Comments on: Polymer Clay Projects – Large Beads From Mokume Gane Covered Wood

By: Cindy Lietz@Mad Scientist of Polymer Clay

Cindy Lietz@Mad Scientist of Polymer Clay — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:49:47 +0000

@Lisa Potter: Sorry Lisa, Doug just pointed out that I missed this question from you. Yes you can cover any type of bead you wish with polymer clay, as long as it is heat safe. Pretest your ‘cheap’ core bead before covering in clay in the oven at 275F for at least 15 min, to see whether it will melt or not. If it doesn’t melt, try covering it in clay and then bake it, to see how that goes.

Some beads may have strange finishes or get super hot on the inside, so I would still consider it a test bead until you tried both tests first. In other words, don’t make up a bunch of wonderfully detailed covered beads until you know the beads going to work.

If you do experiment, take some pictures and let us know how it goes. Everyone here loves a little Mad Scientist Testing, so do share… even if it goes horribly wrong! :-)

By: Lisa Potter

Lisa Potter — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 18:16:21 +0000

@Cindy Lietz from Bead Making Basics:

I can’t find the answer to this question in the search box. I bought a bunch of elements beads on clearance. Some of them look cheap, but have a nice shape. I don’t know if they are made from resin or plastic. Can these beads be used as a base and covered with clay and baked?

By: Rosita Cortes

Rosita Cortes — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 04:58:50 +0000

@Cindy Lietz from UV Epoxy Resin on Polymer Clay:
Cindy;
The clay was baked and clean. I will try with the epoxy resin. But I must wait
until I go to US in June. Here in Chile they don’t sell it. After that I will tell you how it did worked.
Thank you. You always help me. I’m so happy to follow with your classes.
Rosita Cortés

By: Cindy Lietz@UV Epoxy Resin on Polymer Clay

Cindy Lietz@UV Epoxy Resin on Polymer Clay — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 02:06:11 +0000

@Rosita Cortés: What brand did you use Rosita? Are you covering clay that is baked or unbaked? I usually use a UV Resin but most resins should work, if your piece is clean and baked properly.

By: Rosita Cortés

Rosita Cortés — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 16:57:21 +0000

My problem is, I bought a resin at the craft store. This resin I use it over wood. I try to use it over polymer clay and it stayed sticky. Must I use an special resin?

By: Cindy Lietz@Skinner Blend Cane

Cindy Lietz@Skinner Blend Cane — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:34:52 +0000

I just wanted to add this here from Mary Ellen Sofee, the reader who asked the original question for this Q+A article. She provided some information from the Carol Duvall Show about using all purpose glue to cover wood before covering with polymer clay. To read her full comment, simply click on the the “Skinner Blend” link right beside my name above. It will take you directly to where Mary Ellen had posted the details.

By: Cindy Lietz@Bead Making Basics

Cindy Lietz@Bead Making Basics — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:12:33 +0000

Thank you for the excellent tip Wendy! Cindy Lietz's last blog post..Blue Iris Color of the Year - Perfect for Making Polymer Clay Beads

By: WENDY

WENDY — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:00:43 +0000

You can also pop the wood in the oven to dry it out before you seal it , just to be sure it won’t expand due to moisture. Set the oven temp @ 250 degrees and bake for 30 minutes, or less depending on the size of the wood object to be covered.