowers gracefully expire by shedding large volumes of colorful petals to the ground below.
Well because of our extra dry weather this year, the petals did not compost so quickly, and they held onto a lot more of their original color than normal. The photo above is a close up of the Peony petals on our driveway… naturally baking in the summer sun.
These flower petals dry to a dark purple red, perfect for inclusion in translucent polymer clay to make beautiful beads.
When using dried flower petals for making inclusion beads, make sure your petals are completely dry. They should be so dry they can be crumbled in your fingers. If there is any moisture left in the petals, they will turn brown and sometimes bubble when the clay is baked.
If you would like to learn more about this wonderful polymer clay bead making technique, click on the following link: Flower Petal Bead Inclusions for Memorable Keepsake Jewelry
And to see some examples of flower petal jewelry created by Marsha Nelson, click here: Polymer Clay Jewelry Made with Several Styles of Flower Petal Beads
What's been your experience with making flower petal beads. Stories, tips, pictures are all welcome…
Filed Under: 05: Techniques by Comment. 
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Comments on Beautiful Beads Made with Dried Flower Petals and Translucent Clay
4:55 am
I LOVE the smell of Peonies. They are a beautiful flower. Iam sure your yard must be like a piece of heaven when they are in bloom.
9:51 pm
Peonies are so beautiful. They remind me of growing up. My mom always had huge peony bushes in the yard.
11:54 am
Also have used dried mint and bayberry leaves as an inclusion in transparent, but the smell isn't as strong as if you add a few drops of essential oil into the mix before baking.
Here's a link that carries the oils, plus some neat little glass bottles and such that are screaming to be adorned in polymer clay, hope you enjoy!
naturesgift.com/
6:13 pm
Jocelyn and others: I wrote an article awhile back about adding scents to polymer clay. There is a few ideas there including how to use essentials oils in the clay. click the link by my name for more info.