Polymer Clay Tutorial | Making Your Own Cord End Findings [VIDEO]

Friday, please come fast!!!

BTW, I absolutely LOVE seeing the faces of our pc family. More, please. I'm the least techno-savvy human on the planet and I easily managed to navigate my way through the instructions.

Just in time! I was trying to find some cord ends at the bead store last week. They didn't have anything that would work, plus everything was so expensive. Can't wait for Friday!

I'm looking forward to this!

I'm excited to see this. Plus, when the video's available, it means exams are done and I'll be at home! Knitting needles work very well as mandrels. Haven't had to buy jump rings since I started making my own (my poor knitting needles… they're getting used more for jewelry than knitting lately).

Cindy, you must be a mind reader. I have been making golf stroke counters and I can never decide what to end the bottoms of the cords with. I like putting little beads or dangles on them on the wire cord ends would be perfect. I use shoelaces to make my cords but then cut off the plastic ends and there are no wire cord ends that fit on them.

The ones you made in the short video look awesome. You are a genius besides being a mind reader.

Can't wait until Friday, I've got an idea for something for myself just from watching the preview video.

Friday just can't come quick enough..! :)

~Lisa

Just what I need my local craft shop only stocks one size roll on Friday
Josie.

Had the flu last couple days so hope I feel good enough and can find time to make some of these Friday.
Cindy, Cara L. mentions surf bracelets just like you have shown. Can you direct me so I can go see one of these bracelets. I have 3 teenage grandsons who might like these bracelets also. I don't remember seeing it before. Also Bonnie mentioned a golf stroke counter. I have golfers in the family but as for myself I will stick with polymer clay thank you. What is it?? Always looking for new gift ideas that I can make myself. Looking forward to your class on Friday. Wait a minute this is how tired I am it is Friday. I better get back to bed so I can get back up and fall in love with your video.
See you in a few hours I hope. Might not have the strength or time to make them right now but I will watch the lesson first chance I get.
Thanks for a great video to come Cindy.

Love the tutorial, Cindy! I always thought that the whole spiral was supposed to be flattened down…no wonder it never looked right!!! Thanks much for explaining this so well :)

Hugs and warm slipper wishes to you!

Cindy E.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!! I never knew it was so easy! Now I can make those surf bracelets for my sons and their friends also!! God knows I've made enough beads over the months and now they will have a purpose. Your tutorial is so clear and easy to follow as usual.
All the best
Cara

To Peggy: the surf bracelets are shown in the bead blog- october 31st. I know it seems strange talking about surf bracelets when Canada is having freezing weather and snow, but here in Australia we are having some of our hottest temperatures recorded for this time of the year and the beach and swimming is the place to be.
all the best
cara

Hi Cindy,
Brilliant video. I've been doing wirework for a couple of years but have never run across instructions for cord ends. Had no idea they were so simple to do. Thanks so much. You're a great teacher.

Hi Cindy that is an awesome Video, Just seeing how to cut and tuck those wire ends in is so great, and knowing I can make any size and as many as I want is just so inspiring. Will be using this a lot.
But as usual have to find the right size wire, so its off to the H/W store again. Seems I am always in there for something to do with Polyclay, and trying to explain why I want something for a different reason than what they think their products are for. You should have seen the girl there when I pulled out my Makins Extruder for the O rings (tap washers to them! Laugh. It was a case of really LOL Bye and thanks again XXX E.

Thanks Cindy, as usual you are the one that explains things in a way that we can understand. I had a silver jewelry person tell me that you were suppose to crimp the the whole thing and it looked terrible. I think you just saved me a lot of money too so I can be one of your followers for another 20 years. I love doing ribbon but could never find a good way to secure it. I think you solved that.
Thanks again, you are the highlight of my Fridays.

You showed an interchangeable bead pendant. Did you make this in one of your past videos? If so, which one. If not, how do you make one?

You can also make cones by wrapping the wires around the tapered part of a pen or mechanical pencil or other cone shaped items. I've done this to make ends for my wire knit pieces and they come out very nice.

Wow! Thank you everyone for the wonderful comments! I hope you have fun with this tutorial and make lots of great jewelry with it!

@cara: Thank you so much for helping out Peggy by pointing her to the surf bracelet post. That is what I love to see at this blog. You all helping one another!

@Carolyn: I plan on doing a tutorial on the interchangeable pendant in January, so stay tuned for that. Also, thank you for the tip on making cones. That is an excellent idea!

Hi Cindy,
Can you tell me who makes King Chain Wire or HTR wire? My Home Depot doesn't carry it. Can anyone else in Washington State find it?
Thanks!

This tutorial is the reason I signed up. I like the freedom of being able to make my own findings. The tutorial was very good – I wondered how you'd make it work with ribbon. Thank you.

Well the flu still has a hold on me but I finally felt well enough to watch the video and all I can say is WOW Thanks again Cindy you have the technique to take something and explain it in a way everyone can understand. I am so grateful for you and this family we all have here.
The smaller hook on the ribbon I would love to learn how to make it sometime soon. Looks like the hook itself has been doubled somehow??
Also Thank you Cara for the surf bracelet info. Everyone is so kind and also Carolyn the idea for cones is fantastic they can also get costly and the idea to match with the rest of the wire or mix match I can't wait to get better and back to my jewelry corner.
Cindy as much as I love your videos I hope you will be taking Christmas day off. You and you family so deserve it and I'm sure we can survive thru the withdraw just fine. Maybe instead of a lesson we could all take a few moments to tell you about our favorite lesson of the year or something funny or special that has happened to us with polymer clay. Just a moment to share and be Thankful for the Holiday Season. Just an idea.
Warm thoughts for everyone, Peggy

I'm glad you liked my idea and double happy you will be taking both Fridays off. Yes I would miss your videos if you skipped them but everyone deserves time off. I don't think anyone would mind if you didn't make it up on another day. This is what makes you so good you are so dedicated to all of us you go the extra mile and leave us all with a smile on our face at the end of 2009 and beginning of 2010
Once again THANK YOU FOR BEING YOU!!!!!!!!!

Cindy, Not sure if this is the correct place to ask this question. On the enamel copper wire do you have trouble leaving marks from your tools on the wire? I purchased a liquid coating you can dip your tools in that is suppose to help with this. It says it won't harm your tools and when you are ready to remove it you can just peel it right off. Do you or anyone else have any experience with this product?? Any help would be dearly appreciated. It might just be my tools. I still use the very first ones I bought and they didn't cost very much. Could it be I just need some better tools? Also any suggestions on tools what kind, prices etc.
Thanks

Peggy – I have used 'Tool Magic' on some of my wire working tools – it is great! Another tip is to use some of that fine grit sand paper and sand the edges of your tools. Always use as light a grip as possible and do not slide your pliers on the coated wires as this might strip off the coating.

Yes, better tools are better but they can get very pricey. A set of Lindstrom tools would run about $160. These are top of the line tools, but you can get a decent set of new pliers for less than $50. If you are going to invest in new pliers, look for ones that have ergonomic handles and be sure to get ones that have some type of spring mechanism.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for your sweet comment Peggy! To answer your questions Carolyn is right (thank you for helping Peggy btw!) The tool Magic would help. You can also wrap a little tape around the tips as well to help prevent scratches in your wire. Ritzs' husband came up with an awesome solution which I linked to by my name. You can try that as well!

I have a set of EuroTools that I am quite pleased with. They were about $8 a piece and are quite well made for the price. The edges are not too sharp either which is not the case for most inexpensive pliers and tools. They line up nicely and are quite strong as well so I really think they were a good deal.

Maybe someday I'll get some Lindstrom ones, but for now I am fine with the ones I have.

Thank you both for the advice and Cindy I had forgotton about Ritzs' husbands smart idea. I think I will try these ideas before investing in any other tools.
Much appreciation to the both of you.

Hi Cindy,

I'm a new member, as of a few days ago. I am so impressed with your website, your videos, and your teaching expertise. I'm a fairly new clayer, but have been making jewelry for about 20 years. I was planning to join after the holidays, but when I saw that you had a video on making cord endings, I joined on the spot. You see, I had already made a pendant and strung it on a satin ribbon. I made the adjustable closing out of knots in the ribbon, but when I pulled them to shorten the necklace to the length I wanted, the "tabs" stuck out on both sides of my neck. Your cord endings are SO perfect and so easy! I am now very proud of my first completed piece of polymer clay jewelry.

Linda

I can see the video of this week, but I don't know if I will remember all of it. Is there a way that I can save it? I'm not able to back issues of the videos.

I just became a member even though I really can't afford to spend much money since I am on a small Social Security check each month. I think that your videos are great and easily understood. There is so much to absorb on your site, I don't know if I am really getting to every area. Thank you for your help and for this valuable service.

Thank you!!

Hi Cindy,

Here are the photos of my cord ends and necklace. Other than the class I took to learn how to cover a pen about 15 years ago, this was my first real polymer clay creation.

One of the knots was too big to pull down into the cord end, but it did not bother me so I didn't fix it.

I also didn't really sand and buff this pendant because I stupidly glued the crystals on first and I didn't want to scratch them.

Linda

Thanks for sharing your photos Linda. Wonderful cord ends! They are extremely professional looking. Looks to me like you even gave them a patina with Liver of Sulfur and polished them with a tumbler or something. They look awesome!

And to follow up with our email discussion regarding constructive feedback about your polymer clay work, here are a few pointers. They are meant to be helpful and not to be critical, so hopefully that comes across.

You are right about the sanding being a problem with the crystals. Next time what you can do is push the crystals into the clay without glue, but then pop them out after baking. Then you can sand and buff the piece without scratching them. Krazy glue or Weldbond works to secure the crystals after your finishing work is all done.

I think sanding would make a big difference here to add professionalism to your piece, especially in the black background area. Starting with 320 grit, to 400, to 600, to 800 and the to 1200 and 2000 (if you can find it). Finish off by buffing with a Dremel tool or cloth to make it look like stone or glass. Without this level of finishing, polymer clay can often end up looking "PlayDoh-ee" … which is usually not the look you would see in a high end jewelry boutique.

I've actually made many pieces that did not look that great before finishing, but then shined up really nice and professional like, after a bit of elbow grease.

Now I am not a huge fan of twisted rope clay bezels. It is very difficult to get them even. They always seem to look a bit too wonky for my taste. However, I do like your color choices. They tie the overall look of your pendant together nicely.

An alternative to doing a twisted rope bezel is to roll the bezel color in the pasta machine and cut a strip that could be wrapped around the perimeter of your pendant. Care would need to be given where the strips end so that there was no visible join. You could cut the width of the strip just a little wider than the thickness of your pendant, and then sand it even after baking.

One last thing, I think the cording could be a little heavier to visually balance the weight and size of your pendant. Another ribbon could be added or a darker color cord like a black leather or rubber, a section of chain could work or even a steel cable, to give the eye a sense of balance. Lots of room for style preferences here.

Other than those things (which you will get super good at fast btw) I think your design is interesting and colorful and could work very well if it was finished professionally. I also really like the the unusual shape. I think it is a fantastic first attempt and you should be very proud.

I hope that you found my suggestions helpful and constructive. You have great potential and I can see lots of stunning polymer clay pieces in your future.

Wow, Cindy! Thank you so much for the detailed feedback on my necklace. I've learned so much from you.

The necklace was one continuous experiment on my part. I found some black craft wire in my stash so that is what I used to make the cord ends. There was no patina and I don't have a tumbler, although that's one of the things on my wish list.

I might try to pry those crystals off so that I can sand and polish the pendant and glue them back on later. It's made from Sculpey III, so I don't know how shiny it will get from polishing.

I currently have 320, 600, and 1200 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I recently realized that I need to move up more gradually to get a proper shine. I do have a Dremel and have made a buffing attachment for it out of an old flannel nightgown.

The bezel was made from my first (failed) attempt at Mokume Gane. I didn't actually twist it, but after I played with it awhile and rolled it into a snake, that's how it looked. I have since used my extruder to make a bezel, but your method is so much easier! The blobs that ended up looking sort of like rosebuds after I used the texture sheet were also taken from that same mix of clay.

I agree that the ribbon is too fine for the heavy pendant, but it was what I had. I decided to string some crystals on the ribbon to bring out the crystals on the pendant–I must be crazy because it took me about 2 hours to get 6 of them on there. After all that work, there's no way I'm not using that ribbon. :) I might add more ribbon to it to balance it off–or maybe I'll string a strand or two of seed beads. I'll have to play around and see what looks good.

The shape of the pendant arose from my lack of tools. I didn't know how to make it symetrical, so I just cut it into five uneven sides. Linda K.

You're welcome! Thanks for coming back with more details. I totally get the reasoning behind keeping the ribbon after investing all that time getting the crystals on! (I can relate. Done that sort of thing so many times myself I can't count!)

Love having you around the blog with your positive and supportive voice. I hope that this new year is a fun and creative one for you! :-)

I love being able to make these coil ends, thank you! Is there a tutorial on how to make the hook? If not, I would reaalllly love to see one!

Sorry Cindy, I was referring to the other hook. ; )

Ok I know which one you mean now Malinda! I'll add it to the list. :-)

Great! Thanks Cindy. I'm still working on trying to get a lentil bead to swirl, you make everything look so easy!

MalindaJ,
Cindy's video's are the best, nothing can replace them. I know her "list" must be getting pretty long, though. If you are in a hurry, there are some written tut's out there for hook clasps. While most of them look pretty flimsy, I did find one at ravensrings.com that looked similar to the one above. Do a google search for "hook clasp tutorial." (The one I'm talking about was the first result.)

As a wire artist I am always interested in Cindy's presentations. She does a wonderful (and valuable) job of teaching and demonstrating. Now, in Vol. 12 – Hammered Copper Wire – there's a superb clasp tutorial; in Vol. 16 she covers the S-Hook Clasp; and in Vol. 18 she does wire wraps + loops. What more could we ask for – at least as far as clasps. Now we can look forward to her great earwire tutorials!

Carolyn: I agree, Cindy does a fantastic job teaching – her videos are the best I've seen! Her demonstrations are so clear & easy to follow.

Just so you know, I was only trying to help Malinda with the other clasp. I figured she might need it right away (& I had seen written tut's for it, so…) Looking back, though, what she was probably doing was "voting" for what she wanted in a video. I certainly wasn't trying to steer anyone away from this great site. I want everyone to be able to enjoy Cindy's wonderful tutorials. The community on this blog is helpful and sharing – I was just trying to do that.

Speaking of wirework, Carolyn, yours is great! Your website has some very beautiful things. Your polymer is gorgeous, too (your Blue Torn Watercolor necklace – so pretty!) I can see Cindy's influence in your work, like the tribal cane in your purse charm, & the petal cane used in your "Hearts & Flower Fantasy" bracelet. (I see Cindy everywhere! LOL) I really love the pretty dove tags on your pieces, makes them unique & elegant. It's a good bet that you'll do well at your Church Sale this Sunday. Even so, I wish you best of luck!

Anyway, I guess I'll get back. I am looking forward to this month's videos. Although I usually crave polymer tutorials, I know I will love the upcoming earwires video. I really love homemade earwires. They give your earrings that unique, one-of-a-kind look, and make for some standout jewelry! Can't wait!

@Phaedrakat, oh yes! Thank you so much for those directions, I really did need that particular style clasp and you saved Cindy a tic on her list, lol! I can't wait till the next tut either. Fridays just can't come fast enough can they!

I am still struggling, every technique I've tried has pretty poor results. I'm still waiting for anyone (pleez!) to give some advise as to what I might be doing wrong on the lentil beads. I can make the shape perfectly but can't get the colors to swirl!

Thanks again for your help Phaed…in the spirit of Cindy asking us to help one another!

Hi,Cindy- I just wanted to say that I would have never even started polymer claying if I hadn't taken your beginning Tutorial class. I had no idea where to start. The price was incredibly low! Michael's offers no classes in my area (suburban Chicago, Il) and even if they did, they would not begin to include all the information you taught in your Tutorial. I learned everything I needed to know to get started. Then I wasn't afraid to dig in and GO! The videos were very clear and concise and your presented them so well that I know exactly what to do. I have since purchased many books (second hand from Amazon marketplace) and their instructions are very unclear, although I have been able to learn and see many new things from them. But your instructions are A#1! And your price is unbelievable! Thank you, Cindy, for providing such a wonderful Tutorial! I learned so much and I have since purchased almost all of the back issues of the videos and have joined the club too! I continue to learn everyday and play with the clay almost every day.

@Phaedrakat: Cindy is not only a great teacher, she is also a mentor – at least she is mine. Helen Goga (there's a link to her site on my links page) was my wire art mentor. Soon I will have a link to Cindy on my links page.

@MalindaJ: I had troubles at first also and I think the problem was pressing down too hard. Lentils don't need pressure, they just need that round motion. Some take quite a while to get the swirl you want – just keep going in that round motion, but keep it light.

LOL! Cindy, I'll try that when I'm totally desperate ; ) Right now I'm going to give it a couple more shots trying to ensure a very light touch as Carolyn suggested. Thanks so much to you both!!

Hi MalindaJ: You're so welcome. I had just seen that clasp, and thought I'd tell you about it, just in case. I wish you luck with your Lentil Swirlies; hopefully the tips from Cindy & Carolyn do the trick. I know it took me a while to get that technique down. It took lots of practice, especially since I didn't have Cindy's helpful video at the time to help me.

Hi Carolyn: I agree, Cindy is a mentor for so many. As I catch up on all of the wonderful articles here at the blog, I find beginners (and experienced clayers, too) who have been transformed by Cindy's teachings. The community here is one-of-a-kind, and the video demonstrations can't be beat. Although I discovered polymer clay through TV craft shows (Carol Duvall on HGTV – today's topic! – & DIY Jewelry Making,) Cindy Lietz is my mentor!

Cindy (and the community she's created) has reignited my inspiration to clay. I had everything packed away in boxes after my surgeries, and with the exception of a few little projects, it all stayed there. Now, I've unpacked it all. I've been baking & even sanding and buffing some items. (Love that glossy shine and feel.) I've made new canes, and have Valentine's projects in various stages of completion. I owe it to Cindy! It's not only the great lessons – she also taught me to "just do it!" I've always had a problem with trying to make everything too perfect. I would nit-pick over everything until it's flawless. Now that I am limited physically, I didn't even want to attempt anything, knowing my body wasn't up to my old elaborate routine. But now I'm working with my polymer at least two times a week. I clay a little, then lay down and rest in-between steps. Then I get up and try to clay some more! I TRY not to worry about correcting every little thing. I just DO, so that my hands learn what my brain already knows (cuz Cindy's taught me!) Thanks again, Cindy! Making me put my hands back in the clay has made me so happy!

@Linda K: Hi Linda K. your necklace is just so beautiful .I love the colours too.
i had not seen it til now ,hence my late reply.
Cindy is so good with her help for a project, and so good to put our efforts in here.
It is always nice to see what others make of the videos. Keep up your nice work, and keep putting the pics in.
Love E.

@ Elizabeth K: Thank you so much!

I just realized that the cord ends at the top of the page have been shown on another post. Someone asked about how to make the black hook set at the top; well, Cindy did an article using these Copper Jewelry Hooks in a convertible necklace to hang Polymer Clay Bead Pendants.