Square Cube Beads | Simple and Fast to Make, But Full of Creativity
A Great Production Bead For Your Handmade Jewelry Making Projects:
Sometimes instead of spending a ton of time making detailed or intricate polymer clay beads, it's better to keep it simple. The cube beads in today's photo are about as simple as they come.
Made by squeezing a small ball of clay between your thumb and forefinger, turning and squeezing again until all six sides are created. These simple cubes have a pleasing organic feel to them. Edges slightly rounded, cube not perfectly square. Wonderfully handmade!
Once the bead is formed, you can then get a bit more creative with the surface treatments… such as with the faux raku effect in the photo above. Click on the following link to learn more about this creative polymer clay technique: Faux Raku Beads for Bead Jewelry Projects
Another fun way to embellish simple cube beads is to use blue gingham polymer clay cane designs. You can learn more about making the blue gingham cane at this link: Extruder Polymer Clay Canes
Now if you are at the stage where…
… you have been making bead jewelry for a while now;
… and have decided it's time to differentiate yourself in the marketplace by making some custom beads for your projects (rather than buying the same ones that everyone else is buying);
… then these simple cube beads are perfect for you. Easy and fast to make so they don't take up too much production time. But also uniquely your own based on the creativity you use to finish them.
FYI: According to the reader survey poll in the left side bar of this blog, about 26% of you as of today's date (Feb 8, 2009), are "new-to-polymer-clay-but-have-been-making-jewelry-for-a-while-now"… the very category I described in the last paragraph.
If you haven't already added your "vote" to the poll, here's the direct link where you can do that: Polymer Clay Reader Survey
All you have to do is click on door #1, door #2 or door #3 … just like Bob Barker would have asked you to do in the Let's Make a Deal TV Game Show. Remember that one…? Here's that link again: Reader Survey
Filed Under: 06: Bead Shapes, 07: Cane Work, 16: Sell Your Stuff by Comment. 
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Comments on Square Cube Beads | Simple and Fast to Make, But Full of Creativity
8:47 am
So what do you think? Do you favor simple polymer clay bead shapes such as square cube beads, round beads, disk beads and tube beads?
Or do you prefer the more complicated bead shapes such as the mobius bead, flower beads and sculpted beads?
Why don't you leave me a comment below naming your favorite polymer clay beads shapes and which ones you would like to learn more about!
10:48 pm
Hi, Cindy!
It's hard to keep up with you, you are publishing one article per day :)). I think that your site will become soon a real polymer clay encyclopedia. I enjoyed a lot the pictures of your crackled faux raku beads, they must be wonderful to touch. And the gingham lentil is just beautiful, I've made that kind of cane some time ago, the pattern is called a Vichy cane on the French blogs. I've never thought of using it on a lentil though.
Regarding the cube beads…I have made very few until now, they seem quite difficult to mix in a necklace or it's me who don't have the skills. Otherwise I like to make square canes and there's nothing more appropriate than a square cane for a cube bead.
The more complicated bead shape are lovely but time-consuming, especially the sculpted ones. So I mainly stick with the round beads and lately with some tubes.
I don't know about which kind of beads I would like to read more, all you're writing is always very useful.
6:58 am
Hi Cindy,
Just a couple questions about the Raku effect. I am assuming you mix the ink and dip the clay, add the Pearlx when it is unbaked; How do you finish this bead? Do you sand it? Won't that remove the finish?
1:16 pm
I seem to be on a lentil craze lately. I am fascinated with the swirly effects.
11:10 am
@squash: Wonderful comment! Thanks! Love the name Vichy for the Gingham Cane… sounds so classy! It is interesting that you have trouble designing with square beads. Maybe its the corners sticking out that bother you. I actually like the way they stick out and tend to accent that feature by placing small beads next to them so they really stand out as a focal bead. I would try a few of them with your square canes and see if you can fall in love with them like I have. :-)
@Sue: Yes I do add the inks and powders to the bead while it is raw. And you're right they can not be sanded because of this. So I am very careful to make sure the bead is smooth and fingerprint-free before I add on these materials since flaws would forever show on this type of bead.
@Maria: I know… lentils are very addicting aren't they?! ;-)
10:37 pm
What a great blog! Definitely marking as a favorite for when I get the hankering to try polymer clay again. Thanks for dropping by my blog.
11:56 am
Thanks Mary! I very much enjoyed your blog. I will be back for a visit!
4:54 pm
Hi Cindy, To comment on the favorite type of bead question. So many beads so little time. I love them all. It's to hard to pick a fav. But I do have a thing for the carved and sculpted ones.
4:45 pm
Oh gosh I know what you mean Imani! It is hard to pick a favorite! I like carved and sculpted beads too. I'll put them on the list of future topics!